Happy Retirement, Sandy Farris!

How many states have you lived and worked in? How many countries?  For Sandy Farris, Underwriting Manager at OneBeacon Entertainment, the answer is 3 and 2 (plus an entire continent as a territory– more on that later).  Now after 41 years in the insurance industry and a career spanning the globe and several twists and turns, Sandy will be retiring next week on July, 13. And will promptly return to globetrotting, with a trip to Australia planned in January.

“I’m excited about what the future holds,” Sandy says. “I’ve lived several different lives in my career and now I’m ready to take on the world in a different way.”

But before we look forward, let’s look back, to Cleveland, Ohio where Sandy began her career in childcare. She worked as a Grades 1-4 school teacher and then as the manager of one of only 5 co-op daycares in the entire country.  In the late 1960’s she participated in a panel on Women and Childcare, where she met Gloria Steinman.

“I remember I was late to the panel because my childcare for the day had fallen through and so I showed up to the event, son in tow, and used it as a point of example during my address,” Sandy remembers.

Shortly after, Sandy decided to move back home to New York to be closer to family, and also decided to make a career change, entering the Chubb Trainee Program.  She eventually became a property-casualty underwriter and worked her way up at Chubb in various departments, including the marine group, before eventually landing in the Chubb Custom Market (CCM) department where she focused on entertainment.

After 20 years with the company, in 1994 she decided to make another move, this time to London when she was hired by a managing general agent, Aon.   In London, Sandy’s territory was Europe, and she spent the next 7 years traveling the continent and accumulating stories—she came across Javier Bardem before he was THE Javier Bardem when he broke his arm during a project and filed a claim—and even credits on various Spanish and European television shows.

“Moving to London was the highlight of my career,” says Sandy. “It was scary, doing it by myself, but it opened up the world to me and for me.”

In 2001 she decided to come back to the U.S. to be closer to her family and settled in Florida, where she worked for a year as a broker.

“It was abysmal for me,” said Sandy. “My mindset definitely prefers working as an underwriter. I think it was the first job I was ever fired from! That is when I joined EBI.”

Sandy managed an office for Entertainment Brokers International (EBI) in Florida for four years before the company was acquired by OneBeacon and her office closed. But it wasn’t long before EBI, now OneBeacon Entertainment offered her a job in the Los Angeles office in 2009, so she relocated once more and the rest, as they say, was history.

When asked if there was any constant to her work in insurance, across state, countries, language and market she responds with sincerity, “Relationships.”

“Relationships mean everything—broker, colleague and people in general. I’ve worked with brokers and met and knew their spouses and children, and then worked with those children when they became brokers. Relationships drive business. It is what will get you through, whether you succeed or not.”

Congratulations, Sandy, on your many years of success and service at OneBeacon. We wish you well in retirement and future travels!