Meet Michael Lee, AVP, Retail Insurance Business Development, North America
Tell us about your career journey and your path to Sompo. What attracted you to Sompo?
I started my insurance career over two decades ago, creating group benefit insurance booklets at The Hartford, in Hartford, CT. After four relocations with The Hartford (along with transitioning from group benefits/life insurance to property and casualty insurance), I ended up in Denver in 2011. I joined Sompo in November 2022, after various roles, including middle market and technology underwriting, business development, and loss-sensitive national accounts underwriting at a few other carriers in town. The growth trajectory of Sompo, along with the anticipation surrounding the opening of the Denver office in 2023, was a significant attraction for joining the company. As one of the first hires in Denver in the lead up to the office opening in July, it has been rewarding getting out into the market and drumming up buzz for the company.
What advice do you have for prospective Sompo candidates?
Utilize your network and ask questions. Whether you know current Sompo employees or brokers/clients that work with Sompo, ask around to learn what their experience is with the organization. I have complete faith that the responses will be positive based on the culture of the organization and the people I have the privilege of working with every day.
Tell us about the first [paid] job you ever had.
I painted homes (mainly exterior and some interior) during the summers of my college years. I learned a lot about teamwork and the ability to have fun while working during these summers. My wife’s to-do list appreciates the painting skills I learned, as well.
What is the best thing that happened to you in the past 12 months?
I had the opportunity to take two bucket list trips with my 9-year-old son. In July 2022, he and I traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland, to attend the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course. While in Scotland, he also played his very first round of golf. In January 2023, he and I went to Lambeau Field to watch the last regular season Packers game, for what appears to be Aaron Rodgers’ last game as a Green Bay Packer.
What is your idea of a perfect day outside of the office?
Spending time traveling (whether that is on a vacation, watching my kids play sports/instruments, or visiting family and friends) and making memories with my family (wife, two teenage daughters, a son, and a 3-year-old Sheepadoodle).
About Sompo
Sompo Holdings Ltd. is a global specialty provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, headquartered in Bermuda. Through its operating subsidiaries, Sompo writes agriculture, professional lines, property, marine, energy, casualty and other specialty lines of insurance and catastrophe, property, casualty, professional lines, weather risk and specialty lines of reinsurance. Sompo companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Sompo Holdings, Inc., whose core business encompasses one of the largest property and casualty insurance groups in the Japanese domestic market. We maintain excellent financial strength as evidenced by the ratings of A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best (XV size category) and A+ (Strong) from Standard and Poor’s on our principal operating subsidiaries. Sompo’s headquarters are located at Waterloo House, 100 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda and its mailing address is Sompo, Suite No. 784, No. 48 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda.
For more information about Sompo, please visit www.sompo-intl.com.