‘I Love My Job’: How I’m Empowered and Valued at One of America’s Best Midsize Employers

Welcome to I Love My Job, the series where we hear from real women who really love their jobs. In this edition, we sat down with Christa Gates, the Chief Underwriting Officer, Northeast Region at The Hanover Insurance Group.

“My favorite thing about The Hanover is the people here,” explains Gates. She notes that her journey to The Hanover started with a recommendation from a friend, who told her that at the company, her ideas were valued, she always had a seat at the table and there was an entrepreneurial environment. “I'm very thankful she brought me here,” says Gates.

And, at The Hanover, maintaining a positive culture is a key priority. “Our core values are our care values,” explains Gates, “which stands for collaboration, accountability, respect and empowerment. This is not just a marketing slogan; It's really the culture here, and it's very special. Our vision for the future connects back to generating an increasingly positive and welcoming place to work. When our people are empowered and accountable, we will attain our best results.”

In the video below, Gates shares more about why she loves working at The Hanover Insurance Group. We also share lightly edited highlights from this video discussion in the following article.

Tell us a little more about yourself.

I joined the Hanover team just over a year ago, after spending 25 years in the insurance industry working in various property, casualty, underwriting and management roles.

I'm really proud to be part of the team here at The Hanover — there's great energy at our company. In my current role, I'm responsible for the oversight of the Northeast middle market portfolio, which includes working alongside our teams to grow profitably and to continuously foster an environment that makes this a great place to work.

Our organization has a relatively flat structure, so my role exposes me to all aspects of the business, from ground-level strategy, development, and implementation, to the management of top-line metrics. One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is working with our teams to continuously strengthen our underwriting sales acumen so we can be leaders and at the forefront of providing the best, most customized products and services for our middle-market clients. 

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is when I see people lead with curiosity and confidence. Our talent drives our success here, and there's nothing better than seeing our people shine.

Tell us about a project that you find really exciting.

An exciting and rewarding project for me was being a corporate sponsor of The Hanover Business School Program this past year. We invite a group of rising stars across multiple disciplines at the company to come together and essentially get to work with the individuals who are selected to participate…

Each team is charged with coming up with a business challenge that they think will have a positive impact on our company. And there's no shortage of healthy competition! The program culminates with a highly anticipated live and very much interactive presentation to the board. 

The presentations this year were really fantastic; we watched leaders emerge and a level of camaraderie that made everyone realize why they were there… The executive leadership team invests a significant amount of time in preparing our teams for this project, and they don't just speak to the teams, but they really engage, they listen and they provide thoughtful feedback.

The results of this program was we had a group of high-potential employees who walked away feeling valued and very special. I can't imagine anything better than that.

What is the culture like at The Hanover?

One of my favorite things about the culture here at Hanover is that we really pride ourselves on inclusiveness and providing an environment where people can be comfortable being themselves and expressing their views. This culture is really the pillar of our business model, it drives our ability to succeed. Maintaining this culture is a continuous effort that needs constant attention and focus in order for it to flourish.

How does The Hanover support you in advancing your career and maintaining work-life balance?

We’re very focused and attentive to the needs of our employees. Every person is unique and while a job may have the same description, the path to success, and the job itself, may look a bit different from person to person.

Work-life balance over the course of my career has evolved and changed. Our organization understands that workplace flexibility is an essential part of taking care of our talent. We are always working to position our people for success, realizing that might mean different things at different times throughout their career.

What advice would you give to other women who are thinking about working at The Hanover?

Come talk to us! We take great pride in once again being named one of America's best midsize employers by Forbes. It is an honor that we do not take lightly. We know the future of our company resides with our ability to attract and retain top talent. In order to do this, we know we need to first and foremost take care of our people through offering personal development and career opportunities and through embracing diversity of thought and celebrating success.

Interested in joining The Hanover team? They’re hiring! Click the link below to browse opportunities.

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with The Hanover Insurance Group. Find a job there today!

Check out other posts in the ‘I Love My Job’ series:

• 'I Love My Job’: Why This Director’s Favorite Aspect of Her Job ‘Is Hands Down the People

• 'I Love My Job’: I’m Building an Inclusive, Fun and Empowering Culture at My Mission-Based Company

• 'I Love My Job’: How My Company Supported My Career Pivot From Finance to Technology

• 'I Love My Job’: A Dynamic Culture Where ‘Every Day Is an Opportunity to Grow Professionally’

• 'I Love My Job’: The Flexibility to Schedule Life First, ‘Opportunities Second to None’, and More