You don’t rise to senior levels at one of the largest insurance companies in the world without a few defining moments. For Juan Andrade (JOU, POL ‘86), those defining moments came at three different stages of his life.

The first was his grounding and education at the University of Florida and the College of Journalism and Communications, in particular. “As a Hispanic, the most significant thing that opened doors for me was my college education,” Andrade said. “Education is a great equalizer. As a minority, it puts you on a more level playing field.”

Andrade credits his development of communication skills at CJC, in part, for his career advancement. “Communication skills are a competitive advantage and a critical essence of leadership, particularly at senior levels,” he said.

The second defining moment came after graduating from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies where he received a Master of Arts in International Economics and Latin American Studies. Andrade joined the U.S. government where he worked in national security and international affairs for the Executive Branch and the Office of the President. “That was the start of my journey as an internationalist,” Andrade said. “It opened my mind to the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy and opened my eyes to a very different way of looking at the world.” His appreciation for how big, complex, dangerous, and rewarding the world can be and his work with very smart and committed people were defining moments for him.

Entering the insurance business led to his third defining moment. He used his background, language skills and education in journalism and economics to excel and rise to the top of ranks of ACE. “The insurance industry has been very rewarding for me,” he said. “Our business is about helping people at a time of need. We are nation builders. Our revenues are invested in conservative asset classes such as bonds to help build cities and countries around the world develop their infrastructure, etc. And we are helping businesses to take risks and expand. What many people don’t recognize is that, without insurance, economies can’t move forward.”

Andrade was recently appointed to EVP of the new Chubb Group and president of the Overseas General Insurance Division upon completion of ACE’s acquisition of Chubb, which will create the 4th largest multi-line insurer in the world.

These defining moments taught him a number of life lessons. “Be intellectually curious and have a vision for your own career. Focus on what you are good at and what you like. There is a correlation between your passion and success. Be honest about your strengths. Seek individuals that can help and care about you. And then do something with all of that.”

Posted: November 30, 2015
Category: Alumni News, Alumni Profiles, Profiles
Tagged as: Defining Moments, Juan Andrade