Aaron Wardrop

Graduate at Gallagher
Bachelor of Economics/Business Management at The University of Queensland (UQ)

6.30 AM

The first alarm of the morning goes off. I don't believe in waking up to the first alarm, so I eventually wake up between 6:45 and 7am when the alarms become too much to sleep through any longer. At this point it's time to make breakfast, pour the first cup of coffee for the day and complete a small mundane task to activate my brain before the workday starts.

8.30 AM

First-off straight to the kitchen, putting my lunch in the fridge, filling up my water bottle and making another cup of coffee before the day starts. First task of the day, check any emails that came in overnight and see meetings or events are on that day and note any important dates coming up that need preparation for.

9.30 AM

Knowing I've got a meeting at 10am today it's time to grab a quick coffee with some colleagues. We all walk down to the local shop discussing any plans we've got coming up, it also gives me time to try and find the best batch brew coffee around the CBD.

10.00 AM

Time for the meeting - This week we just finished the end of quarter, so it's time to both discuss the results and see what both worked and what can be improved on in the next quarter. The past month was by far our busiest of the year and the team had performed extremely well, exceeding the budget for that month. After hearing of the positive news from the previous month the team discussed upcoming clients and schedules and new allocation of work with one of the team members away on annual leave.

11.00 AM

Now back at my desk I check to see if any emails came in during our meeting and then begin with the allotted work. While urgent tasks get completed ASAP I like to read industry news articles and journals throughout the day to maintain freshness and keep up-to-date on any relevant news.

1.00 PM

Lunch is here, typically I'll bring lunch in. Currently I'm re-watching Brooklyn-99 so watching the 20min episode gives me a good opportunity to switch off my brain after the morning rush. After this it's time to go for a walk, providing some much-needed movement and sunshine after lunch and the morning in the office. After finishing the walk its time to grab another coffee before the afternoon slump kicks in.

2.00 PM

Today one of the corporate team managers has set-up some group learning for the younger team members that we have been completing over the past 2 months. This has given us time to learn and understand the more technical side of the industry and present this learning to our colleagues as one would be expected to do when talking to a client.

4.00 PM

While the presentations went for a long time the content was quite beneficial and provided good insight that will provide useful in future professional development. Time to get the final quick coffee in for the day giving me time to mull-over whether I want to go for a run or to the gym this evening – for both this caffeine will be very necessary. After the coffee and deciding neither will be fun it's back to the desk to finalise any remaining work for the day and to file any important emails and clean out the inbox of all complete work and make it ready for tomorrow.

5.00 PM

With the workday now finished it's time to head over to South Bank for a run to process the day and get some much-needed fresh air.

7.00 PM

Now back home it's time to relax and enjoy a quiet evening in with my housemate watching the footy.

Timothy Lewis

Account Executive at Gallagher
Dual Bachelors Degree of Business Management & Economics at The University of Queensland (UQ)

What's your job about?

As a newly joined insurance broker in the corporate team, I closely shadow and help my manager in dealing with complex clients. My daily work involves understanding the unique insurance needs of large corporations, analysing their risk profiles, and developing customized insurance plans to mitigate those risks.

I start my day by reviewing emails overnight to see if we have been in contact with London insurers and any outstanding tasks that I may be working on. Throughout the week, I work with underwriters to work on upcoming renewals as well as management of all our current clients with any day-to-day queries. I also help prepare detailed reports and presentations to help clients understand their insurance options and make informed decisions.

What's your background?

I grew up in Brisbane. I attended high school near the beautiful waters of Manly and worked at Woolworths through school and university. After 4 years of study at UQ, I decided it was best to travel to the other side of the world. Once I returned, I was ready to start full-time work here at Gallagher Global Brokerage.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely. The range of degrees/backgrounds that can excel in this field is amazing. I work with people who have degrees in Psychology, Law, Arts, Politics and Science, to name a few. If you are willing to learn and be proactive, I don't see a way you won't succeed.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Last week, I was fortunate enough to talk to the surfing King, Mick Fanning. I must admit, I don't know anything about surfing, but I do know he is a very big celebrity. One of our clients was launching their new man-made wave pool, and we were fortunate enough to attend the Launch. Among other famous names, Mick spoke about what he expects this multi-million project to look like, and it was quite sceptical. The following week, I was down at Lamington National Park for another client, taking in the views that seemed almost impossible to be real. Now, this is not your typical fortnight, but no two weeks are the same.

What are the limitations of your job?

One limitation of this job would be if you don't like to put yourself out there. I am not saying you need to think about an infinite amount of icebreakers with every single person you meet, but I think it's an important aspect of the job. Although it may seem daunting in the beginning, once you get going, you don't stop. Don't be afraid, stand out and make yourself known, it will only benefit you in the future.

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