PEOPLE
CAREER PATH
MAKING CONNECTIONS Josh Brekenfeld’s career has spanned various fields and countries, but it all comes down to linking clients to resources
Brekenfeld’s passion for history and vision of himself as an academic was rerouted when he was pulled aside by the professor of one of his required classes: politics. “He said, ‘I don’t know why you’re a history major; everything you like about it is really political science.’ He secured me an internship with Senator John Edwards; that’s where I learned it was OK to be excited and active and voice opinions.”
2000
EMBRACES POLITICS
2014 JOINS LLOYD’S When his husband received a job offer in London, Brekenfeld’s sense of adventure came to the fore. “I couldn’t pursue [US] politics in London and couldn’t practice law here. I packaged my skills and went on a rampant campaign of meeting anyone who would meet with me. Lloyd’s is an institution, like the Senate. Even though the information was new, it felt familiar, and it turned out I loved it.”
2016 DEALS WITH BREXIT His position as relationship manager put Brekenfeld in pole position when the Brexit result took everyone by surprise. “All businesses were coming to the reality of what it meant. My job very quickly became a full-time supporting Brexit role. If we didn’t do something, we were going to lose 14% of our overall book. Some of it recalled my days on the Hill; that muscle memory came back.”
2019 FINDS A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Brekenfeld decided to leave Lloyd’s for the chance to take a global view as Aspen Insurance’s director of global corporate development. “Aspen is at an interesting time in its history: It’s been acquired, and we’ve been given the mantle to point it in the right direction. The ability to encourage innovation in our business, reduce frictional costs and build a more diverse and inclusive workforce is paramount, and they’re important goals for me.”
2009 STARTS LAW SCHOOL Working in the DC office of a senator brought Brekenfeld to the realization that most of the leaders held law degrees or MBAs. “I thought I had to go to law school. I failed my entrance exam twice; the third time, I was wait-listed and then got in, and it ended up being perfect timing. I was in the library on the weekends and working with the Senate committee during weekdays.”
2014 GETS A LEG UP A move into a relationship management position expedited Brekenfeld’s progress in the insurance world.
“When I started at Lloyd’s, gas started getting poured on my career. It links back to what I was doing in the Senate – helping companies tap into resources that could help them. The companies that operate in the Lloyd’s market are the nuts and bolts of the job” 2017 GAINS OVERSIGHT A move into the role of oversight manager allowed Brekenfeld to oversee the connection between Lloyd’s and 10 companies in the Lloyd’s market, boasting a cumulative annual gross written premium of more than £4 billion. “It was probably the most interesting time for me – the role involved looking after this business from a regulatory perspective. It was still the same skill set, but on a different subject matter. It’s the other side of the shop.”
www.ibamag.com
63_Career Path-SUBBED.indd 63
63
25/10/2019 2:38:42 AM