Telling the human experience story – with Amy Friedrich, President – US Insurance Solutions, Principal

“I have a human first philosophy. Ultimately maths is the easier part of the equation, humans are hard”, says Amy.Amy shares her background as a management consultant with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and joining Principal almost 21 years ago. “I had a leader and a mentor, people around me had belief in me”, as Amy shares her rise to the c-suite and her biggest achievement.Amy talks about her reaction to being overlooked and how she reacts to negativity.“I don’t block all of it out. I say ‘wait a minute, there’s a market need. Someone, some day is going to fill it. Why on earth could it not be us.’ My motivation is more externally focussed.”Sharing how Principal are using tech and digital, Amy comments, “Innovation often looks at the beginning or the end of processes, at customer acquisition or claims. We’ve been focussing on those middle processes – administration and servicing.”Amy talks about future challenges for insurance executives and the industry, urging us not to go back to pre-pandemic normal. She explains the characteristics Principal seek when looking for high-performing talent as well as her recruitment frustrations. “We’ve been mathematicians more than story-tellers. We have plenty of technicians in the industry, we’re light on people who understand the human experience.”Connect with Amy on LinkedIn or find out more about Principal Financial Group.The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO, Insurance Search, the Executive Search Consultancy for growing Insurance and Insurtech businesses across the globe.To discuss identifying & attracting the very best talent to your team or being a podcast guest, reach out to Nick via [email protected] or connect on LinkedInCopyright Insurance Search 2022 – All Rights Reserved.