It was a philosophy that led her to take her first professional position after law school as General Counsel and Public Relations Manager for Wolff System Technology Corporation, a German manufacturer of ultraviolet lamp products. At the time, the company’s most popular products included indoor tanning equipment. Looking to move from Michigan to New Jersey to be near her future husband, Sandra was literally hired on the spot by the company owner when he realized she could speak German. “The position offered me some opportunities to be a significant part of a company at a young age and I became a high-profile spokesperson for the company and eventually became president of the Indoor Tanning Association.” As a company spokesperson, Sandra appeared on Nightline with Ted Koppel to debate the efficacy and relative safety of indoor tanning, among other engagements. Her “15 minutes of fame” was more like 45 seconds of sound bites!

 

When the company relocated to Atlanta, she moved to AIG and a career in the claims area. Besides a two-hour commute each way into New York, her work provided a number of challenges. “Each time I was promoted, the responsibilities increased and it was difficult to be in such a demanding environment. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The learning opportunity was fantastic. In a way, I always thought I could have it all and my career choices allowed me to do that.” For Sandra, those choices included a family life with her attorney husband, two sons and time to be involved in her community. In addition to industry involvement, she has served as a volunteer mentor to disadvantaged single mothers and at-risk teens since 1999.

 

As her expertise in claims grew, so too did her opportunities and she took a position at Toa that eliminated her long commute and has allowed her to become a part of the company’s management team. As a Senior Vice President at Toa, her responsibilities now include claim handling, compliance, workflow processes and procedures as well as staff development and training.

 

Among the lessons Sandra has learned in her career:

 

 

On Career:		Your career is not scripted.  People may think you have a plan for your life but nothing is further from the truth.  Every opportunity creates the next and sometimes there is no specific “a-ha” moment, but a series of logical choices.
On Balance:		I believe it’s important for women to be well rounded – to seek out an interesting job, a family and community involvement.  It’s a full plate but one which keeps everything strong.  I’ve found this to be very rewarding.
On Mentoring:		I enjoy helping others and my best success story was with a young woman from the Dominican Republic who was my secretary. She came from a humble background. She was ambitious and with some support, she completed a four-year degree and her paralegal certificate. Today, she is a highly thought of member of a major corporation.
On Practicing Law:		My path was simply my path. I took an opportunity that brought me in a different direction from practicing law and it’s where the chips fell. I’ve had many rewarding experiences along the way and I created a life-friendly way to do it. This has been the right thing for me and I’ve never looked back.

 

Senior Vice President, Toa Reinsurance Company of America, since 1999

Vice President of Claims, National Union and AIG Risk Management

General Counsel and Public Relations Manager, Wolff System Technology Corporation

 

 

Wharton School of Business, American Institute for CPCU’s Advanced Executive Education Program

J.D., Thomas M. Cooley Law School

B.A., Michigan State University (Social Science/International Relations)

 

 

International Association of Claim Professionals (Board Member, Past President, Publications Editor)Association of Professional Insurance Women