Alysia J. Vanitzian
North America Head of Talent Management
What is your background?
- I hold an MA in Sociology and Counselling from California State University, Los Angeles, and a BA in Sociology from Pepperdine University in Mailbu, California.
- I also hold a Professional Certificate in Human Resources Development and attended the Anderson Graduate School of Business Executive Management Program, both at UCLA.
- I joined Farmers Insurance in 2002 and am currently Head of Talent Management for Zurich North America.
- I was Vice President and Chief Learning Officer for Employers Group, a human resource services consulting and products organisation. I also served as Corporate Director of Employee and Organization Development for the Northrop Grumman Corporation and as Vice President of Management Development, Manager of Leadership Development, and Manager of Management Development Programs for various Fortune 500 firms including BankAmerica Corporation.
- I'm proud of my ability to blend creative solutions with business pragmatism. I bring to my work an artistic flair (from my ballet and performing arts background) while taking a sensible approach to meeting business requirements.
Why did you choose Zurich?
I joined Farmers Insurance because it was part of the global insurer, Zurich Financial Services. Gaining additional international experience was appealing to me, and it still is. I now have a regional role that covers multiple business divisions and always keeps me on my toes.
Why have you stayed with Zurich?
Our roles do not have firm boundaries, so the opportunities to achieve and excel are vast and exciting. The organisation has so many different business elements that one can craft a thriving career and not feel stifled. Surely working with global colleagues makes the day-to-day projects more interesting; we all learn from each other and help each other succeed.
If I were interviewing you…
…I'd look for your motivation to learn and grow with an eye to future suitable roles - also your ability to develop strong skills and use them to better our organisation.
