Diary of an Insurer: Allianz Trade’s Vikshay Vijai

Monday 

Just one year on from launching our dedicated business fraud product, our pipeline is busy. So on Monday mornings, I dive into our dashboard to check on existing cases, new referrals and information requests from my colleagues across the Allianz network. 

We have a thorough due diligence process, so I action any requests, often in collaboration with our Fraud Centre of Excellence in Germany. From there, I prioritise the rest of my week. I’m a big foodie and really enjoy cooking. 

On work from home days, I make the most of already being at home after work by cooking up one of my favourite curries from scratch. They’re usually recipes I learned from my family in India and they’re always a big hit with my flat mates!

Tuesday 

Today is jam-packed with meetings in the City. For me, one of the biggest perks of working in our industry is that it’s so relationship-driven. I like to be in the office as much as possible, and when I am, I really make it count. 

The day goes by in a flash, connecting with colleagues, brokers and clients. We do a lot of problem-solving, particularly as we’re coming into peak season for employees to try and defraud their employers. It’s crazy we’re already talking about the C-word (Christmas!) in September, but with the added financial pressures of the season, it’s a real and expensive risk for businesses each year. 

Claims can run into the hundreds of thousands or more. we take the time to explore cover and risk mitigation, and I end the day with a full to-do list of follow-ups. But it’s rare we ever just talk business. 

I’m lucky to have built friendships with many of the people I have worked with over the years, and always enjoy making time to catch up on our lives outside of work. 

Wednesday 

It’s Workshop Wednesday, so I’m back in the office bright and early, before heading over to one of our broker’s offices to lead a refresher workshop and demo session. 

I dedicate time every week to keep our brokers up to date with all the new things we’re working on and the industry trends we’re seeing, so they have all the information they need to share with clients. 

After a lovely lunch with the workshop team, I head back from EC3 to Allianz Trade’s base in Canary Wharf. It’s time to run a webinar for colleagues across different parts of the Allianz global network – usually, my area has a lot of synergies with our Management Liability underwriters, and the risks apply to almost every industry sector, so there’s lots of intel to share. 

I’ve been part of the Allianz Trade team for just over a year, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by how many more people there are to connect and collaborate with. Considering the average tenure at Allianz Trade is more than 12 years, I’m still pretty new! 

Thursday 

I’m currently studying for my certified fraud examiner qualification, one of the world’s most respected fraud prevention accreditations. 

It involves years of practical experience topped off by some pretty intense exams. It can be tricky to juggle a full-time job with further study, but I believe in the power of lifelong learning and it means we’ll be able to enhance our offer to brokers and customers. 

With the exams just weeks away, I’m grateful Allianz Trade offers study leave to help prepare and I can dedicate Thursdays to revision. Time to relax. I make the most of the still-light Autumn evening by playing some football with friends in a park close to home. 

After that, it’s time to catch the Manchester United match. Unfortunately, we’re not in this season’s Champions League so must settle for playing Thursday nights. 

Friday 

Wrapping up the week, I tick off all the actions left on my to-do list: following up from in-person meetings, progressing existing enquiries and drafting up new proposals. 

I also like to get prepared for my week ahead – we’re gearing up to attend the next Fraud Prevention Network seminar and more broker exhibit events, so I take the time to fill my schedule. Meeting prep complete, it’s time to sign off on another busy week.