AS president of Guardian General Insurance Jamaica Limited (GGJ), Karen Bhoorasingh, the petite go-getter, manages a large team following the September 2013 merger of West Indies Alliance and Globe Insurance to create one of the Caribbean’s largest insurance providers.

As one of the few leading females in the usually male dominated sector, Bhoorasingh isn’t fazed by her competitors. Instead, she focuses her efforts and her team’s hard work on maintaining the high standards they have set for themselves and their customers have come to expect and appreciate.

According to Bhoorasingh, the most difficult part of the recent merger was to find the balance of meshing two cultures; while keeping staff morale high and managing human resource issues.

“The merger was a culmination of a dream and hard work. It takes constant effort by the team to keep the wheels turning and the most rewarding but difficult aspect has been keeping our staff motivated and committed. We will always be working on those aspects,” she said.

Bhoorasingh has been in love with insurance from a young age, with the relationship beginning at her parents’ insurance brokerage firm while growing up in May Pen, Clarendon and spending holidays in the office.

Despite not being a fan of mathematics, she fell in love with the career path and has never looked back. After pursuing a first degree in public administration from the University of the West Indies, she went on to study insurance at the CII Insurance College in England.

“My love for insurance was there from the beginning. My parents never tried to force me into it. Some people enter the field by accident but I am one of the few persons in the general insurance industry who wanted to be in it.”

In looking back at her career, she recalls, “One experience that stands out in my career was Hurricane Gilbert. I had just transferred from the motor claims department to the property claims department – and we had the devastation of the hurricane and then an earthquake. It was definitely a learning experience.”

This learning experienced also sparked her interest in understanding how the law affects insurance, and she went on to study law at the University of London, where she attained her Bachelor of Laws and the Norman Manley Law School where she attained her Legal Education Certificate. She was later called to the bar in 2009.

Now, years later, Bhoorasingh spends each busy day with new responsibilities and her short-term goal to make the merger work. With the formation of GGJ, she spends each moment in constant dialogue with her team members and clients.

“I have always been a ‘hands-on’ CEO, now that the team has doubled in size, I’ve had to let go the reigns and trust my capable team to assist with the day to day tasks,” she said.

When not occupied as being GGJ’s powerhouse, Bhoorasingh enjoys spending time with her husband and family, where she can relax and rejuvenate after a hectic day. She enjoys reading and reminiscing on her childhood – where she says “growing up in the country afforded me a balanced youth, where I learned the value of hard work and having fun”.

When asked what her advice is for young women who are trying to choose a career path, she stated matter-of- factly, “Choose a career that is your passion. Do not choose a career on the basis of what you will earn. If you pursue your passion you will do well. The rest will follow”.