DWIGHT Neil has had many experiences — in manufacturing, production, and for the past seven years, insurance. Working as a risk surveyor, he says he’s finally found a job that challenges him enough, while still giving him time to spend with his young family.

Neil’s career in the insurance industry began when he, then an industrial engineer, saw the position of risk surveyor advertised in the newspapers.

‘I can do that’, he said to himself, and the rest is history.

As the risk surveyor at West Indies Alliance (WIA), Neil maintained the position when WIA joined with Globe Insurance in 2013 to form Guardian General Insurance Jamaica Limited.

“A trained industrial engineer can work at almost any company in almost any area,” he says.

“I have friends who work in finance, others who work at JPS and National Water Commission (NWC). That’s how I knew I could go into insurance — the basics are the same across the board, you learn and can demonstrate how things work and how to make them efficient.”

A risk surveyor is someone who determines the possible financial risk posed by personal items, properties or sites. They undertake commercial and personal surveys and prepare and present reports for underwriters.

Charged with determining if a location or business will be insured or reinsured by GGJ, Neil says he is required to assess the possible risks associated with types of business, the business procedures, even employee behaviour at times.

“I look at electrical fixtures and wiring, water accessibility, and what is the potential for a catastrophe such as a flood or fire. We look at when equipment was last serviced and what can happen if they aren’t. We even look at the entity’s surroundings to see what can happen in a worst-case scenario. Sometimes business owners think our requirements are difficult, but I’ve been to locations and seen how material is stored or how their day-to-day activities are handled, and I’ve predicted accidents. Because the company’s management didn’t take my suggestions, within two months a death or major incident occurred.”

He says generally, the job is very exciting and has allowed him to see much of Jamaica.

“Every day is something new. I remember I ended up at a crime scene a few hours after the incident occurred because I was scheduled to visit and assess the building. Another time I got stuck in mud and had to climb through brambles to get to another location. There is never a dull moment.”

Neil began his working life at Servewell Manufacturing as a production technician; and then decided to attend the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, to pursue a degree in industrial engineering following a diploma in production engineering from CAST (now the University of Technology). He then spent a year in construction management, and then returned to the manufacturing sector at Hopwood/Windsor as an industrial engineer.

“At Hopwood/ Windsor I had one of my greatest challenges and also one of my greatest accomplishments — they brought me on to manage a $100-million dollar project and I was told if what I proposed didn’t work, I should have my resignation letter ready. Thankfully, it worked.”

After completing the project, Neil went on to work at the NWC and then Nestle Jamaica Limited as a production shift manager.

“They say you should be careful what you wish for, and I definitely got the challenge of my life there. It was good work but hard and long hours and it took a toll on my family. That’s when I applied to work at WIA.”

Neil now feels that he has found his dedicated career path and has begun reading for his master’s in enterprise risk management.

“This is such as interesting field and you can choose which area you want to major in. For my first degree I chose industrial engineering so my attention was focused on probabilities and statistics, technical drawing and measurements. I also did accounts, but it wasn’t heavy finance-related material. I feel that I can only enjoy my job more and perform even better when I’ve achieved my master’s.”

When not busy with businesses, Neil spends his time with his wife of nine years, Connie, and their two sons — seven-year-old Josiah and four-year-old Joseph.

Neil discusses the reinsuring of a building with Delores Tolan, assistant vice-president, technical underwriting.

Neil checks a compressor to see if it is working efficiently at the company’s Dominica Drive location.