A Friend Helps Nat Miller Find His Future Career

Nat Miller of our Alternative Markets team has worked in various industries. From his first job in high school as a news delivery person, to internships at non-profit organizations and Wall Street, to working as a handler for a large package delivery service, he has done it all. See how a recommendation from a college friend helped Nat find his future career in insurance.

Describe your background and your career path in insurance. What made you interested in working for the industry?

I’m a New York native and attended the College of New Rochelle in New York for my undergraduate degree, and Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, for my MBA. After graduating, I was unsure of my career path. I worked as a package handler for several months in the Bronx but knew working there wasn’t for me.

Fortunately, a college friend who worked for an insurance company informed me of an open position as a claims representative. I interviewed and began working as a Commercial General Liability handler in Hartford, Connecticut. I eventually took a position at another carrier, where I worked for 11 years as a subrogation specialist and in TPA (Third-Party Administrator) Oversight as a consultant. It was in this role where I met Great American’s Alternative Markets underwriting team. Several years later, I was offered a position as Claims Manager in TPA Oversight with Great American.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

Currently, I’m a Senior Executive Account Manager and serve as a liaison for service, maintenance and onboarding issues with large market assigned accounts. I work with the claims, marketing, underwriting and loss control teams on accounts, and serve as the point of contact for client concerns and program enhancement. I maintain responsibilities in TPA and large loss oversight, including consultation on file strategy, disposition options, reserving and settlement authority.

My other duties include accountability for communication and problem solving with customers, including brokers and insureds, and conducting annual audits of claims practices and performance on programs with claim service unbundled to a TPA.

What do you like most about working for Great American?

The work environment. I believe the most crucial component of working at any company is the people who you work with. It’s important to be in a place where you can be your authentic self. Great American has allowed me to do just that. I attribute this to senior leadership who encourage hard work, but also enjoying what we do. Senior management looks to place employees in the proper role, where we can excel and leverage our skills and talents. This really becomes a win for the entire team, but also plays a huge role in the success of everyone’s career.

Describe your involvement with the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA). How has it affected your career?

I serve as Alternative Markets Diversity and Inclusion Lead and as Co-Chairperson on the NAAIA – Hartford chapter programming committee. We meet biweekly to discuss, prepare and coordinate upcoming events, which include financial workshops, Junior Achievement volunteer opportunities, Talent and Leadership Pipeline seminars, Future of Work discussion and Making the Most of Your Internship.

My involvement in NAAIA has helped enhance my personal professionalism, as others and I share information for personal growth and professional development. I think it’s always good to listen and watch others lead groups, facilitate meetings and discuss our industry’s important topics. You can then incorporate what you’ve learned and make it work for you. These exercises completed in our meetings have helped to improve or maintain my proficiency in several areas.

NAAIA is a great organization for networking opportunities, as well as recruitment when looking to attract talented people of color into our respective organizations. Additionally, I’m a member of the Hartford Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and previously served as Chief Financial Officer.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in insurance?

I encourage anyone to consider a career in insurance. It can be a difficult sell because most have no idea of the variety of job opportunities and specialty areas within our industry. I say don’t think of it as the insurance industry, think of it as “the world of insurance.” There’s a world of opportunity–marketing, IT, claims, business underwriting, actuarial science, human resources and the list goes on.

Interested in learning more about a career at Great American?

Visit our careers page to view current opportunities, to hear from our employees, and to learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.