Liberty Mutual

Chris Sanchez

Ashley Fitzgerald

Manager of Software Development

Ashley Fitzgerald joined Liberty Mutual in 2007 through the company’s technical development program. Four years later, one of the reasons she most enjoys working at the insurance giant remains the open access to training and continuous learning. She was recently appointed manager of software development overseeing a team of six.

How did you first become interested in insurance and Liberty Mutual?
When I was researching jobs in college, I wasn’t as interested in the insurance industry as I was in the IT jobs insurance companies had available. My interest in Liberty Mutual came from the entry-level rotational programs they had, specifically the technical development program. I chose Liberty Mutual because of the variety of experiences and level of exposure that I would have access to right away. I was also excited to work at a Fortune 100 company.

How does a typical day at work look?
On a typical day I am multitasking between project management items such as monitoring status, risks, issues, and keeping schedules updated. I’m also engaging with my staff as a resource manager, helping them resolve roadblocks, working on domain planning and future state initiatives, and finally the administrative work that comes along with managing resources.

What are you most proud about in your work?
When the team of people that I’m working with are able to accomplish a major milestone or finish a large project. There is a feeling of satisfaction that we were able to deliver something to our business partners which will help them and our company be more profitable. I feel proud that I can coordinate those efforts and ensure we are meeting their expectations.

What’s the most fun thing you’ve done since starting?
I was fortunate enough to attend a roundtable with the CEO, CIO, and a group of my peers from my rotational program. It was interesting to hear their takes on our career paths and what we should do in terms of making decisions that work, what to take seriously, and what not to.

Has the job met your expectations?
All the entry-level rotational programs give you the opportunity to try different seats before finding a permanent home. Because of my rotations, I am able to understand many perspectives within our company because if even for a short time, I worked in a variety of roles and on a variety of projects. It’s helped me be successful and get the job I have now.

What is the biggest misconception about working for Liberty Mutual?
I think there is a misconception that insurance has an older workforce and that young college hires won’t find peers here. We have a large population of college hires coming in the door each year, and they stick around.