Liberty Mutual

Chris Sanchez

Maura Quinn

University Relations Program Manager

Maura Quinn feels she has excelled at Liberty Mutual not because of her gender, but because she is a strong performer. For example, Quinn designed Liberty Mutual’s Responsible Scholars ™ Program, which recognizes students who have done extraordinary things on campus. To date, students’ accomplishments include acts like raising funds to build an orphanage in Africa, teaching students responsible money management, and fighting hunger in the U.S. Two years later, Quinn’s vision has turned into Liberty Mutual’s national college recruiting brand.

How did you first become interested in HR and Liberty Mutual?
I’ve been interested in Human Resources since college. I started my career at John Hancock, a financial services company, but due to restructuring within the company my job was eliminated after three months! So I decided to go into insurance because it’s a stable industry and I know it helps people. I got hired into the HR operations team at Liberty Mutual, and I’ve been in five other positions since then.

What is the best part about your job?
The best part of my job is the day each spring when I get to call the five recipients of our $10,000 Responsible Scholars ™ Award. Their reactions are priceless—whether it’s complete silence, tears, or high decibel screams. The recipients are so grateful, and the money can be life changing. One student who won the award told me she made an agreement with her mom that if she won, she was going to live on campus instead of commuting from home, because she could finally afford it. It’s a very touching experience for me—my team brings me tissues for the day I make the calls!

What is it like being a woman at your company?
I don’t think there is a difference, being man or woman! Liberty Mutual is an inclusive environment, I’ve had every opportunity available to me, to develop, grow, and become successful.

Are you involved in any women mentorship or networking programs?
Each of our development programs has a formal mentorship and I act as a mentor to two people who recently began their careers in HR. Because we believe in inclusion, our programs are available to everyone, they are not divided by gender. I would say personally I have found champions in the organization who in an informal way have become mentors to me. A former manager in my first college recruiting role still provides feedback on my programming ideas and a senior executive I met recruiting MBA candidates has helped guide me through the politics of a large organization. It’s great knowing there are people I can turn to in my company for advice and support.

What’s your advice to students who want to work for Liberty Mutual?
 Prepare! When I’m meeting with students, I’m always telling them to visit our website, watch our videos, meet our recruiters when we’re on their campus, become a fan of us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, apply to our contests, and more. All of these things provide students with current information, so they are prepared when they do land an interview.