When I first walked through the doors of Lockton in 2013, I was filled with a mix of excitement and nerves. My journey with Lockton began a year earlier when I participated in a summer program. Alongside a vast cohort of other university students and graduates, I got a taste of what it was like to work at Lockton. After returning to university for my final year, I knew I wanted to return to Lockton full-time. I reached out to HR, and luckily, there was an opening in Major Accounts. Despite my nerves during the interview, I was thrilled when they decided to hire both myself and another candidate (even though there was technically only one position available). Fast forward 11 years, and the business in London has grown significantly. The Major Accounts team has transformed into a global Retail proposition and over the past five to six years, we've merged teams and tripled in size. When I joined, our London team was a a $3 million business. We’ve since grown to a $25+ million business with over 85 Associates. Despite our rapid growth, we still maintain a startup-like atmosphere full of support and appreciation for our clients and each other. We're a $25 million business within a $3 billion global company - growing quickly but with strong support from those around us. The stability at Lockton, with long-standing leaders and minimal reorganisation, has provided a solid foundation for my growth. I've had great managers who have mentored me throughout my journey. Their buy-in has been vital, as they truly care about the growth and careers of our early joiners, our clients, and our Associates. The empowerment of Associates is something Lockton actively encourage and it underpins the entrepreneurial culture of the business. When I first joined, I immediately loved working with our clients. Even today, my favourite part of my role remains solving client’s challenges and their daily interaction is one of the most fulfilling parts of my role. As I've taken on more responsibilities, maintaining strong client relationships has been fundamental and our client-centric approach is a core value at Lockton. Additionally, one of my key focuses continues to be fostering a culture of growth. I care deeply about our younger broker Associates, ensuring they have even more opportunities than I did. It's important to me to guide them and show them the potential of their careers. Our culture is what makes us different and it’s critical that we work hard to maintain our culture and hire the best talent that buy into this. The Partner model at Lockton is a core pillar of our culture. The Partnership not only creates a forum for collaboration and growth but also creates collective cohort of people ready to support each other. Part of the rationale for becoming a Partner was that I wanted to be a role model – to show that you can start as a graduate and become a leader in this business. The recognition and value I feel across the business, along with the close connections I've built with other Partners, makes Lockton a special place to work. We all have a collective investment in the business with the right motivations and goals for moving the business forward, and the calibre of our people, their dedication to clients, and their technical strength are key to our success. When I look back, patience has been key in my career. I've had opportunities to join other brokers, but like Lockton, I've enjoyed playing the long game. Opportunities will present themselves if you're good and believe in yourself. Ron Lockton once said that we're playing a different game than our competitors – ‘we're playing chess, not checkers’. It's not about the size we become but about being the best at what we do We protect our culture, entrepreneurship spirit, and our culture needs by hiring people who align with these values. We're not just another big corporation, and our clients recognise and appreciate that. Choosing a culture and ethos you relate to is crucial. Having the patience short-term is worth the long-term gain. If you're looking for a dynamic growing business that truly cares about Associates and clients, not shareholders, Lockton is the place for you. The investments we make in early careers are unmatched. Here, you have a voice and a seat at the table. If you have the drive to excel and buy into something unique, you'll be successful here.