Career Options and Job Postings
Career Options
The risk management and insurance industry provides a wide variety of career paths. Primary career options include:
Sales or account management with a retail or wholesale commercial or personal lines agent/broker- Customers range from individuals to Fortune 500 companies.
- Commercial brokers are companies like McGriff, Willis, Lockton, Cobbs Allen, BKS Partners, Gallagher, CRC Group, AmWins, Valent Group, Aon, Allstar Financial Group, The Underwriters Group, Branch Insurance Partners and Associated Insurance Administrators (AIA).
- Personal line agencies are firms like Byars Wright, State Farm, and Alfa Insurance.
- For students interested in this route, the Brock School of Business professional sales concentration is an additional option that can be added for further customization.
- Some examples of carriers are SwissRe, Alfa Insurance, Protective Life Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, ProAssurance, Kemper/Infinity, Chubb, Berkley, Globe Life, and State Farm.
- For students interested in this route, the Brock School of Business data analytics concentration is an additional option that can be added for further customization.
- Some examples include UPS, Brasfield & Gorrie, O’Neal Industries, Regions Financial Corporation, McWane and Vulcan Materials.
Job Postings
Curriculum and Scholarships
Curriculum
As an accompaniment to any business major, students will complete an additional 12 hours from the following courses.
- Principles of Risk Management & Insurance
- International Insurance Markets (Lloyd’s, London Market, Bermuda, Reinsurance)
- FinTech/InsurTech (Innovation & Disruption)
- RMI Internship
- Data Analytics Electives (Data Management, Data Mining, Visual Analytics)
- Professional Sales Electives (Professional Selling, CRM)
Scholarships
Several scholarship opportunities are available for students interested in pursuing the risk management and insurance concentration:
- Bonnie Elliott Endowed Scholarship
- Globe Life Annual Scholarship
- CRC Group Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Scholarship
- Leaders of Integrity (Proverbs 20:7) Annual Scholarship
- RIMS of Alabama Annual Scholarship
- Velocity Risk Underwriters Annual Scholarship
- O’Neal Industries Inc. Endowed Scholarship
- Cook Family Endowed Scholarship
- Malcolm and Betty Miller RMI Endowed Scholarship
- Mall Family RMI Annual and Endowed Scholarship
- Logan Deen RMI Advisory Board Endowed Scholarship
- Protective Life RMI Scholarship
- Vulcan Materials Company/Bennie Bumpers Endowed Scholarship
- Edwin L. Trowbridge Scholarship
For more information, contact Rusty Yerkes, associate professor of finance and concentration coordinator, by emailing ryerkes@samford.edu.
Alfa Risk Management and Insurance Lab
In partnership with Alfa Insurance, Brock School of Business opened the Alfa Risk Management and Insurance Lab to further prepare Samford students for careers in the risk management and insurance industry. Equipped with leading data analytics software used in the industry, students use the space to work on real-world projects for industry firms as part of course projects and/or internship programs. The space will also allow them to engage with professionals in the industry, many of which are members of the Brock School of Business Risk Management and Insurance Advisory Board. The lab serves as the home of the Gamma Iota Sigma Gamma Nu Chapter.
Gamma Iota Sigma
Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) is the only international business fraternity for students of insurance, risk management and actuarial science. GIS promotes and encourages student interest in the industry while encouraging the high moral and scholastic attainments of its members.
Samford’s Gamma Iota Sigma student chapter has been in place since 2019. This group allows students to engage with their peers and industry professionals across the country through conferences and seminars.
Risk Management & Insurance Advisory Board
Members of the Brock School of Business Risk Management & Insurance Advisory Board provide financial support and insight into the profession to ensure our curriculum is meeting the changing expectations of a technological and worldwide business landscape. Additionally, our board members connect us specifically to the Birmingham business community, often providing introductions, job/internship opportunities or mentorship to serve our Samford students.
