Trust: paving the way for successful surety projects

I ventured into the world of surety in 2008 with a large corporation based in my native Sweden. It was only my second full-time job after leaving school; I started my career in an investment bank before discovering surety. Something about it just clicked for me – and it’s what I’ve done ever since. 

I spent more than 14 years at my previous company, starting from the bottom and working my way up to account manager. My specialty was primarily in construction, where I was an underwriter and salesperson. The role gave me the opportunity to wear many hats and try my hand at different types of projects and tasks.

When the opportunity arose to be a relationship and account manager at Allianz Trade in 2022, I jumped at the chance to join this major player in our industry. I had already met the group’s head of surety for Denmark, who left a lasting positive impression on me. Then, from day one with my Allianz Trade team, everything felt right.

I’m thrilled that role here offers me the diversity of experience that I have always appreciated. It enables me to go out and meet clients but also to do the underwriting and administrative work internally, giving me a complete understanding of clients and their needs.

I don’t have a university background, so everything I’ve learned about surety has come from hands-on experience. However, I’ve also had the extraordinary luck of finding a tremendously strong community, with constant support from my colleagues. This has really helped me grow my confidence, in myself and in my abilities. The team here is always ready to share knowledge, work through challenges and celebrate wins.

For example, we recently won a really big transport project – one of the first I worked on here. And with this particular project, we were able to onboard a new client. Plus, this client has now asked us for support with another, even bigger, project. It was a great feeling knowing that we had secured repeat business. But I didn’t do it alone: it was teamwork. 

I see surety as being all about relationships. Building trust is absolutely vital to the success of any project. So, be curious, ask a lot of questions – and listen to the answers! Try to understand and anticipate clients’ needs. It’s important to remember that clients know their business, but they don’t necessarily know surety well. We’re there to let them know all their options and provide our expertise in support of their work.

To anyone wondering about a career in surety, I would say that you can’t find a better place to learn the ropes than Allianz Trade. Even in a relatively short time here, I’ve learned so much thanks to the group’s strong focus on lifelong learning and leading position in the industry. I love to be able to say to my clients, “Yes, we absolutely can help you with that.”