Choosing the hard road and making it his own

Tudor, your academic background in marketing and your early roles in advertising and IT did not spell out a successful career in the insurance industry. How did insurance enter the picture?   

It surprises people, but insurance was actually my first job. I started out selling life insurance in Romania, at a time when one person did everything. That experience taught me the foundations of how insurance works. From there, my career widened rather than narrowed. I ran operations for a transport company, started my own advertising business, worked in IT, and eventually moved to the UK to complete my master’s degree. Each role added something new. I like understanding how things work - systems, numbers, people - and insurance kept finding its way back into the story.  

Your path into Sompo wasn’t exactly linear. What drew you in?  

 Before I joined Sompo, I was working in Slovakia in credit control and later in operations for a large insurer. I had immersed myself in corporate insurance - policy wordings, taxation, legal structures – and I tried to learn everything I could about commercial insurance. And then when I expanded my knowledge, I started training others. This allowed me to develop very good relationships with underwriters, many of whom were based in Germany.   

This is how the call from Sompo in Germany came. I was approached about helping build operations capability in Germany. The company wanted to grow, to compete at the highest level, and needed people willing to build from the ground up. I said yes almost immediately. I’ve never enjoyed the easy road.  

After your stint with the operations team, you decided to move into multinational insurance. Why that shift?  

For me, being a leader is about building other leaders. Over time, I trained colleagues who went on to become underwriters themselves, and I’m genuinely proud of that. Once that foundation was in place, it felt like the right moment to look at my next steps.   

I had worked on multinational programs before, but always in ‘follow’* capacity, where I learned a lot about these programs. Moving into the multinational team gave me hands‑on responsibility. Now, when an underwriter comes with a client operating across ten or twenty countries, we work directly with local partners, navigating regulations, and ensuring consistent coverage globally. That complexity is what excites me.  

How would you best explain what you do to people outside the industry? 

I usually use cars as an example. Imagine you own multiple cars in different countries. You want all of them to be insured properly, even though each country has its own rules. My job is to make sure there’s one coherent solution that works everywhere - and that nothing falls through the cracks.  

That’s essentially what multinational insurance is. Our clients operate across borders, and I help design insurance programs that protect them consistently, wherever they do business. 

What do you enjoy most about this kind of work?  

Finding solutions to problems that don’t have obvious answers. That process - researching, asking the right people, understanding what’s technically possible - is deeply satisfying. You learn something new, solve the problem, and for the client it all comes across as seamless.   

What do you see as the unique value you bring to Sompo?  

Problem‑solving, without a doubt. I’ve worked in IT, logistics, transport...those experiences gave me flexibility in how I think. I don’t lock myself into one way of seeing an issue. I also invest heavily in knowledge. I read, research, and keep learning until I can speak confidently with experts. Combined with broad life experience, that means I can usually find a route forward, even in difficult situations.   

And when it comes to the value Sompo brings to the table, what stands out?   

The people. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. I’ve built strong relationships here, people who care about their work and are open to sharing what they know. The level of expertise is high, and that creates an environment where learning never stops.   

Sompo is also ambitious. It’s growing, investing, and aiming high in the market. That creates opportunities for people who want a challenge and a future. If you want to ‘make it big’ and be part of something that will become even bigger, Sompo is the place to be.   

Insurance still struggles with the perception of being “boring”. We don’t think it is. How would you respond?   

 It’s anything but boring. I think it only seems boring if you don’t go deep enough. Every policy has its own challenges, and the market is full of knowledge gaps. That’s actually an opportunity. With a willingness to learn and the right attitude, you can enter the industry and become an expert quickly and add real value to the entire market. You’ll see things that surprise you: undervalued assets, complex global risks, assumptions that don’t hold up. That’s not boring; it’s demanding.  

We often hear discussions about the ‘talent gap’. How do we bridge this and attract people to join the industry?   

Firstly, I think it matters who we want to attract. Attitude matters more than experience. I’d always rather train someone curious and open‑minded, than someone with a wrong attitude.  

Insurance also gives you access to the inner works of major global brands. You don’t just see the logo, you understand how companies really operate. That perspective is powerful. Insurance is also part of everyday life; it’s about preparing for uncertainty. Once people understand that, the industry becomes far more compelling.  

And outside of Sompo, what keeps you grounded in your personal life? 

Movement, nature, reading. I enjoy the gym, long walks, travel, especially near the sea. I read a lot, and I’ve always loved cars and engines. That hands‑on curiosity has been with me since childhood. At the end of the day, I enjoy life. Work is important, but so is staying curious, active, and human.  

Thank you, Tudor, for your candidness. Best of luck in your new role, our Multinational team is a great place to be.   

*the additional underwriting capacity provided by "follower" insurers who agree to automatically accept the terms, pricing, and conditions established by a lead underwriter on a risk