When people think about success in insurance, technical knowledge often comes to mind first. After all, the business is rooted in analyzing risk, interpreting data, and building solutions for clients. Yet as the industry evolves, leaders are finding that technical expertise is only half the story.
For Catherine Marincel (pictured), senior vice president within the Executive & Professional practice at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), it’s soft skills – not just technical know-how – that will determine the next generation of leaders.
Marincel is set to moderate the fireside chat, “Level up: Closing the insurance skills gap,” at the Women in Insurance Summit New York next month.
Ahead of the highly anticipated summit, she spoke to Insurance Business about how the industry can equip young professionals with the skills they need to accelerate both their careers and the growth of insurance as a whole.
She pointed out that many young professionals enter the workforce armed with research and data-gathering skills, but less equipped to apply them.
“College prepares people to gather information, but not necessarily to analyze and interpret it,” Marincel said. “The real challenge is learning how to identify which risks are meaningful and which are mitigated.”
This, she said, requires more than technical analysis; it requires curiosity, judgment, and the ability to communicate insights in a way that resonates with clients and colleagues. These are soft skills, and they’re often the hardest to teach.
Another area of concern is relationship-building. “Technology is leading to less face-to-face interaction, yet insurance is a relationship-driven business. Being able to pick up the phone, have a conversation, and build trust are still essential,” Marincel said.
The shift to hybrid work has made the soft skills challenge even sharper. Younger employees are missing out on what Marincel called “learning by osmosis”: absorbing how colleagues handle client calls, broker negotiations, or team discussions simply by being present in the office.
“Those hallway conversations, those moments of overhearing how someone phrases something on a call, are incredibly valuable,” she noted. “We’ve proven as an industry that you don’t need to be in the office every day to succeed, but there are still certain lessons and interactions that you simply cannot replicate remotely.”
While hybrid work brings flexibility and efficiency, organizations must be intentional about creating environments that foster and sharpen interpersonal skills. Marincel pointed out that some insurance companies are already taking creative approaches, such as making video meetings the norm and aligning in-office days across teams to maximize collaboration.
For professionals looking to grow, Marincel gave this advice: Combine expertise with connection. “Being a jack of all trades is great,” she said, “but if you’re also the go-to person in one specific area, you stand out.”
Expertise builds credibility, but it’s soft skills, such as communication and networking, that ensure it gets recognized. Marincel encouraged those newer in the workforce to lean into client and broker-facing opportunities. “Attend meetings, go to networking events, and broaden your connections,” she said. “You never know who you’ll meet, or how those relationships might help down the road, even if they’re outside your current line of business.”
And above all, Marincel called for curiosity. “Ask thoughtful, intentional questions. Be perceptive about recurring issues and prepare answers before they come up again. That’s how you shift from being reactive to proactive, and that’s how you stand out.”
Looking ahead, she believes the industry’s technical demands will continue to evolve, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence. But the enduring differentiator will be people who can communicate, connect, and lead with empathy.
“Anybody can learn to analyze data,” she said. “What sets people apart is their ability to build trust with brokers, clients, and teammates. Soft skills are the hardest to teach, but they’re the most powerful to develop.”
The importance of cultivating skills will be a central theme at the Women in Insurance Summit New York.
At the annual summit, executives will share practical strategies to strengthen both technical and interpersonal capabilities across the workforce.
Learn more about Women in Insurance Summit New York and register here.
