AIG cultivates a learning culture for employees

For Christina Alonzi, there is no such thing as too much education, so she feels right at home in the learning environment fostered at AIG Insurance Company of Canada (AIG Canada). “AIG is a learn-it-all culture not a know-it-all culture,” says the senior business analytics manager.

Thirteen years ago, when Alonzi joined AIG, one of the country’s leading property and casualty insurance companies, as a technical claims assistant, she knew she needed more education to progress in her career. With the support of her managers and the financial backing of her employer, she enrolled in a part-time program to obtain her chartered professional accountant (CPA) designation. “I was still working full time, so I studied on evenings and weekends,” she says.

Her hard work paid off when she successfully completed her CPA exam in 2022. With that accomplishment under her belt, she’s now considering the chartered insurance professional (CIP) designation.

It’s that type of continuous learning that president and CEO Pete Walker tries to nurture in AIG’s 350 employees in Canada. Headquartered in downtown Toronto, with offices in Vancouver and Montréal, AIG Canada is part of American International Group, Inc., a global insurance company with operations in 190 countries and jurisdictions.

“We ask our teams to be open to learning all the time. Whether it’s a graduate who is coming in or a 30-year veteran of the insurance industry, everybody can learn something new,” says Walker.

“As an organization, we are trying to be better every day by being more efficient and making better decisions. As individuals, our team members are encouraged to grab opportunities to learn, be empowered to own their careers and be ready for that next career step.”

For Alonzi, it’s the people she works with every day and her sense of belonging that have kept her at AIG for more than a decade. She is part of two of the company’s five employee resource groups in Canada. As co-chair for the working families group, she organized a Bring Your Dog to Work Day in October. About eight dogs arrived at the downtown office ready for duties.

“The energy was so great that day. We had a couple of dogs show up in ties,” she says. “We try to bring everyone together at AIG, so we feel part of a community.”

This fall, as a member of the company’s corporate social responsibility committee, Alonzi also participated in a tree planting day. She and 50 colleagues had fun planting 340 trees at a conservation area in the Greater Toronto Area. Alonzi used one of the two annual paid volunteer days the company gives employees to take part in the event. “It was so nice to be with colleagues you don’t typically interact with from day to day.”

Outside of AIG, Alonzi enjoys travelling the world just as much as the amenities in downtown Toronto, where she both lives and works. Last spring, she took advantage of the company’s generous paid time off program to visit Japan. “I took 10 days off and still have some vacation time,” she says. “AIG gives us 26 annual paid days off to start.”

Those days could be used for vacation, illness or personal matters. A couple of years ago, the company added seven extra annual paid days off, immediately preceding statutory holidays. “We are focused on our team’s wellness,” Walker says. “Everybody looks out for each other, both in work situations and personally. It’s not just a 9-5 job.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Greater Toronto’s Top Employers winners, published December 3, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

AIG is committed to every phase of a person’s career

Alexandra Biss didn’t expect to join the insurance business after graduating with an arts degree from the University of Toronto. But two years after joining AIG Insurance Company of Canada (AIG Canada), she received a promotion and is on a well-defined career path.

Biss joined AIG, one of the country’s leading property and casualty insurance companies, as a junior underwriting analyst in 2022 and last fall became an underwriter. She’s now working to obtain her chartered insurance professional (CIP) designation and has applied for AIG’s emerging leaders underwriting excellence program. Each year, 12 employees are chosen to take part in the one-year training and mentorship program.

“While I didn’t study business or finance, I knew this would be a company that would help me grow beyond what I thought I was capable of, and every day AIG does this. Every day, I am learning something new,” she says.

Having grown up in London, England, Biss wanted to join a company with an international reach. Headquartered in downtown Toronto with offices in Vancouver and Montréal, AIG Canada is part of American International Group, Inc. a global insurance company with operations in 190 countries and jurisdictions.

“I knew I wanted to be part of a multinational organization so that one day I would have the freedom to work in London and also to interact with a big team,” she says.

While she may work for a large company, Biss is far from lost in the crowd. From the start, she was partnered with a mentor and, two years later, still checks in with her on a weekly basis. “She is my go-to,” Biss says. “She pushes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me.”

It’s that type of continuous support and learning that president and CEO Pete Walker tries to provide to all of AIG’s younger employees in Canada. When they arrive at the company, they learn early on about the career paths available to them.

“Showing people that we are committed to every stage of their career is key and really resonates with younger people,” Walker says. “We tell them ‘We’re going to bring you in and continue to nurture you and help you grow throughout your career.’”

AIG offers several structured programs, including co-ops and internships. The 10-week internship program is open to students from a variety of educational backgrounds, including finance and engineering. These programs often result in recent graduates being offered a spot in the company’s two-year professional analyst program. “They are getting on-the-ground experience as well as mentorship and other development program training,” says Walker.

Outside of the learning and development opportunities AIG offers, Biss thrives on its culture of engagement and its commitment to giving back to the community. As a member of the company’s Women and Allies Employee Resource Group leadership team, she organizes events for colleagues.

Recently, they brought in a yoga instructor as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She also organized a fundraising AIG bake-off, and this spring will run a marathon to raise money to prevent breast cancer. Her employer will match the funds she raises and give them to a charitable organization. In addition, she recently used one of the two annual paid volunteer days the company gives employees to help out with colleagues at the Toronto Humane Society.

“We are a learning organization,” says Walker. “We give people the opportunity to continually improve themselves through programs, through development opportunities as well as making people’s jobs enriching so that every day they can learn.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 21, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.