Marketing Manager at Travelers Insurance
Air Force captain’s military experience propels him to success with Travelers Insurance.
by Warren Duffie

It was a hectic and fast-paced meeting. Suddenly, Patrick Todd was asked a tough marketing question by a company vice president. Todd’s answer was crisp, confident, and thorough – punctuated with several “Yes, ma’ams.” The vice president smiled and asked, “Were you in the military? I loved the way you answered that question.”

“I thought I had done a good job of being transparent,” Todd said, “of not letting my military background be that obvious. But the training stays with you. However, I’ve found that people really  respect military veterans and are truly  interested in our experiences.”

On The Job
Todd’s military experience has helped him do more than just answer questions well. It’s propelled him to success with Travelers Insurance. Based in Travelers’ Connecticut headquarters, Todd is the marketing manager for the company’s direct marketing department – which mails out fliers, letters and brochures nationwide promoting automobile, home and personal property insurance.

To accomplish this mammoth task, Todd, 31, works with an internal team of copywriters and designers – as well as outside vendors – to ensure the marketing materials are printed and mailed. He also makes sure the vendors are paid.

“I’ve been asked to help out in other areas, too,” said the former Air Force captain. “For example, we’re planning a multimedia campaign encompassing radio, television and the Internet. One of the great things about being a military officer is that you’re trained to get people to work together as a team to accomplish the mission. These intangibles can be applied to any kind of task you’re performing.”

The Company
Travelers Insurance offers a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in more than 90 countries worldwide. Travelers is the second largest writer of commercial U.S. property and personal insurance. Ranked No. 99 on the FORTUNE 500® list of largest U.S. companies, Travelers has 33,000 employees and about  12,000 independent agencies and brokers. In 2008, the company had total assets of $110 billion, earning $24 billion in revenues.

Travelers was recognized in 2007 and 2008 as one of G.I. Jobs magazine’s Top 50 Military Friendly Employers® for the company’s commitment to hiring transitioning service personnel and its Reservist-friendly policies and programs. About 1,300 Travelers employees have military backgrounds. Of this number, 31 are graduates of the service academies.

“Travelers values the skill sets employees with military experience bring to their job,” said Erin Haberman, a company representative. “These include technical skills, teamwork, leadership and tenacity. Travelers recruits for positions as project and product managers, medical case managers, market directors, and auto and home adjustors. These opportunities are available within our Personal Insurance, Claim, Risk Control, and Boiler and Machinery divisions. Our Personal Insurance and Claim divisions are particularly interested in hiring transitioning military officers for roles within their organizations. Additionally, we recruit military spouses for positions, often for customer service roles.”

Travelers also has policies for Reservists that make deployment as smooth as possible – such as continuation of benefits and pay. Travelers employees receive full benefits for the duration of their deployment. In addition, the company supplements employees’ military pay so they receive their full pay for the duration of the deployment.

In Uniform
As a student at Central Washington University, Todd enrolled in Air Force ROTC. “I wanted to fly planes, but my eyesight wasn’t good enough. So I went into communications. I like to tell people I went in to play with planes but ended up playing with computers.”

After graduation in 2000, Todd attended communications school at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. His subsequent duty stations included a stint in Iraq in 2004. Todd led a 25-member team assigned to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. He and his crew laid down cable for radio, phone and Internet networks for all embassy offices – including the one occupied by Gen. David Petraeus.

Todd’s next assignment was Yakota Air Base in Japan. He wore two hats – one as an administrative officer and the other as a wing information operations officer, helping to develop and improve the response plans to emergencies and disasters.

The Transition
In 2007, Todd left the Air Force. He took transition classes, sought advice from his network and spent hours searching for jobs. Over two days Todd interviewed with 11 FORTUNE 500® companies, including Travelers. Todd was hired as an IT manager.

“I liked Travelers the best,” he said. “They seemed genuinely interested in me, my interests and my career goals.”

Todd was hired as an IT manager. One day, a supervisor asked him to help develop and launch a direct mail marketing campaign. The initiative was so successful that a direct marketing department was established with Todd at its head.

“Travelers is a great place for military veterans because you can truly showcase your skills,” he said. “I was given a task, did my best and was provided with a new and exciting opportunity. Veterans can excel here.”

Todd’s Advice
• Be prepared for a higher cost of living. “My paycheck is higher, but so are my costs. You have to factor in health and dental costs, as well as more taxes.”
• Make friends with everyone. “It’s natural to want to associate with other veterans. That’s great, but be sure to include civilians in your work and social networks. They can help you succeed in the  civilian world.”
• Before separating, read up on your new industry. “You’ll be playing catch-up and competing with people who have already established themselves. Get as much education as possible, so you can make an immediate impact.”