It’s no secret that a cornerstone of the insurance industry is customer care. “In an industry like insurance where you are not selling something that is tangible to a customer, you are really selling the people and employees that we have…I’m super passionate about that piece of things” says Rachel Switchenko, MBA’15.
Beginning her career in insurance through data analytics and accounting for Liberty Mutual, Switchenko eventually gravitated towards the customer side of the business after a move to Plymouth Rock Home Assurance. “I found my home in service,” says Switchenko. “I love the customer experience. I think that they’re really what makes any company successful.” With that mindset, a great work ethic, and a resume to match, at the beginning of 2023 Switchenko was officially announced as the Vice President of Customer Solutions for Plymouth Rock.
Additionally, her Northeastern experience was a foundational piece in her ascension to the VP of Customer Solutions. According to Switchenko, the flexibility that Northeastern’s part-time MBA program offered allowed her to balance her education with her blossoming professional and personal life. “I was looking for flexibility. I was doing it part-time, and it fit really nicely into there. [Plus], it has a really good reputation and I think that also matters. Part of the reason I wanted my MBA was for external opportunities.”
Not only was flexibility a crucial part in obtaining her MBA, but her classroom experience provided her with tools that could be used for success in her career. “At that point in time…sitting in those rooms listening to professors, it gave me a greater appreciation for what was to come. It gave me a better understanding for why decisions were being made…it helped me be transparent to the level that you need to to bring people along with you,” she says in regards to applying these skills to her professional life.
Even after all of her success, Switchenko is still looking to give back to the Northeastern MBA community in any way she can. “I would soak it all in,” she says with a smile as she considers what she would say to current Northeastern MBA students. “Your MBA is a decision you make yourself. Don’t do yourself a disservice by not giving it just as much as you would give anything else that you’ve chosen to do…you’re making that investment, so get the most out of it.”
Your MBA is a decision you make yourself. Don’t do yourself a disservice by not giving it just as much as you would give anything else that you’ve chosen to do…”
Rachel Switchenko, MBA’15