Our People

New York Life | May 11, 2022

Our “A Rewarding New York Life” series shines a light on the breadth of opportunity available at New York Life and explores how a role here could check a lot of boxes when it comes to finding a rewarding career and nailing that work-life balance.  

With a history spanning 177 years, New York Life is an insurance company that thrives on its people. And when it comes to group life insurance, New York Life has been protecting employees and their families for several decades. 

In 2020, with the acquisition of Cigna’s group insurance business, New York Life took an exciting step. This was the largest acquisition in the company’s history and resulted in what is now known as New York Life Group Benefit Solutions (GBS).

We spoke to a group of our dynamic GBS employees about who they are, what they do, and how New York Life supports their personal and professional goals.   Read Ryan Snyder's interview below and also watch a video as Ryan and his colleague Sabrinah Cantu talk about how great it is to work at New York Life.

Claims Team Leader – Ryan Snyder

In just a few months, Ryan Snyder will be celebrating something of a career milestone–a decade has passed since he started out in the insurance industry, working in the mailroom. In this time, Ryan has taken on increasing responsibility. Driven by ambition and a passion for his work, he has been promoted over the years into his current role as Claims Team Leader.

Here, Ryan speaks about the moments he finds truly rewarding at work and the benefits he draws from New York Life’s flexible work culture.

The Person / “Always growing”

Based in Pittsburgh, Ryan enjoys spending his downtime outdoors. When the ponds freeze over in the winter months, he heads out to play hockey. When summer arrives, it's time to go fishing—the perfect way to unwind after a busy week at work.

As a psychology graduate, Ryan has always had an interest in what makes people tick—a useful starting point for a customer-facing career like claim management. He’s also always had an interest in his own development and is glad his career in insurance allows him the space to keep growing.

“I always want to expand my skill set, grow my knowledge base, and continue to move up, and New York Life has been great with that. They notice what I am good at and offer me opportunities. People reach out if they see something that might be right for you. I love it, and I know everybody on my team loves it. It’s the kind of place where everybody has a vision, and everyone has goals.”

The Role / “Creative thinking”

Being a successful Claims Team Leader requires strong people management skills alongside the general problem-solving and communications expertise necessary to work in a claims management role.

“I lead a team of 11 claims managers and a senior claims manager. There's a lot of problem solving and a lot of communication between myself and my team. We work together to figure out the best way to review a claim. Sometimes all the information isn't there. It's a lot of critical thinking and I'm a big fan of that.”

“We talk to somebody and they sound like they are having a difficult time. We kind of know their story—but on paper, we're not seeing it. So, we have to get creative. How can we solve this puzzle together?”

Ryan’s passion for the job becomes increasingly evident as he talks about that perfect moment where it all comes together.

“Whenever you speak to people it is rarely their best day. You can be working for someone for 30 days—their doctor's office isn't providing any information, and we are jumping through a ton of hoops: making calls, bringing in specialists. Then finally, we put the pieces together; it’s very rewarding.

“That is one of the most fulfilling phone calls you can make—telling the customer you can approve their claim!”

The Culture / “Stable, flexible, diverse"

When it comes to employment with New York Life, there are a few key parts of the culture that Ryan particularly values. First, he finds the emphasis on flexibility and a healthy work-life balance allows him to keep on top of those things that matter on a personal level.

“They’re really good with things like vacations, and the days off are very flexible. If you move to a different apartment, there's hours for moving, for example. And then there's volunteer time. They're very, very supportive of different changes in your life and help you to adapt to that.”

Secondly, the diversity of his colleagues and wider New York Life team is something Ryan finds advantageous to his experience at work. Working with people from a variety of backgrounds offers access to a broad set of skills and perspectives.

“We have a ton of backgrounds here, from employees with a background in nursing to former doctors to former teachers, to employees with experience in banking, to people who have worked in retail. You get a story almost every day that sticks out to you. People from a ton of different backgrounds offering their ideas.”

And finally, Ryan enjoys the feeling of stability he’s found at New York Life.

“New York Life is a very supportive, stable company. We feel very secure and know we are doing a good job.”

Feel inspired? Why not apply to one of our many open roles today.

New York Life is an equal opportunity employer M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

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