Tell us about yourself as a professional. Do you have a special interest or area of expertise, unusual background or experience, or a topic or skill you’re working to get better at?

I began in the insurance industry full time in 2011. I remember feeling like everyone had so much experience and had been at my company for decades. While you can’t replace that kind of experience, I wanted to learn as much as I could, so I began obtaining designations. I got my CPCU in 2014 and went on to obtain several other designations.

I spent much of my career thus far as a multiline commercial underwriter, mostly for the state of Texas. Then about three years ago I made the move over to a role in Casualty Product. I work with general liability, umbrella/excess liability, and cyber liability coverages. My role involves multiple facets of working with these lines of business. I do full cycle form drafting – I work with our claims and legal departments to draft forms, work with our filing team to get the forms filed, and work with our IT staff to get the forms implemented in our policy system. I also work on a lot of different referral, appetite, and book management areas of product – everything from writing procedures to working with our innovation teams to best utilize AI to understanding and implementing lessons learned from losses.

Why are you passionate about working in insurance and/or risk management?

There are several reasons we I am passionate about the risk management and insurance industry. One of my top “whys” is the impact we make on lives. So many of us can’t fully understand the anxiety and fear that comes to a small business going through a cyber attack or a contractor who is being sued for millions after a car accident. I love knowing that I can make an impact on insureds going through a difficult time. Even deeper than that, I think the insurance industry pushes society to be better at risk management. When I see businesses using telematics to keep our roads safer or implementing quality control programs to ensure consumer products are safer or even just the local grocery store putting out fans and wet floor signs when it rains to prevent slip and falls, I feel proud to be a part of an industry that makes the world safer.

Another reason I am passionate about the insurance and risk management industry is because it provides opportunity for the future. I’ve always considered myself a lifelong learner and I love to share knowledge with the next generation. Education is a big part of my current role and it’s something I hope to get even more involved in going forward. I love watching the light bulb go off for students who never realized all the career potential of this industry.

How have you grown or been challenged this year and how has that impacted your work in the risk management and insurance industry?

This year, I have been challenged professionally in many ways. I am working on a large product in my roles that requires me to work with several different departments, which has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I have been more focused than ever this year on looking at the big picture of the insurance and risk management industry as a whole and not just what is happening at my company – it has been a challenge to navigate the huge amount of information (sometimes conflicting!) that is out there and apply that to my role.

I have also been challenged this year when it comes to patience. This year more than ever my role both with my employer and with my local CPCU Society chapter have required dependence on others to complete tasks. I’ve had to learn to have patience and rely on other people – I’m finding that delegating and being able to say no can be tough skills to learn, but practicing these are helping me grow.

How has your involvement in the CPCU Society benefitted you this year?

My involvement with my local CPCU Society chapter (shoutout Cincinnati Chapter!) has taught me so much over the past year. I served on more committees than ever and learned a lot – both personally and professionally. The highlights for me professionally this year were our I-Day presentations on lobbying in the insurance industry and the use of AI in insurance fraud. The highlights for me personally were the leadership and social skills I gained.

I am by nature a reserved, by-the-book, type-A person. I love the Secretary role because I like being organized and being more behind the scenes. So this year when we decided to push our social media presence, I thought I would challenge myself. I took on daily social media posts for a portion of this year and will do the same in 2026. This has pushed me to get out of my box, become more creative, and collaborate with people.

Another benefit I got from the CPCU Society this year was being able to accept complimentary feedback. I am always looking for ways to improve and do better, but I am very uncomfortable with positive feedback. This year I had to face that head-on thanks to a very grateful Chapter President and a board who nominated me for an award. I’m certainly still a work in progress, but the CPCU Society has helped me be able to accept a compliment on its own and not as part of a feedback sandwich! It has helped me build confidence in knowing that I am a valued part of the chapter and I do deserve that recognition. That’s the main reason I’m challenging myself by even submitting this nomination!

In your opinion, what’s the best thing about being a CPCU Society member? (OK, you may list more than one thing!)

There are several things that are great about being a CPCU Society member. The educational content is great – I’ve learned a lot about a variety of industry topics – it’s great to hear about not just emerging risks but all the different areas of the industry. The people are also great. Even someone like me who breaks into a cold sweat at the thought of having to network can make great connections. I’ve met so many people that I now consider not just my colleagues, but also my friends.

Another thing I really love about the CPCU Society is being able to give back, whether that is through mentoring our newer members, connecting with our local college students, or just gathering up a group to go volunteer at the local food bank, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference.

Tell us about something you enjoy outside of work, a cause you support, a hobby, family activity, or anything else that is important to you.

Outside of work, I soak up as much time with my family as possible. My husband and I have twin teenage boys, so we’re always running around to some sporting event or school program! I also love spending time with my friends – it’s so rare to have such a great group of women who fill your cup and I’m so grateful for each and every one of them. My other hobbies include reading (I’m in two book clubs and read about 100 books a year!), doing puzzles, playing board games, chronically organizing my house (I mentioned being type-A - even our Legos are organized by color!), and hanging out with my two dogs. I volunteer for many causes throughout the year – school events, litter pickup, volunteering at local nonprofits, etc., but one of my favorites is a dance group I participate in each October. We dress up as zombies and perform at local businesses to raise money for K-9s for Warriors, a group that provides service dogs to veterans.

   
 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-fridley-cpcu-a87b5877/        

 

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