Spencer Looks Back with 2009 Gala Honoree Pat Gallagher

"Some of the best advice that I’d like to offer to today’s Spencer Scholars: do well in school, and prepare for a great career in the best business on the planet.

The insurance and risk management industry is exciting and ever-changing, constantly adapting to the changing needs of our clients and enabling them to successfully manage their risks and benefits. As insurance professionals, we constantly hone our skills to support these ever-changing needs of our clients and we work hard to support the communities in which we operate. In uncertain times, like during the current global pandemic, our clients and our communities rely on us more than ever to help them understand and navigate risk. For Gallagher, people, communities and business have always been, and will always be, dominate priorities.

I’m extremely proud that I’ve been able to grow and lead a dynamic organization of nearly 33,000 employees globally, all maintaining our unique culture – rooted in a philosophy of integrity, empathy and respect – that is committed to our clients, people, community, carriers and shareholders. We are focused on driving increased diversity at all levels, including our early talent recruitment. We have many inclusion and diversity partnerships, including with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Special Olympics International. We have been honored for nine consecutive years as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, and for the last two years we have earned 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s LGBTQ Workplace Equality Scorecard.

We will always create the best outcomes for customers, improve the world and our communities, work diligently to meet clients’ risk management needs, and grow shareholder value – all while abiding by our company culture of respect, inclusivity and diversity. That is The Gallagher Way, the heart of our entire organization, and it relies on young, educated and innovative talent choosing to join our industry.

Because the landscape of our industry is ever-changing, it’s essential that we continually attract young people into it so that we can continue to adapt. The industry needs to do a better job of showcasing everything that it has to offer: the vast array of career opportunities, the excellent earnings potential, and the broad variety of ways that we give back to the community. This is where Spencer comes in.

The Spencer Educational Foundation and Gallagher share a common value: to introduce talented young people to the many career opportunities available to them in insurance and risk management, and to support them on their journeys. The foundation was created to help fund future insurance and risk management leaders. Most college students wouldn’t initially consider insurance as a career path unless they knew that there were educational and learning opportunities available to them, such as grants from Spencer, or internship programs such as Gallagher’s. Both Gallagher and Spencer are committed to bringing greater awareness to this dynamic career.

I was truly excited to be honored by Spencer back in 2009 - I wanted to do my part to support engaging young people in a way that reached beyond the borders of Gallagher. Our internship program has been in place and growing since 1965, and we host 500 interns globally every year. Interns have been incredibly important to the company—in fact, many of our current leaders came to Gallagher as interns. The opportunities that Spencer provides match our philosophy and dedication to providing an avenue for students to engage in a career in what I have always felt is the best business in the world. I was honored and excited to be associated with an organization that shares our values."