When the opportunity came up in 2012 to provide permanent in house legal support to Miller, it was a great chance to balance my existing legal skills with the challenge of working in a dynamic broking environment.  

After 6 years working in insurance litigation in private practice, I found the transition refreshing and challenging.  I had to strike the right balance of managing legal risk and compliance, in a commercially realistic way.  

Opportunities to progress

After 3 years at Miller, I was promoted from In House Counsel to Senior Counsel as recognition of the increase in the scope of my role and responsibilities within the business.

The process of experiential learning in a commercial environment has been invaluable.

Embracing challenges through teamwork

I love the fact that no two days are the same here – Miller is constantly adapting and innovating and as a result I get to advise on a steady stream of new business propositions for products and distribution. The most satisfying part of my job is helping the business realise their commercial ambitions through a framework of advice and agreements, which reflect Miller’s core values of doing the right thing and delivering on our promises.  

Professional and personal development

I’m proud to say I’ve had numerous opportunities for professional development at Miller. I’ve participated in the “Miller Manager” programme aimed at developing management skills, completed my “Prince2” project management qualification and undertaken a variety of external training to develop my technical contract drafting skills. I am also a member of our Charities Committee, which manages Miller’s support for local charities and employee involvement in volunteering and fundraising.  

Work/life balance

During my recent maternity leave, Miller’s market-leading maternity package provided the financial security  and time I needed for me to settle into the early days (and of course sleepless nights!) of parenting. 

Miller has invested heavily in technology to support agile working. The ability to work flexibly means that I can now manage my hours to spend time with my little girl during the working week. I usually work from home one day a week, using a seamless remote access solution to the Miller network, emphasising that work is an activity and not a place!

Advice to others

The advice I would give to anyone starting their career at Miller – whether that’s at a junior or mid-level entry point – is to keep an open mind.  The Miller career pathway does not have to be linear – I’ve been involved in many different projects and initiatives outside of my remit which have provided different channels for me to use my existing legal skills and collect some commercial ones along the way!