By Cherie Fitzgerald
Company Background
Travelers is a large insurance company originated in Hartford, CT. Over the past couple decades, it has gone through mergers with various insurance companies. This has caused the headquarters to move.
For a while, the headquarters were in St Paul, Minnesota. It is now headquartered in New York City. Outside of the United States, it also has operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, China, Canada, and Brazil.
Despite its numerous locations, the insurance operations are primarily in Hartford, CT. Hartford has the bulk of insurance employees and resources.
The official mailing address for the Hartford campus is One Tower Square. Due to the campus being so large, Travelers has their own address that encompasses all of the buildings.
A New England Landmark
One of the most well-known Connecticut landmarks is the Travelers Tower. The tower is a unique 24 story skyscraper, built in 1919. It appears in the backdrop of many Connecticut publications and broadcasts.
Several other Travelers buildings are attached the tower, notably the Grove Street building, Central Row, and the Plaza building. These buildings are all connected by indoor links.
Another iconic symbol is the Travelers red umbrella, which appeared in advertising as early as 1870. It became the official company logo in 1959.
In the 90s, following a merger between Citi Bank and Travelers, the red umbrella also became the logo for the newly formed Citi group. Citi group eventually spun Travelers off into an independent company, but initially kept the umbrella, which Travelers ended up buying back.
Giving Back
To most people, Travelers is known for its exceptional insurance coverage, insuring personal properties and businesses, but the company is also a dedicated contributor to its community.
In Connecticut, the most well-known charity event is the Travelers Championship. The championship is a PGA golf tournament held every year in Cromwell. All of the proceeds of this event go to more than hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout New England. One of these organizations is The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which helps children coping with cancer and other serious illnesses.
Travelers encourages employees to volunteer at the golf tournament. Many employees participate because they are dedicated to the charitable culture that the company promotes. Other important charities that the tournament helps are United Way and Habitat for Humanity. As with the championship, employee volunteers make these campaigns successful every year.
In addition to its charitable contributions, Travelers is a major employer in the Hartford area, with around 8,000 employees. Many of these jobs are professional, giving Hartford a competitive edge with other cities. This also benefits local colleges by attracting and giving opportunities to finance and insurance interested students.
Strong Company Culture
The CEO of Travelers, Alan Schnitzer, often uses the term “pixie dust” to describe why employees stay at the company long-term and embrace the culture.
Marabeth, who has been working for Travelers for the past 39 years, specializing in Accounting Compliance, describes the company’s environment,
“I came to Travelers right out of college. From the beginning, I found myself surrounded by mentors. Through the years, I’ve seen many changes, and now I am a mentor to new college graduates coming in to the company. I’m joined by many colleagues who have been at Travelers for years.”
As well as the positive impact it has on the company, “Of 8,000 fellow employees in Hartford, we are dedicated to our own growth, as well as the company’s, which is what our CEO was referring to as ‘pixie dust.’ I would say the majority of people are happy, supportive of each other and the company. It’s a close-knit community, despite the fact that there are so many employees.”
There were rough years in Travelers due to bad investments and insurance catastrophes (such as hurricanes in places that Travelers insured), but Travelers has come out a stronger company: Management, leadership, and valued employees make all the difference.
Cmm 214 Fall 2021 