Opportunity for all
By Ryan Cline, American Family Insurance business systems strategy manager
I came from a background where there was no money to obtain a college education, and no one in my immediate family had ever gotten a degree. I remember that when I was a small child, many of my meals were provided by the kindness of others, so that we did not go hungry.
I married as a teenager and started with American Family Insurance at a very young age as a temporary worker delivering mail. While many would not have expected much out of us, our plan was that I would work hard while my wife went to college and then go myself afterward. After a few years, my wife completed her schooling with multiple degrees in physical therapy, health and science.
By this point, I had also worked hard and secured a full-time position with American Family, and shortly after became manager of a data-entry unit in our Commercial Lines division.
Over the following years, I continued to work as hard as I could and took multiple training and online courses, not toward a degree — although that is still a goal of mine, once our children get a little older — but classes related to the work I was doing and aspired to be doing.
Two years ago I became the technology strategy and robotic process automation manager in Commercial-Farm/Ranch, managing the automation team as well as other managers of various technical units. Managing this group of people has been an amazing adventure.
Fast forward to a few weeks back when I accepted an offer from Homesite [part of the American Family Insurance enterprise] to join its organization as a strategy and analytics manager.
Perhaps it is the emotion behind knowing I am leaving the AmFam brand, but I am so happy that I am still in the enterprise. My goal is to take the skills and knowledge I have gained over the last 18 years and apply them to a role in the enterprise that challenges me, requires me to continue working hard and helps me grow even further.
I share my story to say that while I may have started at the lowest rung of the ladder, AmFam gave me all the opportunities to grow and become successful, if I was willing to work at it.
I believe these opportunities exist for all. So, as I begin my next chapter, my words and advice are simply this: Don’t wait for someone to tell you what you need to do to upskill, relearn or develop. Simply look at yourself in the mirror, map out your ambitions and form a plan to achieve your goals.
It’s amazing what happens when you do.
About the Author
Ryan Cline’s American Family career began in 2001 with a temporary job delivering mail. Throughout the past 18 years, he continually challenged himself to proactively develop new skills that aligned with his ambitions and interests, eventually moving into a management position. On Monday, Sept. 16, Ryan begins the next phase of his professional journey, becoming the strategy and analytics manager for Homesite, part of the American Family enterprise.
