Title: Director of Underwriting

Company: Heritage Insurance

Location: Tampa, FL

Rachael Waguespack fell into her career; she started in high school and worked her way up. Now, more than three decades later, she works as the director of underwriting for Heritage Insurance. The company, which specializes in property and casualty insurance, is relatively new and is experiencing incredible growth. Ms. Waguespack is a valuable resource to the business, as she has worn just about every hat in the industry. She is proud of the fact that people know they can come to her for assistance, and seeing the positive effect she can have on the people she manages and supervises is a wonderful feeling. Some of the people who worked for her have since been promoted to management or other departments, which makes her exceptionally happy.

One of the greatest challenges Ms. Waguespack faces is the idea held by some that women should not be in management positions. She works to debunk that perception that on a daily basis. Ms. Waguespack is inspired by the younger generation; she is in awe of their ability to learn and multitask.

In the future, Ms. Waguespack intends to stay with Heritage Insurance and help it expand. It is quickly moving to other states, and as the company grows, she will continue to excel and learn. Eventually, she would like to see herself in an upper management or ownership role. Ms. Waguespack also hopes to participate in recruiting for the industry some day. She would like to be remembered as a good team member and a good boss; she gives everything her all, and hopes that’s something people understand.