What career risk means to a finance and risk management pro

Katie Curry reflects on her journey from Communist Bulgaria to the United States, rising through the ranks in risk assessment and finance careers, and becoming a leader in the evolving insurtech sector, where she applies resilience, mental toughness, and change leadership in her work and life.

I don’t see them as transformations so much as reinventions. I try to figure out what I can contribute to my new role and how I can drive growth and improvement. One thing I’ve learned is the importance of mental toughness—approaching change not with fear but with excitement.

Vince Chan reconnects with Katie Curry, who shares her extraordinary career journey, starting in Communist Bulgaria and moving to the United States, where she built a successful career in finance and risk assessment. Katie reflects on her experiences working at Citi, rising through roles in S&P credit ratings, and ultimately transitioning to leadership in an insurtech company.

The discussion touches on key themes like post-traumatic growth, resilience and mental health, and how to manage change leadership in a fast-paced industry. Katie provides insights into finance career paths, the importance of taking risks, and the need to adapt and evolve through life’s challenges.

She also discusses her leadership style, highlighting how mental toughness has been essential in her journey of accepting change and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth.

Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Vince Chan:

Hi everybody. Welcome to our show. In today’s episode, I’ll be chatting with a dear friend from my Yale days, Katie Curry, or as many know her, just Katie. Katie and I share a background in risk assessment and measurement, well-trained and developed through years of working with banks, fund houses, and insurance companies. But when it comes to her career, Katie has taken her understanding of risk to a new level, stepping out of her comfort zone with a deliberate approach.

[00:00:51] Vince Chan:

Like me, Katie has her share of navigating and overcoming multiple rounds of reinvention through diverse cultures. In her case, she moved from small towns to the Big Apple, from Bulgaria to the United States, from Communism to Wall Street, from New York City to Yale School of Management, from an S&P credit rating agency to a tech innovation company in the insurance industry. Lots of adventures, lots of failure, lots of success, and lots of resilience. Here comes my good friend, Katie.

[00:01:42] Katie Curry:

Happy to be here, Vince. I grew up in Bulgaria during the Communist regime in a small town. My first big reinvention was moving to the United States to get educated. I remember being on a tour bus in New York City, driving through the financial district, and thinking, “I’d love to work here one day.”

[00:02:15] Katie Curry:

I was fortunate to start my first role at Citi. Citi was a great place for training and development, and it helped me understand my skillset and what I bring to the table. I spent a few years there, learning a lot, but I knew I needed to build my skills further. That’s when I made the decision to attend Yale School of Management, where you and I met.

[00:03:35] Vince Chan:

Your career has always centered around risk. What does risk mean to you, both in life and in your career?

[00:03:49] Katie Curry:

Risk has been a constant theme throughout my career. It’s about understanding, quantifying, and mitigating risk. But it’s also about taking risks and seizing opportunities. After business school, I took a role at S&P Global, where I worked as a credit analyst on challenging transactions like interest rate derivatives. I loved getting deep into the capital markets. But after a few years, I had the chance to lead a team, and that’s when I realized how much I enjoyed the leadership and people aspect.

[00:05:04] Katie Curry:

Leading a team taught me a lot about what makes a good leader and the mistakes to avoid. I later moved into operations, a big pivot from credit analysis, and led a team of young professionals. I enjoyed the energy and the opportunity to upskill the team.

[00:06:24] Katie Curry:

Now, I’m working at an insurtech company, which is part of a public company but still growing rapidly. It’s a very different challenge, and I love the fast pace and excitement of this environment.

[00:07:19] Vince Chan:

You’ve gone through numerous transformations. How do you approach managing these changes over time?

[00:07:54] Katie Curry:

I don’t see them as transformations so much as reinventions. I try to figure out what I can contribute to my new role and how I can drive growth and improvement. One thing I’ve learned is the importance of mental toughness—approaching change not with fear but with excitement.

[00:09:49] Katie Curry:

A key part of mental toughness is making the decision not just to survive but to thrive. When you’re lifting weights, you don’t just maintain your muscles—you grow stronger. I apply the same mindset when dealing with challenges. It’s about coming out stronger on the other side, whether it’s for myself, my team, or my children. This concept is known as posttraumatic growth.

[00:10:50] Vince Chan:

You’ve mentioned resilience and mental health. Let’s explore that more. How do you balance the logical side of your career, being so analytical, with the emotional side of handling mental toughness?

[00:11:58] Katie Curry:

It’s about knowing yourself and your risk tolerance. That evolves over time. In the earlier stages of your career, you might take more risks, but as life progresses, your tolerance for risk may shift. For me, it’s important to embrace opportunities and explore without a strict, planned path.

[00:14:29] Vince Chan:

You’ve had your share of failures too, haven’t you?

[00:14:54] Katie Curry:

Absolutely! I’ve had many failures. But I believe that if you haven’t failed, you’re probably playing it too safe. Success is not about avoiding failure but learning from it and being resilient. I set my own KPIs, and I measure success broadly, not just in terms of titles or financial rewards, but in the value I bring to my team and the people around me.

[00:16:37] Vince Chan:

The definition of success has evolved, especially in this fast-changing era. How do you view your leadership style?

[00:18:09] Katie Curry:

As a leader, I focus on getting things done, delivering value, and recognizing others. I also want to be a role model for my children. During COVID, they saw me working hard every day, and I hope that experience showed them what it means to be productive and resilient.

[00:20:01] Vince Chan:

You’re a Gen X leader, but your children are Gen Z. How do you approach leading and working with younger generations?

[00:20:33] Katie Curry:

I think Gen Z values meritocracy over hierarchy, and they bring a lot of energy and fresh perspectives. I’ve enjoyed working with Gen Z professionals, learning from them through reverse mentorship, and helping guide them as they enter the workforce.