Shaun Sharp is the Vice President of Service for Distinguished Programs. Since joining our team, Shaun has been instrumental in the development of our customer service center and the growth and new vision of our underwriting teams. He’s our champion in helping to understand and improve our clients’ experience.
Shaun took a moment to catch up with us on his work life and what would be in his emergency kit if stranded on an island.
What were some of the key decisions that helped you get to where you are today?
Starting with the most recent, it would be the decision I made 2 ½ years ago to work at this organization. Decisions don’t always come easy or lightly for me, especially ones that impact my livelihood and my family. Being disciplined in setting the goals and objectives you are trying to achieve and then being thoughtful and deliberate with that in mind was helpful. However, sometimes decisions are made for you along the way. I’ve done my best to stay the course, do the work that keeps me on my toes, and that gives me a sense of fulfillment. I’ve also believed strongly in education; so I made decisions early on to pursue a degree in economics and subsequently in finance. The work I do today is quite different from those disciplines but while you may not be able to connect one decision to an outcome, I believe for me that they have built on each other and culminated in where I am today.
What lessons has your work life taught you?
Patience. Resilience. You need to do your best to create your path, your journey; with the realization that there will not only be bumps and roadblocks along the way, but setbacks. And if you demonstrate patience and resilience you can come back even stronger. Stay the course but be mindful of where it’s taking you. These lessons transcend to employees and relationships outside of work. I thoroughly enjoy drawing on my learnings to coach, develop, teach, and influence others growth and development.
If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you bring?
The first thing that comes to mind is my iPhone (pre-loaded with music, books, and pictures of course) and then my headphones. But thinking a bit deeper and a bit more logically seeing that the phone will last me all of a day, I would be a bit more pragmatic and go with sunscreen, matches and a picture of my girls.
