COMPANY The Travelers Companies INDUSTRY Insurance
REVENUE PROFIT MARGIN $25,740 M 9.61% 2012 $25,446 M 5.60% 2011 $25,112 M 12.81% 2010 $24,680 M 14.68% 2009 FORTUNE (GLOBAL) 500 RANKING #389 2011 #337 2010 #366 2009 #308 2008 CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS/LARGEST EMPLOYEE LOCATIONS Hartford, Conn. 6,400 EEs; St. Paul, Minn. 2,200 EEs; Richardson, Texas 900 EEs; Alpharetta, Ga. 900 EEs; Houston, Texas 850 EEs TOTAL APPROXIMATE EEs 30,000 2011 32,000 2010 32,000 2009 33,000 2008 TOTAL HR EEs 469 2011 474 2010 473 2009 477 2008 CHRO/SVP-HR BIO: John P. Clifford Jr. is Executive Vice President of Human Resources for The Travelers Companies, Inc., a position he has held since May 2007. John has led Human Resources for the company since the April 2004 merger of The St. Paul Companies, Inc. and Travelers Property Casualty Corp. Prior to the merger, he led Human Resources for The St. Paul Companies. John, who has more than 30 years of experience in Human Resources, joined The St. Paul Companies in 1984 as a Compensation Analyst. He was promoted to Compensation Manager later that year; to Compensation and Benefits Officer in 1994; and to Vice President of Compensation and Benefits in 1999. Prior to joining The St. Paul Companies, his work experience included four years in labor relations and personnel. John holds a bachelor s degree in economics from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., and a master s degree in public policy administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
John is a member of the Board of Directors for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. He is Chairman of the Insurance Conference Group and a member of the Human Resources Executive Council of Minneapolis-St. Paul. He and his wife, Lynn, have three children. Reports to: Chairman and CEO Quote: I have worked with very good HR organizations over the past 30 years, but the team we have at Travelers is the best team I have been a part of. What makes the HR organization at Travelers different is the strength of our generalists and our centers of excellence. First, while some HR groups strive to get a seat at the table with their business partners, our generalists always have a seat at the table. It just happens naturally because their skills and view point are valued. Second, our centers of excellence people are second to none. There is a depth of expertise and commitment to continuous improvement that truly stands out. Not that we don t have things to work on, we do. But, on the balance, I feel the HR organization at Travelers is ahead of the game. Things that other companies are struggling with, we have already nailed and are moving onto second order capabilities. EARLY CAREER HR DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION HR AT OBG: DISTINGUISHED PERSPECTIVE Human Resources at Travelers continue to strive to be world class. We hold ourselves accountable to the HR Competencies created by Dave Ulrich. Professional and leadership development are important to our community and to the businesses we support. In my opinion, consistency of experiences and longevity is what sets the HRLDP program apart from others. As Program Director, it s been extremely rewarding to see past participants grow into leaders within our organization. Celeste Coleman, RVP of Human Resources and HRLDP Director. HR AT OBG: EARLY CAREER INSIGHT I started with Travelers as an HRLDP summer intern and continued into the full-time HRLDP program after graduation. Both full-time and intern HRLDP participants are given meaningful assignments and have access to the best of Travelers training resources. Travelers also offers a rare level of access to HR and business leadership, making the program a great launching pad for successful careers in HR. Rustin Rodewald, BS/ILR 11 HR WORK ENVIRONMENT POSSIBILITIES Field Location Setting 225+ locations Corporate Headquarters New York, City, NY Corporate and Business Unit Settings Hartford, Conn. and St. Paul, Minn.
EARLY CAREER HR OPPORTUNITIES (FIRMS WITHOUT DPS) NAME/TITLE & LINK Human Resources Leadership Development Program (HRLDP) PROGRAM STRUCTURE, TIMELINE AND CANDIDATE CRITERIA The employees in the HRLDP rotate through multiple assignments across the HR department over a two-year period, with each rotation lasting approximately eight months. These assignments are designed for program participants to develop and demonstrate their HR technical skills, and to better position them for future leadership positions within the HR organization. Program rotations could include: Compensation: Design competitive and cost-effective total compensation programs, practices and solutions that support management in leading the creation and maintenance of a highperformance culture at Travelers. Employee Relations: Develop an understanding of Employee Relations issues, state and federal employment law regulations and corporate HR policies and procedures. May gain exposure to managing all HR activities for an assigned business group. May assist in the development of HR policies and programs by partnering with other HR specialist functions. Talent Acquisition: Consult with business partners to develop and maintain external recruitment sources for exempt and non-exempt positions. Recruit, interview, assess and place applicants to effectively meet company HR needs. To qualify for the program, individuals must meet the following requirements: Undergraduate or graduate degree with a preferred GPA of 3.2 or greater Motivation to succeed Strong analytical and communication skills Leadership potential Prior related work experience Initiative and involvement in school organizations and activities Legally eligible to work in the United States TYPICAL PROGRAM OUTCOME Participants place into positions after graduation that fit both business need and personal interest. Past placements have included the following: Human Resources Consultants (HR Generalist), Sr. Employee Relations Consultant, University Relations Consultant, Talent Acquisition Consultant, HR Analytics Sr. Consultant and Compensation Consultant. APPROXIMATE HRLP HIRES PER The number of program hires depends on business need and varies between two to three annually.
HRLP SPECIFIC TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES Program participants take part in various training opportunities, including Travelers Manager Essentials courses, systems training and rotation-specific training as needed. Personal and professional development opportunities are geared toward each participant s individual development plan, and participants receive ongoing exposure to HR industry news and trends. In addition, HRLDP participants work with both peer and leadership mentors throughout their time in the program. HRLP INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE AND OPPORTUNITIES As the business continues to explore international opportunities, we look for ways to engage our program participants. HRLP TENURE & RETENTION More than 80 percent of our participants are retained five years after starting the program. GOVERNANCE OF THE HRLP PROGRAM The Executive Vice President of Human Resources is the executive sponsor of the HRLDP. Day-today management of the program is handled by a Regional Vice President of Human Resources.