
FORTY under 40:Alison Mullikin
Alison Mullikin, Senior account executive, WTW
Alison Mullikin brings 14 years of accounting experience to her current role at WTW, beginning her career in public accounting with Deloitte Tax in Global Employer Services, focusing on individual tax returns for expatriates and globally mobile employees.
She transitioned into captive management with Artex Risk Solutions, learning the day-to-day operations of a captive, then served as an account executive for the western region at Aon before joining WTW in 2022. In her current role, she serves as the lead client representative for a portfolio of accounts, overseeing the efforts of captive management teams, while assisting with new formations in the west.
How did you become involved in captive insurance?
I was looking to make a change from public accounting and found myself interviewing for an insurance-related accounting role, completely unfamiliar with the concept of captive insurance—I was immediately interested in the industry and found myself embracing the challenge of something new.
What are the biggest challenges of working in this industry, and what do you find most rewarding?
Risk management and insurance is a challenging business! It’s ever-changing and important for those in the industry to keep up. As an accountant by background, I am constantly learning the nuances of insurance and refreshing my knowledge base to ensure I can effectively lead clients.
At the same time, this is what makes the job rewarding—to be continually learning and growing, never staying stagnant in my education, giving me confidence to succeed.
Would you recommend the captive insurance industry to young people as a future career path?
Captive insurance continues to gain popularity—more and more it’s a meaningful risk management tool and solution for businesses. I encourage young people to explore the ways they can be part of such a dynamic industry. It’s rare to have such exposure to the full spectrum of insurance solutions—captive insurance allows you to partner with financial stakeholders, risk managers, brokers, carriers, reinsurers, service providers—the available connections are unmatched and can allow a recent grad to fully explore the industry and find his/her fit.
What developments do you see ahead for captives?
In recent discussions, the “hot items” for captives seem to be medical stop-loss and property; that said, many are talking about AI and the potential impact to the industry as AI becomes more commonly used in business. As I noted, it’s ever-changing and as new risks and challenges emerge for companies, captive insurance utilisation is right there in the discussion.
More companies are looking to captive solutions than ever before—with domiciles reviewing captive statutes and ensuring appropriate regulation while staying “business-friendly”, the number of captive formations continues to increase.
“It’s a growing industry that will continue to provide both short and long-term risk solutions to organisations.”
Do you think that your long-term future remains in the captives market?
Yes—it’s a growing industry that will continue to provide both short and long-term risk solutions to organisations. I enjoy serving as a trusted advisor and resource to clients, helping them tailor their risk management programmes to meet their needs.
Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.