Mathematics Alumna

Michelle Precourt

Position:	Research Assistant
Company Name:	St. Paul Travelers
Industry Sector:	Finance and Insurance

What she does

Michelle Precourt is a Research Analyst with St. Paul Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford, CT. She has been working with the company since February 2004 when she finished her undergraduate degree at Rhode Island College. Her job involves extensive use of multivariate pure premium predictive models for new auto/home variables and insurance plans.

Math on the Job

Michelle is currently working on state specific predictive models to assess accurate pricing in automobile insurance. She uses various predictive modeling techniques (including GLM) in SAS to correctly estimate appropriate class plan variables.

Michelle has also worked on State Actuarial Reviews for rating increases and decreases. She used rating indications to determine the appropriate amount to increase/decrease rating variables and base rates. Having a clear understanding of how different variables interact and correlate is key to ensuring accurate pricing.

Background

Michelle received her bachelor's degree in December 2003 with a major in Mathematics from Rhode Island College. The most beneficial classes for her were Statistics, Probability, Operations Research, and Visual Basic. She also interned for Amica Mutual Insurance Company from May 2003 to January 2004. She uses skills developed through classes (especially data analysis work), as well as computer skills developed through classes and work experience everyday on the job.

Advice for Students

• Having a degree in mathematics makes a student very adaptable to all industries.
• It's not just knowing the math, but understanding how to analyze data to come to a meaningful conclusion.
• Excel is a very useful program to understand, most industries use Excel for data analysis.
• Also, knowing at least one computer language (even if you're not an expert) is great for jobs.
• Internships are a great way to gain experience and test out career paths.