Applying an Engineering Background to Insurance in Unique Ways

Meet Melike Oz Pasaogullari

Melike Oz Pasaogullari joined Arch in February 2020, eager to share the knowledge she gained through her experience as an engineer in the insurance industry and make an impact right out of the gate. Within her first year, she was promoted to her current position as Head of Business Process Management for Arch Insurance North America.  

Melike’s quick success within the company is largely attributable to her unique skillset and work ethic. She also appreciates Arch’s supportive, open-minded and collaborative culture that has allowed her to thrive and show what she can bring to the table.  

Additionally, Melike is a firm believer that embracing diversity allows both individuals and businesses to gain perspective, which can lead to discovering different approaches to problem solving and enabling change. As a leader within the Women and Allies Employee Network, she is excited to empower the next generation of women in insurance.

In Melike’s own words…

What is something surprising that you didn’t know about working at Arch?

Arch has multiple offices across the world. Being based in the Hartford, Connecticut, office, I did not expect to be able to connect with my colleagues and build relationships quickly.

I love the culture and having the opportunity to work with people who have different backgrounds and experiences. Everyone is willing to help and share their knowledge, and work together to make things happen. Arch’s culture has enabled me to apply my engineering background and experience in developing operating models, and driving change management to help increase effectiveness and efficiency of Arch Insurance’s end-to-end business processes through innovation, flexibility and integration of technology.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in insurance? Tell us about your path to Arch?

I came to the United States for my graduate degree in industrial engineering and operations research. I did not know a lot about the insurance industry back then, nor thought about a career in insurance until I started looking for a job and thinking about potential roles.

Living in the Hartford, Connecticut, area, the options were mostly centered around insurance. I applied to a business analyst/consultant role as the requirements appeared to align with the skills I had developed through my engineering education. I got the job and have been in the insurance since then.

I learned about Arch through friends and former colleagues who were (and still are) working at Arch. They shared the culture of the company, its successful growth and how much they enjoyed working here, which led me to explore opportunities at Arch.

What do you think makes Arch unique?

I think it is the people and culture that make Arch unique. We have a collaborative culture that brings people with diverse views, skillsets and experiences together to effectively deliver value to our customers.

What is an initiative that you feel passionate about at Arch?

There are many initiatives I have felt passionate about since joining Arch. One of them is the diversity and inclusion efforts and the establishment of the Employee Network groups.

Do you have any advice to the next generation of women considering a career in insurance?

In short, my advice is to keep an open mind, be confident, challenge biases and help drive change! Specifically, I want to highlight the importance of keeping an open mind about a career in insurance and the progress the insurance industry has made in terms of diversity over the years.

Like any other industry, the insurance industry has evolved and will continue to do so, driven by the changes in customer needs and technology. It looked different to me compared to the generation before and it will look much different for the next generations. This is changing the landscape of jobs and skills needed to be successful. Additionally, the insurance industry has an opportunity to attract more women, especially in STEM roles.

As an engineer, insurance was not even on my radar at the beginning of my career search, and now I can recognize so many different career opportunities.

Melike Oz Pasaogullari

SVP, Business Process Management
Arch Insurance | Hartford, Conn.

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Professional Bio

Melike Oz Pasaogullari is Senior Vice President, Head of Business Process Management at Arch Insurance North America. Previously, she held the role of Senior Vice President, Business Process Management Lead for Delegated Authority at Arch. Prior to joining Arch in February 2020, Melike served as Head of Retail Product Development and Marketing at MassMutual. She also held several different positions in strategy, planning, project management and lean deployment functions at MassMutual. Additionally, she was Senior Business Consultant for Small Commercial Strategic Initiatives and Enterprise Small Business Strategy at The Hartford. Melike earned a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and operations research from the Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University. Melike is Co-Chair of the Arch Women and Allies Employee Network and was Chair of the Women’s Leadership Business Resource Group at MassMutual.