At Gallagher Bassett, we take pride in our commitment to assisting our employees in their professional journeys. Our priority is to equip our staff with the necessary resources to foster their personal growth and career development. Jade McDonnell, Senior Technical Defence Handler, at Strata Solicitors, Gallagher Bassett's legal division exemplifies the potential career trajectory one can achieve at Gallagher Bassett. Below Jade shares her experiences and advancements within our legal department.

I joined Strata, the legal division of Gallagher Bassett as an Administrator when I was 17 years old, straight from college where I achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Law and Business. Admin was a great starting place and provided me with knowledge of the different departments within the company and an introduction into the industry.

In just under a year, I progressed into a Claims Handler role within the Defence department. Progression is encouraged and the management team were very helpful in discussing my career path. During this role, I learnt how to interrogate quantum documents and investigate liability. I then began my technical journey to become a Technical Defence Handler, this included taking on more complex and higher value cases, including personal injury, Public and Employers liability claims. A vital part of this role was also mentoring the newer handlers, which I find very rewarding. It is great to see new talent coming through the business and pass on my knowledge of the clients, industry and our processes.

After around three years in this role, I moved into the Litigation Team, as I am passionate about law and this coincided well with my ongoing legal qualification. I really enjoyed this new challenge and learning new skills. Seeing cases through to trial reaffirmed my knowledge and increased my confidence in claims handling.

I then expressed my wish to move back into the pre-litigation team and Strata were very accommodating with this decision. They created a new position for me, a Senior Technical Defence Handler, which I have been in for just over a year now. My current role entails handling a smaller portfolio of more complex files, mentoring other members of staff, reviewing the data within the department for any trends, and delivering training. I also have much more client interaction, which is something I enjoy.

Alongside my job, I am completing my legal qualification, which Strata are generously funding. I decided against university, as I wanted to get the hands on experience in a law firm. I have chosen to study part-time with the Charted Institute of Legal Executives as it enables me to get the best of both worlds by having the work experience and still being able to study in my own time. I have now been working at Strata for 10 years and have a vast amount of experience in the industry for my age. I am very grateful for Strata and GB's support throughout these years and it is a key reason as to why I have stayed with the company for so long.

Strata recognise the hard work of its staff and host an annual awards ceremony. In 2022, I won Team Player of the Year and then, Top Performer of the Year in 2023.

Another great positive of working for Strata and Gallagher Bassett is the work-life balance, this is so important to me given that I am choosing to study in my own time. I am also going through the process of buying my first home, which is exciting (and stressful!) This has been a personal goal of mine for the last few years. In my spare time, I love walking my dog, going to the gym and meeting up with friends and family. In terms of professional goals, I hope to one day qualify as a solicitor and continue my technical journey within Strata and GB.

As I’m sure is the case for most people, I fell into claims handling, though I had aspired to work in the legal industry. I was introduced to the job opportunity at Strata by my Law Tutor at College and have gone from strength to strength during my time here; this is reflected in my progression. There are many opportunities within the different divisions of GB and I am excited to keep advancing here in my career.