Mark Berthiaume, despite holding a Bachelor of Science degree in General Business from Western New England University, began his career journey as a programmer trainee at Travelers Insurance Company in 1978. Little did he know that this would set him on a continuous learning path, eventually making him a seasoned veteran in the insurance industry, adept in both business and technology functions.
Over his four-decade-long career, Mark Berthiaume not only mastered various technology tools but also delved into the business aspects of the insurance industry. Progressing through numerous IT-only roles across different companies, he eventually took on business operational responsibilities. For instance, Mark Berthiaume oversaw pre-underwriting processing at the Specialty Division of Chubb Insurance and later served as Chief Administration Officer at Hanover Insurance Group, where his focus expanded to encompass a broader array of non-IT and traditional technology duties.
Mark Berthiaume attributes his career trajectory to what he calls the “dials and switches” method—a process of dialing up or down and switching on or off capabilities and proficiencies. He describes it as continually learning and establishing new core competencies while occasionally letting go of areas of focus that are no longer necessary or can be handled more proficiently by others.
During our interview, we delved into not only Mark Berthiaume’s career journey but also his “dials and switches” learning approach, along with crucial topics like networking, mentorship, and his advice for aspiring executives.
Describe your career progression from the start to where you are and what pivotal decisions, moves you made, circumstances, and other facts that facilitated your growth.
I was a business major in university and thought that my first job out of school would be in a management trainee type of role. What changed it all for me was taking two Information Technology courses in my senior year (Fortran coding and logic flow) and I found I was really attracted to the design and engineering of code development. I interviewed and was hired into Traveler’s Data Processing (that’s what it was called then) three-month training course. I did well in that and stayed on at Traveler’s for 2 years. After that, I began a career where I learned and grew through a succession of companies and job changes that took me from a deeply interesting and satisfying position designing, writing, and selling Point of Sale software to managing and leading both IT and business organizations in insurance. What drove me during these years was a growing interest in learning technology tools but also learning about the business side of the insurance industry which became my sole focus in the last 30 years of my career. I was always curious about what other insurance companies were doing both in business and IT and that kept me calibrated to the industry not just what my own firm was doing. I developed a large network through speaking engagements, panels, and other industry events and this led to many career opportunities that came my way. Being curious and always willing to look at risk/reward in a new and challenging role, I ended up working for 8 insurance companies in my career. My roles spanned from Programmer Trainee when I started at Traveler’s Insurance Company to Chief Information/Administration/Innovation Officer at Hanover Insurance Company when I retired 43 years later.
As I moved through my career, I was asked/recruited to take on larger and newer kinds of roles and I was constantly learning as I went. My biggest learnings and hardest transitions came from moving from individual technical contributor to manager and then to executive leadership. I progressed through several IT-only positions and companies but eventually was asked to take on business operational responsibilities, and pre-underwriting processing, as part of the Specialty Division of Chubb Insurance. When I later moved to Hanover, my Chief Administration Officer position included responsibilities for Real Estate and Facilities, Safety, Billing, Commissions, Strategic Sourcing, and Fleet as well as Information Technology. With the breadth of these responsibilities, I ultimately developed a “dial and switch” model of learning/using/deprioritizing new and old skills. As I progressed, I switched off individual contributor skills and dialed up new areas of business and leader proficiency. This allowed me to continuously broaden my scope and capabilities and gave me the needed bandwidth to focus on business, strategy, leadership, and talent development.
What are the key skills and qualifications that aspiring tech executives in the tech industry should focus on developing to enhance their career prospects?
I found the balance of acquiring technical knowledge and learning the business were key differentiators for me as I progressed through my career. Most of the companies that I joined had a sub-optimal relationship between IT and business so it became important to know both. It was difficult to be up on all of the newest technologies as the speed of tech was/is ever increasing. I found ways through reading, vendor/partner briefings, industry events, and tapping the innovation teams and innovative minds in my organizations. But knowing how the business is run was just as important in marrying the right tech for the right use cases to safely pilot and implement the highest return capabilities. Finally, none of this works well without the leadership skills to recognize the balance that is needed, to select and develop the highest performing teams (not just individuals), and to build diverse, transparent, and trusting organizations. To me, it’s melding all of these together to build the best operating model anchored across people, processes, and technology.
What are some key milestones or achievements that tech executives should aim for at various stages of their career to demonstrate their growth and readiness for higher-level roles?
The key to growth in tech starts with demonstrated mastery of fundamental execution. As an individual contributor or manager, implementing capabilities repeatedly within time and cost with sound process, risk management, and quality is the ground floor on which you build your career trajectory on. When you reliably deliver and build a track record of successes, opportunities to expand leadership and possible business cross-over roles become possible. It’s important to build skills and add to experiences, both tech and business and not aim for a meteoric rise up the organization chart. Some of my most impactful learnings came from lateral moves where I spent refining skills and adding new ones.
How important is it for tech executives to actively seek out mentorship or coaching opportunities to advance their careers? What benefits can they derive from such relationships?
I have been coaching and mentoring for the past 20-25 years including the last 3 years as I have been in semi-retirement. Initially, these opportunities came my way from professionals whom I worked with or networked within the industry. I was also asked by my peers inside my companies to coach or mentor their high-potential staff. I found that I easily gained as much as I gave in these relationships. The wealth of diverse experiences and points of view I was exposed to was eye-opening. Although I clearly had experiences and perspectives to share, I found what I was learning from those that I was “helping” was actually enhancing my own knowledge base. And the practice of coaching and mentoring helped my effectiveness with my own direct reports and their leaders and teams.
In your experience, what role does professional networking play in the career progression of tech executives? How can tech executives effectively build and leverage their networks?
The first dozen or so years of my career were ones that I easily moved from projects and companies as I grew my skills and experiences so networking outside of my firms was not a high priority for me. However, as I reached higher leadership levels in tech, it became increasingly more difficult to stay current on industry best practices, platforms, and vendors. At one pivotal point as I looked for another higher leadership position when the company, I was with was failing, I realized that I had not built a solid network to tap into. After I ultimately landed in a new company and position, I was determined to build my network for the future. It was early days with LinkedIn, but I updated my profile, connected with as many contacts as I could think of, and developed a strategy to go beyond that. I looked for speaking engagements, accepted invites to participate on panels, partnered with peers in the industry on vendor advisory boards, attended industry events, wrote articles and white papers, and helped every executive recruiter who reached out to me, regardless of whether I was interested in a new opportunity. As I became more visible in the industry, the pace of all of this picked up, I was asked to do more and be more including being asked to mentor and coach professionals I met along the way. The last 30 years of my 43-year career were spent with a relentless focus on helping the industry, others, and myself. Professional networking was the key to that and I cannot recommend it strongly enough to start early and stay with it, the benefits in your job and career will be immense.
Are there any specific certifications, advanced degrees, or executive education programs that can significantly enhance the career prospects of tech executives in the tech industry? Which ones would you recommend?
When I was divisional/unit CIO at Chubb Insurance aspiring to take on the Global CIO position, I had the good fortune to attend a leadership development course offered by Cash Catalyst, LLC. The course was developed by Jim Cash, an industry veteran in IT and business who was also on Chubb’s board of directors. The course was 6 months long and included on-site workshops as well as virtual sessions. The course content was structured around developing leadership, financial, and strategic skills. One component of the course that stood out for me was the workshops where we would work on a problem in small teams. We would then present our solutions individually. After all teams had read out, we would then hear from a senior IT executive who actually solved the problem and would give solution feedback to all of the teams. This course was a game changer for me in preparing me for executive leadership and the boardroom. I would recommend to any tech leader looking to grow into expanded roles to find a course that takes your learnings to a higher executive level than you are ever likely to experience inside of your firm.
Can you share any examples of notable tech executives who have successfully transitioned from one role (e.g., CIO) to another (e.g., CEO) within the same organization or industry? What factors contributed to their success?
Two executives that I had experience with came to mind. Loren Claypool, COO/President at HealthSmart TPA, and Scot Struminger, CEO of Aviation at FedEx Express. I met and worked with Loren during our time at Orion Capital (acquired by Royal & SunAlliance), I met Scot during the Cash Catalyst course mentioned above. They were both in IT roles when I met them but what stood out for me with both of these executives was their complete immersion in their business and how they positioned themselves as business leaders not just IT practitioners. They were both involved in growth strategies and were adept at finding the right technologies and business models. I had the most exposure to Loren as we worked in the same company for several years. As we both left to take on different roles, Loren recruited me to work for him as CIO. Had the job not entailed a relocation, I would have jumped at it. There is no other IT peer that I have ever worked with that I can say I would have worked for…except Loren. Both of these professionals helped me set my sights on larger roles and their career models were influential when I made my own transition to Chief Administration Officer at Hanover Insurance.
Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring tech executives who are looking to accelerate their career progression and make a lasting impact in the tech industry?
In addition to what I have said above, I believe it’s vitally important for tech executives to play an influential role in establishing the values and culture not only for their areas of responsibility but for the entire firm. Gone are the days when IT was unto itself. For progressive IT leaders to grow, they need to think and act like CEOs. Employee retention hinges on not only creating challenging work/projects but also on leaders who create and demonstrate openness, diversity, and empathy.
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As a visionary Business and Technology Leader, I bring a proven track record of driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and delivering exceptional results in fast-paced and dynamic environments. I have honed outstanding skills in articulating a compelling vision and rallying active support from internal executives, development teams, and client business and IT leadership. I am proud to be a member of both the Forbes Technology Council and HITEC (Hispanic Technology Executives Council), which underscores my commitment to being at the forefront of industry trends and developments.
My special talent is demonstrating value to clients at all touch points – I instill these concepts in my teams.
