48 | FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE 5 A.M. >> SYMBIOSIS & SERENITY I am a Desert Storm Army combat veteran and met my husband during my service. We’ve been married for 33 years, and it was the best thing to come out of a conflict. My husband and I have a symbiotic relationship in the morning. Because he works from home and I go into the office, he manages the logistics of getting ready for the day. He makes coffee, packs my lunch, gives me a shot of espresso and a piece of toast on my way out the door, and takes care of our three rescue basset hounds. My commute is 45 minutes, and this is my mental health prep time. It feels like a sanctuary to me. I will not answer my phone or take meetings. It’s a sacred time for me to enjoy the sunrise and watch hot air balloons coming up over the mountains. I’m in a very calm mental state as I drive onto our campus. 7:30 A.M. >> WEARING TWO HATS I have two roles at USAA. I oversee the 70-person risk team and, as GM, I am also responsible for the 4,000 employees assigned to the Phoenix campus. This is not a direct reporting relationship, but I am accountable for ensuring that all of our independent businesses are running smoothly, that our community relationships are strong, and that we are staying on top of what’s happening in government at the state level. I get energy through human interaction and dedicate up to 45 minutes every day to making the rounds throughout campus. This leads to various efforts and relationships by virtue of being in the right place at the right time. I sit on a number of risk committees where I present technical risk management data and prepare for committee input. There are geopolitical and natural disaster impacts when you’re talking about insurance catastrophes. It’s my job to assess predictive models, report out, and help the committees understand where our risk lies and where we should focus our attention on mitigating that risk. 10 A.M. >> IN THE NOW I am very much a “be here now” person. In one-on-one meetings, I will not get interrupted. Everything is about what a person is saying. Part of my success is an intentional discipline centered on giving 100 percent of my attention for a specified period of time. When I meet individually with my team, I want to know what’s happening in their world, what I can do for them and how I can make their job better. If we’re business partners, AS TOLD TO JULIE COLEMAN Risk officer & general manager of USAA’s Phoenix regional office A Day With KARE HANKS OFFICE DOORS continued...

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