It all started with one book - ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was fascinated by the story of Liz as she travels the world in search of meaning, balance, and joy. In Italy she indulged in the beautiful language and delectable pasta; learned forgiveness, attitude, and spirituality in India, and found her mentor and love in Bali. Her courageous pursuit inspired me to explore the world and my own curiosities. I’ve been in love with books ever since.
Meet Min, a bookworm and Allianz Care champion. We sat down with Min to find out more about her passion for books and her life at Allianz Care.
How did your love for reading begin?
Do you have a favourite genre?
Stepping into a bookstore as an adult feels exactly like walking into a candy store as a kid. I enjoy a little bit of everything, so choosing a favourite genre is a difficult task.
In the past, I went through a phase of reading Historical Fictions; they are full of surprises that ignite my curiosity and leave me wondering. With time, my tastes have changed and now non-fiction books are my go-to, specifically Biography, History and Spirituality. Having said that, this doesn’t stop me picking up a romantic novel and a hot chocolate to curl up with for the day in a cosy coffee shop.
What do you love most about reading?
Reading gives me balance; an escape in my life to relax and learn.
When I am reading a book, my mind shifts gears. When I’ve had a stressful day, a book can transport me to another world where my only focus is the story, and the rest of the world just falls away. Right before bed, reading a nice romantic novel is my favourite.
I am a curious person by nature and thrive on learning new things. The more I read, the more I understand different people and their behaviours and experiences, different places and cultures and interesting facts that otherwise I would not have known.
Do you think it's important to have a creative outlet outside of work?
Yes, I think having that personal outlet separate from work is hugely important.
In the early years of Microsoft for example, co-founder Paul Allen liked to pick up his guitar at the end of marathon days of programming. To quote Paul, “It forces me to look beyond what currently exists and express myself in a new way.” The same is true for me and many others. I believe people with creative pastimes are more likely to come up with creative solutions to work-related tasks or problems.
Allianz Care encourages and rewards entrepreneurship, therefore being creative and thinking outside the box is crucial.
What is your role in Allianz Care?
I help to manage finance across company-wide projects. It’s great because it allows me to work with colleagues across departments and territories as we work to expand the company overseas. On a given day, I might be conducting research on local regulations, working on financial returns or providing financial advice to the project team. It’s always different and I love the variety and importance of my role at Allianz Care.
Can you describe a day in the life of your role in Allianz Care?
I normally start my day in "Grumpy Mule", a local cafe, with a delicious flat white to help fix my morning ‘grumpiness’. Armed with my caffeine fix, I begin replying to emails and queries received overnight from other Allianz Care operations as I sip.
My role in Allianz Care is generally more behind the scenes. One day I could be immersed deeply in the back end of the systems. Another day I could be working on financial analysis. There is never a dull moment and I love that!
If you had to sum up your experience as part of Allianz Care in one word what would it be?
If I had to pick one word, it would be “Caring”.
Every month we introduce you to a new Allianz Care Champion. People are at the heart of what we do and we think it’s important to showcase the wonderful staff who are here every day to help our thousands of customers across the globe
