Diverse pathways into insurance – Michela’s story

Michela’s inspiring career journey: Overcoming challenges and empowering others

To celebrate our 10-year anniversary and to highlight our ongoing work to help improve social mobility, we’re bringing you a series illustrating diverse career pathways into insurance.  

This month we’re excited to tell you about Michela’s journey into insurance within the legal sector, which is a testament to her resilience, passion, and infectious positivity. Her story is one of overcoming obstacles, embracing opportunities and helping others. Michela’s journey into the legal profession is a testament to her resilience, passion, and infectious positivity. Her story is one of overcoming obstacles, embracing opportunities and helping others. 

Her story begins with her parents. Her father emigrated from Italy to the UK in the sixties and both were hard working and demonstrated entrepreneurial flare as two successful businesses owners. Michela has inherited her parents strong work ethic, and attributes many of her successes to them, including a successful ice cream business, which she set up at the age of sixteen. 

Michela’s fascination with law began at school when a teacher invited students to attend law classes to learn more about the subject. Michela was quick to sign up and was immediately drawn to the debates and discussions that took place in class. With further guidance from her teacher and now mentor, Michela began to plan a pathway to a law-based profession. 

Having excelled at passing her GCSE’s, Michela expected similar results in her chosen A-level subjects. Lower than expected grades compelled Michela’s teachers to investigate a potential underlying, undetected cause, which quickly led to a diagnosis of Meares-Irlen Syndrome, a form of dyslexia. 

Michela’s A-level results reduced institutions available to her to pursue a law degree. Undeterred, she secured a place on the law course offered by the University of Greenwich. Although not her first choice, Greenwich opened new, unexpected doors. The university provided dedicated dyslexia support, instrumental in returning her to academic success. 

It was also through the University of Greenwich that Michela secured a work placement at HSBC, her first step into a career in financial services and law. The end of the HSBC placement coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic. Determined not to let a global lockdown halt her career, Michela focused her attention on enhancing her skills and preparing for future job opportunities by completing her LPC (Legal Practice Course). 

This qualification paved the way for the next step on Michela’s career journey. Most recently, she joined Weightmans LLP, a leading insurance law firm in The City, where she focuses on cyber insurance cases and remediation. Michela also leads the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee at Weightmans, where she initiates programmes aimed at increasing social mobility and providing support for under-represented groups in law. 

Michela’s own experiences drive her passion for giving back. She understands the importance of creating opportunities for students who may not have access to the same resources as others and actively advocates for support for children with learning difficulties, recognising how vital it is to receive help early on in life. It’s one way Michela pays it forward for the next generation of leaders. 
 
At IICF we believe that the industry can be a united force for good. Through our focus on social mobility, we are helping to unlock potential, open doors and changes lives by uniting the industry in grants, volunteer service and leadership while helping build a more inclusive industry. We hope this story inspires you to pay it forward and help change a young person’s future, perhaps as a mentor or volunteer with an IICF charity partner.  

Find out how you can get involved