Claims specialist Josh Diggs of the California-based Wooditch Company wasn’t planning on entering the insurance industry, but since making the transition from sports editor at Cal State Fullerton, he’s become the consummate professional.
He took time out of his schedule to discuss his career with Insurance Business America.
Q: What brought you to the insurance industry?
It’s almost a two-part question for me. The second semester of my freshmen year, I decided to take a semester off to focus on my studies and that summer when I was looking for a job one of my neighbors was the human resources manager at the State Compensation Insurance Fund. She mentioned there was an opening for a student aid position and I got the job. It was not a fun job but I ended up parlaying it into a full-time arrangement. It was a good opportunity for me to get my feet wet and the second part is after being in claims for 13 years was jumping to the broker side.
One of my really good friends ended up meeting the CEO of my current company, The Wooditch Company, at the gym. After some small talk he ended up saying he was in insurance and they were looking for a claims advocate. After several interviews and a four month vetting process they decided I was the guy. I’m glad I made the switch, it was the right decision.
Q: What are three words you would use to describe the ideal claims advocate?
I think three essential functions for claims advocates are being persistent, passionate and driven. Persistence because you need to constantly follow up to make sure the claims are headed in the right direction for your clients. You have to be passionate because the clients’ need to see and experience enough to know that you care. Finally, you need to be driven because you simply can’t take your foot off the gas in this position. Our clients are reliant on us to protect their people, their products and their profits.
Q: What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?
I’d say never settle for the status quo. I learned that at an early age and have always tried to apply to my career and personal life.
Q: How would you change the industry, if you could?
I think I would magically invent a diagnostic test that could easily prove or disprove any fraudulent claims. The reality is fraudulent claims are the bane of the workers compensation system. They drive up premiums, it keeps our clients up at night and spoil it for the workers who are actually injured.
Q: If you could invite any three people in the world to dinner, living or dead, who would they be and why?
Babe Ruth – I’m a huge baseball fan and I consider him to be the best player ever. Plus I would have to think hot dogs and beer would be on the menu. John F. Kennedy – I’ve always been fascinated with the 1960s and that time period in our nation’s history. I’d love to discuss the civil rights movement, Vietnam and being the first Roman Catholic President. My great grandfather on my mother’s side – from what I understand he owned one of the largest print shops in Guadalajara, Mexico and he was also a part-time magician.
Q: If you weren’t in insurance, where would you be?
I think I would be a sports writer, hands down. I’m a huge sports fan and I have a journalism background. I was the sports editor for the Daily Titan when I was at Cal State Fullerton and I had the opportunity to cover the 2004 national champion baseball team. Now I get to watch a lot of those guys play in the big leagues and I always think about how I would write some of the stories about them now. The writer in me never really stops, I’m just not doing it anymore.
