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Growing up, many of us were taught that hard work brings great luck. Being a good steward lays the foundation for a beautiful life. Teresa White is her official living example of that, and more than 20 years later, she’s reaping the fruits of her labor.
A labor of love, to be exact.
She is the first woman and the first African American to serve as president of Aflac US, a supplemental insurance company worth approximately $40 billion.
She joined the company in 1998 as Vice President, responsible for payroll administration, policyholder administration and new business oversight. By the end of her tenure, she had left a trail in which 65% of her 5,700 employees at Aflac were women, and nearly 50% were people of color. She has won many awards and recognition, including the honor of being added to her Forbes 50 Over 50 list in 2021.
So she says she’s ready to pass the torch.
“Jasmine, you’ve got two days left!” she said dizzily at the beginning of our call.
“I’m so excited,” she asked how she was feeling. I can’t quite grasp it, but I’m very excited.I’m just thinking about the journey ahead.”
A major part of that journey was spending more time with her family and seeing the leaders she raised grow exponentially. Throughout her career, Teresa has mastered the delicate dance of lifting while climbing. Also, one of her proudest achievements in her experience at Aflac was being able to help another person of color achieve leadership.
“When we were preparing to retire, we wanted to make sure we had the right people to understand our vision and strategy and keep all of that moving forward,” White said. She was mentoring a younger colleague, Virgil Miller, to take over, and I said, “I felt he was ready. It’s one of the proudest achievements of my career.”
“When I joined Aflac 19 years ago, what awaited me was an unimaginable blessing,” said Miller. “That was Teresa White. She used to be my boss, but she was always my mentor, my friend, and frankly, the sister I never had.” As a , she paved the way for people like me to succeed at Aflac.No one can fill her legendary shoes, but I will carry on her legacy. I will do my best to make you proud.
She says she thinks a lot about the new workforce. It’s people fresh out of school who dream of building careers that can pave the way for others as well.
“Things are not much different than when I first started,” she said, acknowledging that Gen Z wants to reshape some of the traditional corporate structure. But some things always stay the same, according to Teresa.
“First and foremost, find the skills they’re really good at, and search for skills that require those skill sets,” she advised. “She doesn’t have to be limited to a particular industry,” she admits, saying she never chose the insurance industry herself after graduating from her school of business. “I chose an opportunity with a skill set.
This sentiment was echoed throughout her team. We suspect this is due to the type of person she walks in and out of the office.
“I am spiritual and rely on God for every important decision. That faith guides me. “I do not take lightly that I am in a very fortunate position.”
Now that she’s practically retired, I asked her the million-dollar question. What’s the first thing you do now that you don’t have to go to the office?
“I’m going for my grandson’s birthday,” she said with a smile. “That’s what I should do now.”
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