June 8, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Marsh McLennan Agency.

Seven years ago, Teagan Molden was just starting her summer as a sales intern at Marsh McLennan Agency.

After falling in love with the people and culture of MMA, she graduated from the University of Sioux Falls and accepted a full-time position in the employee benefits department as a client advocate.

Since then, after gaining valuable experience diving into the ins and outs of the industry, Molden has grown in her career to become an employee benefits consultant.

It has been a powerful career path – and at this firm, it’s one that is possible for others like Molden.

At MMA’s core is a strong belief in continuous learning and development, career pathing and investment in colleagues. The persistency of efforts given to ensure that these areas are continually improving are paying off as MMA colleagues climb the ladder to new roles and challenges.

Molden has experienced that for herself.

“MMA does a great job of continually providing you with opportunities that allow you to grow,” she said. “Whether that be with complex clients or human resources peer groups, I am consistently challenged, which allows me to gain valuable insight in the industry and the impact that I can make in it.”

Molden was able to spend time growing up in the industry and learning the various areas of the business. Her years in service positions, first as a client advocate and later as a client executive, have allowed her to spend time in self-funding, data analytics, compliance, working with top employers and understanding the technical aspects of the business.

Now in her current role, Molden brings the consultative approach because she has gained the experience to advise employers in a completely different way, knowing all the intricacies of MMA’s capabilities.

She and her team partner with employers of various sizes, industries and funding arrangements to create custom benefits strategies. They execute on their organizational objectives while creating a better employee experience.

Abbey Vanderwerf, MMA’s vice president of employee benefits, is excited to see the impact that Molden will make for employers in her new role.

“She understands the pace, urgency and rapid change of this business. She has the ability to see the big picture and execute on what needs to happen quickly because of her vast knowledge of how things work, her contacts in the industry and the partnerships that she has established while she has been in other roles in the company.”

Being able to learn from the ground up has made a profound impact on Molden’s success by allowing her to experience many different aspects of the industry. This was possible for Molden because of the focus on career pathing at MMA.

“Career pathing is helping the colleague drive what their future looks like. It allows colleagues to grow and pursue different challenges while being supported by the team. As our colleagues learn and grow, so does MMA,” said human resource director Jamie Baker. “If we aren’t talking to our colleagues about their future and growth opportunities, someone else is.”

By offering colleagues a career path and continuous learning and development opportunities, MMA is providing them with motivation and a goal to work toward. For Molden, this goal is to be the expert in the area.

“I have the strategic skills and the knowledge to service my clients proficiently. I truly want to be a genuine strategic partner for them,” she said. “I strive to help my clients achieve their organization and departmental goals. Some of my favorite conversations with clients are around attracting and retaining talent, innovative benefit strategies and finding financial efficiencies in their benefit plans.”

While MMA continues to offer great support to colleagues, Molden’s success in the company is attributed to her hard work and dedication.

She jumped at every opportunity MMA offered her.

“We invested a lot in her, but that was because she raised her hand,” Vanderwerf said. “She is a constant learner, and that is why she is in the position she is in, and that is why she is always going to excel. She will always continue to learn and do more, and that is the kind of person that you want in your corner.”