Brandi N. Monique, Esq.
Complex Claims Director in the Fidelity Department of Financial Lines
American International Group, Inc.
New York, NY
Age: 32
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Brandi Monique knew she wanted to become a lawyer since she was five years old. ?My greatest accomplishment is becoming an attorney. I was elated to fulfill that lifelong dream,? she declares. She almost did not make it. Ranking third in her graduating class, she was accepted to the University of Maryland?s scholar program and had to work 40 to 60 hours per week during summers to pay her tuition. ?Coming from a single-parent home, the only obstacle that almost prevented me from going to college was the lack of financial resources,? she says.?
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Today, Monique is a complex claims director at multinational insurer, American International Group Inc., with a bachelor?s degree, cum laude, in both criminal justice and family studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. She is sustained by her mother?s grilling that hard work and determination are the keys to success; her junior high school English teacher?s unwavering belief in her ability to do well; and the exhortation of her second manager at AIG to never settle for mediocrity. The words of the late poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou provide motivation: ?Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage mean we face our fears. We are able to say, ?I have fallen but I will get up.? ?
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At AIG, Monique engages in settlement negotiations, evaluates and analyzes insurance coverage for complex fidelity bond claims, and investigates claims where employees have been dishonest and/or engaged in theft. She co-chairs the firm?s Black Professionals group, creating programs to cultivate talent and assist in developing the firm?s employees of African descent. These efforts caught the attention of the firm?s Diversity and Inclusion Office, which put her on a global team charged with securing and retaining diverse talent at AIG.
