Joyn’s newest team member, Uwe Schoberth, is a known entity in the global insurance industry with more than three decades of experience, most recently at Lloyd’s of London as well as at some of the leading carriers, including Blackboard Insurance, QBE Group, XL Group, Winterthur International Insurance Company, and Gerling. During his career, he’s held a diverse set of roles, including in marketing and sales strategies, broker and client relations, underwriting, and, of course, distribution.
Born and raised in Germany, Uwe holds a Master of Science degree from Southern Connecticut State University. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest and as Chairman of the Board for German American Events, LLC.
How has your background equipped you for your role?
I spent two years in the German military, in the Army, and I think that really helps you appreciate the value of having a sense of urgency and discipline in your approach. It also makes you value working together with a team spirit and having a strong sense of leadership. You learn that sometimes you need to lead from the middle and sometimes you need to lead from the front.
I was also able to play professional soccer early on in my life, so I look at things through that competitive lens. Of course, when you step on the field to play soccer, you want to win. You don’t want to step on the field for a tie and you certainly don’t want to lose. There’s a lot to be said about bringing that competitive mindset to the business.
What excites you about coming to Joyn?
As I said earlier, my experience in the German military gave me a sense of appreciation for strong leadership. Over the thirty years I’ve worked in insurance, I’ve seen great leadership and have learned a lot from it, including from Seraina Macia, who is Joyn’s CEO. So I know firsthand that her excellent leadership—combined with the team she has put together—will make a difference in this industry. That’s very appealing.
I’m also excited because I really see a wonderful opportunity to bring my passion, commitment, and energy to Joyn’s mission and vision. In my opinion, Joyn has put together a dynamic and trusted group of experts, and the team has already done such a great job to align culture, leadership, vision, and mission. So I am very excited about what I can offer in this context, which is a new dimension to distribution. At the end of the day, the team really wants to make this work, we know it works, and it is already working, so now I see a chance to get in front of the strategic partners that we have already identified and continue to engage with, and then make sure that what we deliver ultimately translates into a win-win for the customer.
Tell us about your life outside of work. What do you enjoy doing?
Thank you for asking that. Number one is my family. Some of them—my parents, brother, and others—are still in Germany, so I keep a very close connection to them. But here I have my son and my wife, and we have three dogs, so that keeps us busy. My son plays on the high school varsity soccer team in his last year as a senior. That gets our full attention and of course his decision now to go to college, which is also very exciting.
In addition to attending my son’s games, I’m a lifelong supporter of Hamburg soccer, so I follow that. And since I have lived in Chicago I also go to Bears games at Soldier Field every season when I have a chance. Of course, I also support the local Chicago Fire soccer team and we enjoy skiing as a family. So sports and being active is a big part of my life.
