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Our Alumni: Heidi Gossett
Heidi Gossett, claims manager for NiSource, Inc., is responsible for the strategy, investigation and settlement of the NiSource insured claim portfolio, including all casualty and disability lines. Prior to joining NiSource, Gossett served as senior director of claims administration for DHL Global Business Services, where she led a multicultural team of 27 people across three different countries. Her career has given her the opportunity to travel to many different countries all over the world, interacting with business partners in many different cultures.
“My education in sociology and criminology has been instrumental to my success,” said Gossett. “I gained invaluable analytical skills and learned to see things from all perspectives.”
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In addition to Gossett’s daily claim responsibilities, she has been tasked with establishing and sustaining performance standards, leveraging quantitative and qualitative data to fuel informed business and continuous improvement decisions. She manages people both internally and externally and must balance competing interests and demands from multiple constituencies.
“You’re dealing with people every day with very different life experiences,” said Gossett. “They all have an issue — they have a claim, which means in some way something has gone wrong. Learning how to have empathy for people’s situations requires you to adapt and adjust. Different people are motivated by different things.”
Gossett knows most people don’t expect a sociology graduate to land in the arena of casualty and disability claims. But, it’s the versatility of the discipline that paved the way for her career.
“Most students who graduate with a sociology degree don’t always know what they want to do but they really have an advantage because the skills they learn translate into so many fields. It helped me tremendously, and I want to inspire today’s students to think more broadly about their career options.”
Gossett joined the Sociology Advisory Board last year as a way to give back to the school she loves so much. If she can provide any feedback or guidance that can help the future of today’s students, she has accomplished what she set out to do.
