Cowens Careers: Building Confidence and Culture at Cowens Xpress

When Tia joined Cowens, she was ready for change. Her previous role had become stagnant, and she felt she had reached her limit with no clear opportunity to develop further. Despite never having worked in a clerical environment before, she decided to take a chance.

What stood out was the intent behind the role itself. “Cowens were offering a career, not a job,” Tia says an approach that gave her the confidence to step into something entirely new.

Learning fast in a fast-paced environment

From the outset, Tia was immersed in a busy and varied environment. She was quickly trained across both renewals and new business within personal lines, developing a strong understanding of how clients are supported and how the wider Xpress operation functions.

Support beyond the team

For Tia, one of the defining features of Cowens has been the consistency of support across the business. From regular feedback and cooperation within Xpress to check-ins from directors, brokers and executives, she’s felt supported not just in her day-to-day work, but in her wider development.

That support has been practical as well as personal whether it’s help finding solutions to operational challenges or having access to advice when navigating new responsibilities.

Creating connection and consistency

New business work is unpredictable by nature, and Tia openly reflects on how challenging that was initially. Time management, prioritisation and process all required refinement. Through trial and error, she and her colleagues continued to adjust how they worked together to relieve pressure on both clients and the team.

Today, those refinements have paid off. The team operates more efficiently, handles workload with greater confidence, and delivers better outcomes as a result.

Central to this has been the culture within Xpress. With a growing number of new starters and a wide range of personalities, Tia has placed particular emphasis on connection. By encouraging colleagues to work closely with one another and deliberately avoiding siloed ways of working she’s helped create what she describes as an “almost in-house support network”, where people feel comfortable helping each other when things get busy.

What leadership really means

One of the biggest lessons Tia has learned is the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership. Understanding individual needs, ensuring people feel heard, and recognising achievements all play a crucial role in how she approaches her work.

“At Cowens, everyone is heard,” she says, and she sees it as her responsibility to make sure those voices continue to be represented, especially in a collaborative and people-focused environment.

Looking ahead

Tia’s focus now is on deepening her insurance knowledge so she can continue supporting those around her and broaden her own skill set. Ongoing learning, she believes, not only strengthens individual capability, but contributes to the overall strength of the team.

Her advice to those considering a future at Cowens Xpress is grounded and honest: trust the people around you, actively seek feedback, and be patient with yourself. Trial and error, she believes, isn’t a setback it’s how capability and confidence are built over time.