Co-op students develop solutions that drive global impact at Marsh McLennan
By: Christie Zeb (she/her)
From creating frameworks that support developers to designing tools for internal teams, students working at Marsh McLennan engage in high-impact global projects.
Marsh McLennan is a global leader in risk, strategy and people, advising clients in 130 countries across four businesses—Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer and Oliver Wyman. Over the past decade, the organization has welcomed more than 100 University of Waterloo co-op students.
They have been pivotal in helping to develop valuable global business insights that remain integral to the organization long after students’ co-op work terms end.
“Students not only have the ability to work in a global system and integrate with a large team, but they also work on enterprise-level problems. Waterloo co-op students help to contribute to the success of many of our team’s project and product initiatives,” said Constantine Kolyakov (he/him), global head of enterprise architecture, corporate information solutions (CIS) at Marsh McLennan.
Constantine Kolyakov, global head of enterprise architecture, corporate information solutions (CIS) at Marsh McLennan
Empowering students drives organizational success
Across Marsh McLennan’s four global businesses, Waterloo co-op students enhance web applications and portfolios for several corporate teams including Finance, HR and Legal, Compliance & Public Affairs (LCPA). Students are integral to improving internal systems and enabling the organization to operate efficiently by helping develop essential products and tools.
Humdaan Javed (he/him), a fourth-year Engineering student, worked on the CIS team at Marsh McLennan as a full-stack developer. During his co-op work term, Javed was responsible for developing web apps and internal workflow tools using a JavaScript-based framework (MEAN stack).
I developed features and products on a scale that serves more than 85,000 colleagues across 130 countries, including major hubs in India, the U.K., Australia, the U.S. and the Middle East.
The experience helped Marsh McLennan employees to be more efficient while deepening Javed’s understanding of the importance of technology in bridging geographical and cultural divides.
Jessica Chen (she/her), a third-year Computer Science student, also worked for the CIS team as an applications developer analyst. During her co-op work term, Chen developed reusable front-end components for various teams and then presented her work to the global team.
Marsh McLennan encourages co-op students to explore their passions and to develop new ideas and solutions that could benefit developers, their teams and the organization. This commitment to fostering student growth created a valuable opportunity for Chen. When Chen was halfway into her co-op term, a UI/UX developer role opened up on the team. Chen stepped up to take on aspects of the job. Doing so helped the team continue projects while Chen explored her interest in user experience design.
Jessica Chen, third-year Computer Science student
I was able to work with many new team members and tackle tough projects such as redesigning an entire mobile application. The opportunity helped me find something I was passionate about and introduced me to some amazing people that I would have never met if I hadn’t taken the chance.
Going above and beyond to support diversity
While collaborating within their teams and contributing to projects, students working at Marsh McLennan also support community initiatives and resource groups.
In April 2023, co-op students joined the Marsh McLennan team for the CN Tower Climb for Nature to raise funds for wildlife conservation. The experience gave students the opportunity to contribute to a global cause outside of their professional work.
Samantha McPherson (she/her), a third-year Actuarial Science student, helped support the campus talent acquisition team with their Diversity open house event during her co-op work term at Marsh McLennan. From set-up to engaging with participants during the event, McPherson went out of her way to support the team.
“Samantha’s initiative and proactiveness came in handy on such an eventful day. She went above and beyond, and even after only two months with us, she could confidently talk to other students about the work she was doing. She’s only in her third year, but we’re already excited about Samantha’s future opportunities,” says Julianne Providence (she/her), talent acquisition consultant at Marsh McLennan.
Samantha McPherson, third-year Actuarial Science student
Mentorship for mutual success
To help support co-op students with onboarding and continuous development, Marsh McLennan offers mentorship, networking events and wellness initiatives. An informal buddy system pairs co-op students with senior colleagues to ensure they have someone to reach out to for guidance.
“We host a Lunch and Learn series that allows co-op students to connect with other students across different departments and lines of business. This helps them learn about our various practices from colleagues in varying stages of their careers,” says Providence.
Julianne Providence, talent acquisition consultant at Marsh McLennan
Students also participate in Marsh McLennan’s hackathon by collaborating with teams worldwide to develop innovative technology solutions. During the hackathon, students exchange ideas, present demos and gain first-hand experience driving innovation within a global setting. The most promising ideas from the hackathons are developed into actual projects that enhance the company’s processes.
The University of Waterloo is a top source of skilled co-op talent for Marsh McLennan and its success with hiring Waterloo co-op students has led the company to expand its CIS co-op program to the U.S., India, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Waterloo’s structured co-op program gives students and employers a unique advantage. It streamlines the process for bringing students in, and with strong technical programs and high entry criteria, Waterloo students consistently stand out.