Catherine "Cate" Whiddon of Dallas is senior vice president and leader of the railroad practice at Westchester®, a Chubb Ltd. company that provides property and casualty insurance products designed to protect railroad operations and railroad contractors.
Whiddon had more than 30 years of experience in the transportation insurance business before she joined Westchester in January 2013 to help the company design, build and launch a railroad underwriting practice in the United States and Canada.
She’s considered a trailblazer for her work in railroad liability insurance: In 2018, Business Insurance magazine named her one of the insurance industry’s “Women to Watch.” Her success in establishing a foothold in the rail industry has been driven in part by the work of the "Iron Women of Westchester," her all-female team of underwriters.
Often the "only woman in the board room" earlier in her career, Whiddon says she enjoys speaking with young women interested in pursuing or advancing careers in rail, insurance and/or railroad insurance. With freight- and passenger-rail activity expected to more than double by 2050 (according to the International Energy Agency), Whiddon believes that diverse talent across the rail industry will be pivotal to driving profit and reducing risk.
Ever concerned about helping railroads manage risk, she also serves as an Operation Lifesaver volunteer, giving classroom presentations to children about the importance of practicing safety around railroad tracks.
Recently, Senior Associate Editor Julie Sneider spoke with Whiddon about her role in the rail insurance business, the importance of mentorship in career advancement and how the largely male-dominated rail sector can and should recruit and retain more women in workforce, management and executive roles.
