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Natalie Cordova

Project Manager - Construction Risk Practice | Portland

08/10/2022

  • Name: Natalie Cordova
  • Job Title: Project Manager
  • Business: Construction Risk Practice
  • Office Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Joined Marsh: April 2016
  • Hometown: Portland, Oregon
  • Interests: Sailing, rock hounding, sewing

Meet Natalie

I’m a wrap-up program manager. Wrap-up insurance is a line of insurance that covers everything on a job site – it protects contractors and subcontractors working on large projects.

I manage the relationship between the client, Marsh, the general contractor, and the subcontractors. My job includes things like doing safety walks and keeping on top of claims for the client

Our service center is in Portland, but we have locations all over the west coast, so I regularly travel to different job sites.

What excites you about working at Marsh?

I enjoy construction because we are literally building America. Getting to be part of these projects and teams resonates with me. The strength and dedication of building a project and seeing it through its completion are incredible.

I sort of slid my way into a career in construction while I was a young mom. When I first started, as a favour to a friend, I did some part-time filing work at a small construction company.

Then the company terminated its contract administrator. I walked into the CFO’s office and said I wanted the job. I had to learn by doing because there was no one to train me. So I dug into it, learning the ins and outs of contracts, permits, how to get a trailer delivered, etc. Later, I moved to JE Dunn as a contract administrator, then Hoffman Construction, eventually flipping to the insurance side.

Marsh has a learning culture. Tell us about something new you learned recently. How did you learn it?

After returning from a trip to Maui, where I was on a catamaran, I decided to learn how to sail. Near our Marsh office in Portland is a marina, where I took two courses learning things like the points of the mast, how to move rigging lines, etc. I’ve made great progress and recently sailed a 45-foot sailboat. It was physically hard and really took teamwork.

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Why is this topic important to you? How have you helped raise awareness about the importance of mental well-being?

This topic is important to me because the construction industry has the second highest suicide rate of all industries. And, very candidly, because I lost my mother to suicide. It has taken a long time to say that out loud, but I think it helps open up the conversations around mental health and helps others.

I do a lot of work with Lines for Life, a non-profit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide. Lines for Life answers a 24/7 suicide hotline for Portland and other states.

Construction is typically a very "tough it out" world. In late 2019, I helped form the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership (CSPP), which strives for a job-site culture where mental health conversations are as routine as safety updates and the morning stretch and flex. We're trying to change the stigma around mental health by discussing it at safety meetings and including it in safety manuals, just like physical safety protocols. We've done things like creating “Not Today” stickers with our suicide lifeline phone number for workers to put on their hardhats, as well as job site posters with suicide warning signs to help everyone recognise the symptoms.

The more we talk about it, the more we break down that stigma.

How does Marsh support you in giving back to your community?

My construction team at Marsh supports my efforts wholeheartedly – from donations to CSPP to working with Marsh Advisory colleagues and our construction clients to help them implement mental health into their standard safety plans on the job site and in their organisation.

I've been fully supported to take this program and run with it. Nowadays, I sit on the Engagement & Outreach Committee for the CSPP and meet many people in the industry. I feel incredible support in promoting mental well-being in the construction industry and for me as a person to do what feels right.

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Meet more colleagues

Recognising World Mental Health Day

In recognition of World Mental Health Day, meet some of our colleagues committed to keeping the importance of mental well-being front and center. Marsh values diverse perspectives, talents, and backgrounds.

Find out more