Economics and Finance Alumnus Leads Group Claims Team at Cigna Monday, June 27, 2016

Meet Kyle Lucot

Job title: Group Claims Team Leader
Employer: Cigna
Degree earned: Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance
Graduated: May 2011
College activities: Member of the Point Park University Pioneers Baseball Team and NAIA Champions of Character Program
Scholarships from Point Park: Athletic Scholarship (baseball)
Hometown and current residence: South Park, Pa.
High school: South Park High School
Hobbies/interests: Wakeboarding, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh, softball and traveling
Twitter: @LucotKyle
LinkedIn: Kyle Lucot

Why did you decide to transfer to Point Park and major in economics and finance?

Initially, I attended Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. It was a good experience, but I missed Pittsburgh. After my freshman year I was in contact with a number of baseball coaches from different universities, Point Park being one of them, and I went to a workout that summer for the Pioneers Baseball Team.

A few days after the workout, I was offered a scholarship to play baseball for the University, which I immediately accepted. Point Park has a rich history of success associated with its baseball program as well as a beautiful campus and many majors to choose from.

My interest and enjoyment in economics made choosing my major of economics and finance at Point Park an easy decision. During my freshman year, I found myself reading books about economics in my free time.

Tell us about the work you do as a group claims team leader for Cigna.

As a group claims team leader, I manage a team of claim managers who work directly with clients who have outsourced company benefits to be administered by Cigna. Specifically, my team handles the leave administration for these clients so if one of their employees needs to take a personal or medical leave from work, that individual would contact us.

We are experts in knowing the federal regulations outlined by the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Our job is to keep our clients in compliance with the federal regulations while simultaneously assisting their employees in getting their claims set up and potentially approved.

On a daily basis, I provide coaching to my team of claim managers while also working with them on their career development. In addition, I work with other members of our senior management team to identify areas of opportunity in our product offering to ensure we are always progressing and helping our clients in the best ways possible. I also attend client meetings each day to hear feedback as well as field any questions that come up surrounding our process or federal regulations.

How have your economics and finance classes prepared you for this role?

My economics and finance classes prepared me for this role in a variety of ways. They taught me the importance of time management and being able to prioritize. While I was in school, there was always so much going on - from attending classes and preparing for exams to working on projects and being a member of the baseball team. Additionally, I worked two jobs so free time was scarce. My busy schedule forced me to quickly learn how to manage my time effectively, which has proven to be a transferable skill that helps me on a daily basis at Cigna.

Another important skill I learned through my economics and finance classes was how to apply what I've been taught to real-life situations. Learning to think analytically has helped me significantly in my career progression at Cigna. I believe this is one of the most important attributes of a leader.

For example, during my time at Point Park, I had to write a 20-page paper in my microeconomics course on how to solve problems with U.S. Health Care Reform. At the age of 19, this certainly wasn't an easy project to complete. However, it forced me to learn about the current state of our health care system and identify what the strengths and weaknesses were. I learned a lot doing this project and earned an A. In that class, the professor really wanted to stimulate our minds by encouraging us to conduct extensive research and go outside of our comfort zones.

What is your favorite Point Park memory?

There are plenty of memories worth mentioning. However, the most important memory to me will always be my senior year baseball season in 2011. Prior to this year, we hadn't had a winning season in more than five years and my first two seasons spent with the Pioneers we were only able to collect 26 wins. Yet, during my senior year we racked up 38 wins, finishing in first place during the regular season in our conference and 23rd in the country.

As seniors, this was the first time in our baseball careers at Point Park that we were able to compete on a national collegiate level and experience a winning season. It was truly special to see the progress made by our team. We had more great memories together than I could ever recall, especially on the weekends, but this season was without a doubt my best Point Park memory.

What are your career goals?

Currently, I'm working on obtaining an M.B.A. degree and should graduate within the next two years. My career goals at Cigna are to either become a director of operations or to become a consultant who works on a daily basis with clients who have outsourced to us.

Lastly, at some point in my career, I would like to get involved with baseball again. Whether it's becoming a coach or working in the front office for a professional team, baseball has always been my true passion and what I love to do.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I would like to thank Point Park for the wonderful experiences and the resources they provided me. I wouldn't change going to Point Park for anything. What I learned, the relationships I built and the memories created were priceless and will certainly last a lifetime.

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