2025 Ones to Watch - Rising Stars: Shana Smolinski, Savanna

“I have known Shana since 2021 and had the pleasure of working alongside her since that time. It has been incredible to see her grow in her role at Savanna, coming in originally as a support to the CFO and working her way up to her current role as a senior associate and internal risk management contact. Shana’s confidence and leadership skills have made her standout among her peers along with her unique ability to learn quickly under pressure. She excels in leveraging her network to seamlessly problem solve where needed. I am excited to see Shana continue to succeed in her career.” - Christine Chipurnoi, MS, CPCU, RPLU, Executive Vice President, USI Insurance Services.

What’s one challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far, and what did it teach you? From the start, I was excited about my role at Savanna, particularly because the open structure made it an exciting challenge. Two of the biggest projects I was supposed to assist with were our portfolio insurance renewals and our ESG/GRESB reporting. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I found myself in a position where I needed to lead both processes with no prior experience in the area. Every year I have become more confident handling these tasks. The experience taught me that it’s okay to not know everything, but best way to learn is to just jump in.

What is your top advice for someone just starting out in your field? Get involved in as much as you can, even if it’s falls outside your job description. You learn a lot by observing how others handle different situations. In property management oversight, every day is different, new challenges pop up constantly. It is surprising how often something you dealt with or even just observed ends up helping in a completely different situation later on. You’ll never regret learning more than you need to. Also, build strong relationships, be comfortable asking questions, share ideas, and talk through challenges. This makes a huge difference as you grow in your career.