Tamara Ashjian did not start in insurance. She started in law.

Growing up in Los Angeles, she was surrounded by hard work. Her mother was a teacher. Her father worked in the photo finishing business. That early exposure shaped how she approached her career.

“I always saw consistency,” she says. “You show up, you do the work, and you get better over time.”

That mindset carried her through school. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Philosophy. Later, she earned her law degree from Whittier Law School and became a litigation attorney.

But her career would take a turn.

Tamara Ashjian began her professional life in the legal field. She worked as a litigation attorney, building strong analytical and problem-solving skills. These skills became the foundation for her next move.

She entered the insurance industry and quickly moved into leadership roles.

At AIG, she served as Vice President of Claims Services. From there, she joined Ironshore Insurance. There, she managed the West Coast claims unit for environmental cases.

This role exposed her to complex claims tied to environmental incidents, property, and liability.

“It taught me how to handle layered problems,” she explains. “No two claims were the same. You had to think clearly and act quickly.”