It was an exciting and eventful week at the second annual Dive In Festival for Diversity and Inclusion in the insurance industry, for which
Insurance Business was an official media partner. However, one key message emerged: it’s time for the insurance industry to step up.
The festival concluded in Columbus, Ohio after more than 50 events around the world including a host of showcases across the UK, Canada, the USA, Singapore and Australia. There was an entertainment flurry with a host of celebrity names involved and a social media rush – however, the overriding message was that diversity and inclusion is no laughing matter and the insurance sector has to do more to attract diverse talent to futureproof its business.
Opening the festival in London,
Inga Beale, Lloyd’s CEO and Brian Duperreault, CEO and president of Hamilton Group both urged the industry to accelerate efforts to see beyond the usual suspects to attract and retain talented people from different backgrounds, beliefs and cultures to strengthen the industry’s competitive DNA.
Chair of inclusion at Lloyd’s, CEO of
Aon UK, and president of the Insurance Institute of London, Dominic Christian commented: “When you look at the list of companies that have sponsored and supported Dive In internationally, it’s evident that as a sector, we are prepared to put aside competitive rivalries to invest in the future of insurance as an employer of choice. We are not perfect, and we still have a lot to do, but with efforts on this scale, change for the better is coming.”
Medal winning athletes from the Rio Paralympics shared inspiring films in their session at Lloyd’s and were powerful ambassadors for moving beyond stereotypes to see the potential of individuals and what can be achieved when they are properly motivated and supported. CEO of Paralympic Team GB, Tim Hollingsworth observed that “accessibility for those with impairments is social inclusion, not ramps.”
Mental health was also in the spotlight with compelling stories of coping strategies for depression at work from former political aide and author, Alastair Campbell (see
article). Cricketer Nasser Hussain addressed motivating multi-cultural teams and rugby player Ben Cohen spoke about his work as founder of the Stand-Up Foundation against bullying.
Content captured from the Dive In festival as learning video resources and event reports is available via the website
www.diveinfestival.com or on the app (available for
iPhone and
Android).
In support of the ongoing call to action around better D&I practices, Inclusion@Lloyd’s is publishing a short, accessible guide. ‘5 Steps to Diversity & Inclusion’ is available to download from the Dive In web site at
www.diveinfestival.com from the resources section.
Related Stories:
Alastair Campbell: insurance industry missing out on a certain type of candidate
Inga Beale: Diversity needed to futureproof the industry
