Victoria Masucci, branch director of Oracle RMS Insurance Risk Management Services spoke to Insurance Business about the challenges and opportunities she has faced in her career.
Masucci, who was named a Woman of Distinction finalist in the Insurance Business Awards and spoke at the Women in Insurance Summit in Toronto, has also served as a director on the board of the Insurance Brokers of the Toronto Region for four years.
She describes the challenges that presented themselves to her as a woman in the insurance industry as being two-fold.
“The first challenge was in proving capability to those around me. This is of course true in all industries, but more so in an industry that tends to be male dominated,” she said.
But the second challenge was more difficult for her because it was personal.
“Gaining the confidence to move forward and pursue opportunities as they presented themselves took time as did realizing that ultimately, I was the only one standing in the way of my own success,” said Masucci.
Reflecting on the role of empathy in insurance, she said that women can often have an advantage.
“Whether in a leadership role or working within a team, women bring to the table inherent traits that are ideal when dealing with clients and colleagues. Empathy and compassion coupled with knowledge and capability are a formidable combination that is helping to bring women to the forefront,” she said.
Massuci often tells her daughter, who also works in the insurance industry, that success takes hard work, but that it is worth the price.
“I tell her that the ladder to success is there for everyone to climb - men and women alike. I tell her to go the extra mile and become educated in her industry. But more importantly, I let her know not to be afraid of standing out with confidence and making a splash”.
Like many of her strong female counterparts, Masucci believes that times are changing for the better.
“While I agree that insurance tends to remain a male dominated industry, we are definitely on the cusp of a change as we see more and more women in leadership roles”.
