In a recent interview with IB TV, insurance pioneer Sam White, CEO of Stella Insurance, shared her insights into a range of topics, covering the need for more “feminine energy” in insurance, her work on reducing gender bias, and the differences operating in the UK and Australian marketplaces.
As somebody renowned across the sector for being unafraid to voice her views, White revealed why she’s happy to openly discuss her opinions on everything from gender diversity to the current state of UK politics.
“My honest view is that you only live once,” she said during the interview. “So, there is absolutely no benefit to me being anything other than my authentic self. That doesn’t get me what I want. It doesn’t make me happy. It doesn’t bring me any joy. [And in terms of my political opinions], I live in this world, and I care about this world and I have children who are in this world.
“And as a business owner, I think I have the opportunity to influence the world that we live in, but possibly more than the average person because you’re employing people, you’re hopefully generating wealth and you’re hopefully giving back.”
White noted that what concerns her the most about politicians is that she can see decisions being made that are having a negative impact on the world that she inhabits. It’s OK to have a negative opinion on that, she said, and to voice that opinion. Whether or not it’s correct isn’t in question but people need to be able to have these conversations.
“And that’s my view with all things,” she said. “Even the argument about whether we’re too ‘left brain’ in the financial services industry. I have no issue at all being challenged and having a conversation about that with people that have wildly different viewpoints to me.
“I think we have a real issue at the moment in society that we’re getting more and more polarised and it’s because we’re not having enough open conversations because people are either being extremely guarded for fear of being judged, or they’re having really radical opinions on stuff and not being prepared to be challenged on them and have conversations about them.”
For White it all comes back to a simple consideration – what kind of world does she want to live in and what kind of world does she want to leave for her children?
“And it’s not the one that we’re currently living in, it’s not,” she said. “And so, then I think we all have an obligation to try and change that.”
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