Tomorrow’s success, the ‘new normal’, the purpose of networking and the digital revolution were just some of the pressing topics discussed at Insurance Business’s 2024 Women in Insurance Summit.
Chaired by Carpenters Group’s director and owner Donna Scully (pictured), the Summit saw peers from across the insurance ecosystem connecting as a community. During the event, attendees were encouraged to continue this theme and make a difference in their careers and the careers of others by joining the ‘Women in Insurance Mentorship Network’ as a mentor or mentee.
Read more: 'Walking the talk' of women in insurance
In her opening address, Scully championed the power of mentoring in creating a more confident and engaged generation of insurance talent. Touching on her own nervousness at the thought of chairing the Summit, she shared insights from a conversation with a friend who expressed his belief that the “superpower” of women is their ability to be open about their insecurities and to have the courage to be themselves.
“All I would say is it has taken me years to be myself,” Scully said. “It has taken me years to be honest, to be insecure, to be open about my vulnerability. One of the reasons I do mentoring myself is to help younger women to come out and be themselves much earlier, to be open and not to try to be perfect or pretend that we’re perfect.”
Encouraging the audience – which comprised of junior and senior insurance professionals, each at a different stage in their insurance journey – to sign up for the network, she highlighted that mentorship is another superpower. Mentorship is an opportunity for women in the industry to share their experiences and insights, she said, and particularly for more senior professionals to share what they would do differently – and she quipped that her strapline as a mentor is for people to, “do as I say, not what I’ve done”.
During a panel discussion on ‘How to future-proof your business by leveraging your network’, Leon Walker, UK leader at Aon Inpoint, also underscored the difference that mentoring can make to an insurance career. But where can you get started? That’s a key question for a lot of insurance professionals, he said, particularly those who are early in their careers.
Walker got his own start with an employee resource group, as when he ran the cultural awareness network at Lloyd’s it helped him to build a network within the organisation. He knew from early in his career that he wanted to be a leader, and running the resource group was the perfect opportunity to showcase his ability to lead, raise a budget, arrange events and connect across the market. “That was a very good advertisement of my eventual leadership capabilities,” he said. “So, it’s just about finding a way in which to demonstrate what you’re good at.”
Another key element advised by Walker is to “think about where the power is”. There’s no point in presenteeism and being at your desk very early if that’s not where the connections are being made, he said. He pointed to an example earlier in his career where he realised that the natural meeting place for many senior leaders was, in fact, the gym early in the morning.
Producing excellent work is a given, however in our industry, networking and building senior level relationships is an equally important part of the job. For any young person establishing their personal brand, this is a great way to gain face and name recognition.
Wrapping up the “practical and interesting” insights generated during the discussion, Scully highlighted how one of the most powerful side effects of mentoring is how it shares – and expands – your network. “One of the things I realised was, coming from my background, I didn’t have any network. I started from scratch because there was nobody in my family or my background who was doing what I have done.
“So, it was really valuable to be able to leverage the networks opened up to me. And that’s why I’m so passionate about the mentorship programme starting here today for women in insurance. I think it’s so important to sign up if you’re not mentoring already because it’s so important for young women and young men as well to have that opportunity. And sharing your network is such a huge thing that you can pass on.”
You can sign up for the Women in Insurance Mentoring Network here.
