The launch of the insurance and long-term savings sector’s ambitious new Blueprint sets out a multi-year strategy and work plan to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion across the industry.

Launched at the ABI’s DEI Summit, and created in collaboration with industry leaders, the Blueprint takes a holistic approach to DEI and sets out priority areas for the ABI to lead, good practice for industry, and opportunities for collaboration with experts. It looks at each stage of the employment journey: from using inclusive recruitment practices to attract the best talent from all backgrounds, to helping employees grow and progress their careers in the sector and advancing understanding of what works to drive improvement.

• Attract: With a focus on recruitment practices, the Blueprint aims to encourage people from all backgrounds, experiences and seniority into the sector, and breakdown any barriers in their way. With an enhanced focus on ethnicity and socio-economic diversity, the Blueprint highlights opportunities for apprentices and school-leavers, as well as participating in initiatives to support under-represented groups into the industry, and inclusive recruitment practices.
• Grow: The Blueprint sets out key opportunities and mechanisms that can help create environments that retain, embed and expand a diverse pipeline of talented people. From structured secondments and mid-career apprenticeships, to offering further support for significant life events, such as fertility treatment, bereavement, miscarriage and menopause.
• Advance: A central aim of the Blueprint is to build a consistent set of metrics to support firms in gathering the necessary DEI information, including social mobility, as well as an ABI commitment to develop guidance so that employees feel more comfortable sharing their data. It also encourages a culture of transparency, so that the evidence can be used to advance understanding and measure progress.

This does not represent the final word from our sector on DEI, and the ABI will continue reviewing and refreshing the Blueprint year-on-year, to ensure it remains consistent with broader efforts at progress, and that it is truly having the intended impact.

Download the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Blueprint

Read the press release

Catherine McGuinness, Chair, Socio-economic Diversity Taskforce, City of London Corporation 

It is critical that UK financial and professional services organisations act now in addressing socio-economic diversity.

This Blueprint provides the practical guidance the industry needs to ensure that it sees greater representation from entry level through to senior positions. Through industry collaboration, this blueprint will provide the tools necessary to bring about change, ensuring a fairer and more equitable sector for all.

David Fairs, Executive Director, Regulatory Policy, Analysis and Advice, The Pensions Regulator 

We very much welcome the bold vision that the ABI has set out on bringing about a more diverse and inclusive environment to attract and grow more talent from communities that are less well represented in the insurance and pensions sector. 

This bold vision is supported by tangible and meaningful steps to drive and measure change.  We look forward to supporting the ABI on this and working with them to deliver a more diverse and inclusive future for the pensions and insurance sector, in line with our plans to promote equality and diversity.

Caroline Wagstaff, CEO of the London Market Group commented  

The entire insurance industry has historically been poor at explaining the variety and interest of roles that exist within it and attracting the widest range of applicants. The fact that it is an exciting place to work and an industry that helps society to deal with and recover from the challenges it faces is a story that needs to be told more actively.

We are very supportive of the ABI’s DEI Blueprint to improve diversity, equity and inclusion across industry and look forward to working with them in areas of common interest.

Sophie Hulm, CEO, Progress Together

The ABI have been consistent long-time champions of the socio-economic diversity agenda and it's wonderful to have their continued support beyond our work together on the Taskforce.

The implementation of the DEI Blueprint will undoubtedly have significant impact on the goals of Progress Together - where the focus is on giving all financial services employees equal opportunity to progress regardless of their background, and creating parity across senior roles - as we continue to collaborate to create a fair and inclusive financial services sector for all.

Steve White, CEO, BIBA, said: 

We welcome this initiative from the ABI. Issues around Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are a key part of the BIBA Manifesto and the blueprint the ABI is taking forwards should help the whole industry make positive progress.

Dr Matthew Connell, Director, Policy and Public Affairs, Chartered Insurance Institute (Cii), said:  

We are delighted to support the ABI in this vital initiative. It is essential that every part of the insurance profession plays a role in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. The ABI’s work, together with the CII’s Financial Flexible Working Pledge and its Inclusive Customer Financial Lives Pledge, provide a strong foundation for firms and individuals to meet this crucial challenge.

Mark Lomas, Head of Culture, Lloyd’s of London said: 

It’s great to see the ABI lay out clear ambitions in relation to DEI providing a blueprint for progress. Engaging in DEI work benefits the sector as a whole.

Laurie Edmans CBE, FCII, Co-chair, GAIN:

 I and my colleagues at GAIN - the Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity are delighted to be supporting ABI in the launch of the DEI Blueprint. 

Getting diversity, equity and inclusion right is the ultimate win/win.  I am proud - as someone who has worked in the industry for more than 50 years, and know how much the people in this industry care, to see such an important initiative from the ABI. 

Julian Mund, Chief Executive, Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) said:

Ensuring our industry is welcoming and supportive of people from all backgrounds is absolutely the right thing to do, there is also compelling evidence that companies with more diverse workforces tend to outperform those where this is not the case.

The PLSA has been calling on listed companies to improve their disclosure of workforce diversity in their annual reports for several years, which is why it is so important to hold a mirror up to our own practices and ask, ‘are we doing enough?’ The ABI’s DEI Blueprint draws a clear line in the sand, sets ambitious targets and charts a course to promoting greater diversity in the insurance and lifetime savings industries. It is a valuable and very welcome piece of work.