Maxine Goddard is the SVP Strategic Distribution and Development at Sompo International. She also sits on the Executive Committee of the industry-wide Insurance Cultural Awareness Network (iCAN), with responsibility for partnerships and external relationships. She is also the co-chair of RATL, the Race Action though Leadership group for senior executives. Maxine has over 25 years’ international experience across insurance, banking, oil and gas, and the United Nations. Prior to her role at Sompo, Maxine was the global Head of Sales Operations & Planning at Zurich Insurance. She previously chaired the Zurich Cultural Awareness Network and has been key to leading Zurich’s multicultural D&I thinking which led to the publication of the Zurich UK ethnicity pay gap report in 2020, the first for the insurance industry. Maxine is very active in D&I within the insurance industry and is a mentor to over 18 professionals. Maxine sits on the Advisory Boards of both the ISC Group and the Insurance Business -Women in Insurance; as well as the Membership Committee of the Worshipful Company of Insurers as a voice for gender and ethnicity. Maxine was the first winner of the Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance Awards as the Race Champion in 2019, and consecutively in 2020 and 2021, Maxine was listed on the Yahoo! Finance EMpower 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Role Models List which showcases business leaders who are breaking down barriers at work and working hard to smash the ceiling for ethnic minorities. She was also the winner of the annual Women in Insurance 2020 Role Model of the Year and received the Highly Commended Insurance Woman of the Year award.