Speaking at the launch of the HeForShe insurance campaign for gender parity within the industry, ABI Director General, Huw Evans, made a pledge to mentor two women from the ABI’s Future Leaders programme for up and coming senior leaders, or it’s Why Insurance Matters programme for those new to the industry.
Other speakers at the Lloyd's of London launch event include Inga Beale, CEO, Lloyd’s; Sian Fisher, CEO, Chartered Insurance Institute; Laura Haynes, Board Director, UN Committee UK; Dominic Christian, Executive Chairman, Aon Benfield; and IIL president; Russell Higginbotham, Head of Life & Health Insurance Products, Swiss Re and IIL President Elect.
Huw Evans said:
“We have a huge amount to do to ensure we attract women to our industry and keep them here. Improving our sector’s diversity and inclusion is vital to our future success, not a ‘nice to have’.
“I'm a big supporter of 'HeforShe' because it presents all of us with a practical opportunity to do something and enables us to pick something achievable so that it will not get put in the 'too difficult' pile. I have decided to focus my pledge on two areas that affect the talent we get in and retain within our great industry; at entry level and at future executive development.
"I will mentor two individuals, who have either come from a background under-represented in our sector, or is a mother who is returning to work, as getting both these areas right is critical.”
Use my role at the heart of the industry to continue the ABI’s commitment to provide programmes for young talent and future leaders that support and drive forward diversity. I also commit to personally mentor two women from these programmes, focusing on women who have either returned to work following maternity leave or who are from a background under-represented in insurance.
I hope by mentoring I can encourage them, give them some tips and help them with resilience when things are difficult. But I am also looking forward to learning from them, to broadening my own middle-aged male horizons and to get more clues as to what else we can do. None of us can conquer the world’s problems single-handed. But we can all do something. And that’s why I am making my pledge today.