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17 December 2019 Insurance

Embrace D&I to attract best talent

Peta White
I entered this industry by chance and I quickly realised that re/insurance could be a path to success. There are many career opportunities within the industry and it is so fluid, constantly challenging us.

In these challenges we find opportunities to keep improving and defining ourselves. I find it phenomenal to be able to access the talented, interesting and sophisticated people in our industry so easily.

I am thrilled to see more discussion about diversity and inclusion (D&I), and more importantly, actions in support of change. Things are changing for the better in Bermuda, at Lloyd’s, and across the industry. Perhaps the pace is slower than we would like, but the direction is positive.

Gender diversity has been a key focus over the last few years and I am encouraged to see women being more visible than ever before. There is support out there and I would encourage women to reach out not only to organisations but to individuals who would be keen to be a mentor.

I am the current chair of the board of Women in Reinsurance (WiRe), an organisation that promotes networking, knowledge sharing, and mentoring activities. These activities and opportunities give women the chance to form bonds and relationships that will prove beneficial throughout their careers.

I am also involved with the new organisation, WeSpeak, which aims to assist professional women in developing their presentation and public-speaking skills and in building confidence through coaching and access to opportunities.

Every woman has a voice and this is about helping them find it, develop it and then project it.

Julia Chu
Insurance is endlessly fascinating to me because it is dynamic and important to individuals and businesses and provides security to the economy as a whole.

Working in the insurance industry, we have exposure to emerging technology, intelligent people, and a challenging regulatory and social environment on a regular basis, and those are the reasons I believe that this is a great industry to work in.

A self-described math nerd, I was probably destined to become an actuary. As someone who likes to help solve complex issues, I worked as a strategic advisor in reinsurance broking. After working with several insurance companies on strategic initiatives, it felt right to be working for Markel, a company with a strong strategic vision of where the insurance industry will be in the future.

Role models matter, especially for groups who have been historically underrepresented. Talent naturally gravitates toward inclusive organisations, and inclusive organisations remove barriers and take chances. At Markel, our chief digital officer, chief information security officer/privacy officer, and chief global ceded reinsurance officer are all women.

Each of us feels an obligation to encourage women at the company and in the industry to pursue whatever career path interests them and to help each other as they navigate their own personal career journeys.

D&I is definitely happening. The evidence is all around us. Companies recognise the value of diverse skillsets, experiences, and perspectives. We need to promote re/insurance as an industry that the best and most sought-after candidates, especially women and people of colour, are exposed to and choose to enter.

Our industry is in a talent war, and unless we sincerely embrace D&I, we will lose that war.

Peta White is senior managing director, head of North America property reinsurance, at Markel Global Re. She can be contacted at:  peta.white@markel.com


Julia Chu is chief global ceded reinsurance officer at Markel. She can be contacted at:  julia.chu@markel.com

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