Beale was trolled as she took the helm at Lloyd’s: report
Outgoing Lloyd’s CEO Inga Beale has received sexist and homophobic abuse when she became the first female CEO of Lloyd’s of London, according to The Times.
Beale is stepping down next year after leading the global insurance and reinsurance market for five years.
Speaking about the abuse she was sent, Beale, who is bisexual, reportedly said one letter warned her: “You don’t deserve to be on the planet; you should go and die.” She said some of the letters and emails were written by male brokers and underwriters in Lloyd’s, as she tried to modernise the market.
“Anonymous messages were sent to the chairman about me, and some emails and letters were sent directly to me,” she said according to The Times. “They were rude, sexist and homophobic. Some had swearing. My way of coping was immediately to delete the emails and throw away the letters so it didn’t prevent me from moving forward.”
Beale has also reportedly revealed how all women who reach the top know they will be replaced by a man.
“All of us female chief executives, we all say, ‘We’re pretty certain that our successors are going to be men,’” Beale said according to The Times. “That’s how it feels. [Male chairmen think,] ‘We’ve done that [appointed a woman] so we’d better take it back.’”
Beale is going to be replaced by John Neal as CEO of Lloyd’s. Neal will take up his position at Lloyd’s on Oct. 15, 2018.
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