Insurance - it's a dull, grey and dated industry for the unambitious, right?

One of things that has really stood out for me during the judging process and in writing up these more detailed shortlists is the variety. The variety of experience, of careers, of backgrounds and of challenges faced.

And by sharing that variety more broadly, the hope is that other young women (or anyone else) considering or starting out on a career in insurance can see for themselves that the range of careers available in insurance is huge. And also that it is possible to succeed here, regardless of who you are or where you have come from.

Which is one of the reasons I am doing this. So please do share these lists and let as many people as possible know just what is possible in our industry.

But back to the shortlists …

London Market Professional of the Year

Tope Akindoyin, Lloyd's

A second (of five!) appearances on a shortlist for Tope who specialises in international regulatory affairs for Lloyd’s. She regularly represents the Lloyd’s market in the US on and works hard to ensure that whatever regulatory changes take place in the US, Lloyd’s is still able to operate in this crucial market. A not insignificant role.

Sarah Booth, Beazley

What stood out about Sarah, a senior risk manager, was the fact that she has made a point of using what would be described as typical female qualities to further her career and bring a different perspective to issues in the business. Rather than try to mimic a typically male approach, she has stayed true to herself and prospered as a result.

Clarissa Franks, Marsh

Life in any of the big three brokers must be challenging at the best of times but Clarissa, a placement leader, has had her work cut out for her in the last year. Her manager and mentor left the business, she found herself promoted into his role and then had to navigate the implementation of a significant acquisition. But she has maintained and kept her team performing whilst balancing external and family commitments.

Rebecca Hartley, Hiscox

This is the second of Rebecca’s staggering six appearances on various category shortlists (I’m gonna run out of things to say about her!). But Rebecca stood out because of her cool head and leadership in the midst of a lot of internal change while managing often difficult and unexpected developments in her home life. She has kept herself going and continued to lead others throughout.

Natasha Jodrell, Munich Re

Natasha has a somewhat unique claim to fame in that she was the first female underwriter in Asia for Lloyd’s and has not let a traditionally male-dominated market stop her from progressing or making her mark. Her impact on the syndicate she works for has been significant and seemingly permanent.

Clare Lebecq, London Market Group

From an unusual start as a translator of French motor claims, Clare now finds herself as the CEO of the LMG overseeing, amongst her CEO dutires, the delivery of organisation’s Future of Skills and Future Trading Opportunities initiatives. It was this dedication to helping ensure that the London Market is able to future proof itself that stood out for the judges.

Pippa Morris, Markel

A second appearance for Pippa and she stood out for her clear ability to deliver commercial success with incredible growth rates but also with her commitment to supporting younger colleagues to make the progression they want to and are capable of.

Young Insurance Woman of the Year (small to medium firms)

Emma Attwaters, Hamilton Underwriting

Being selected as one of only two young women to be chosen for the first Lloyd’s apprenticeships in 2013, gave Emma leads her team by example, constantly seeking new development opportunities and takes the time to contribute to external events to encourage school leavers to consider a career in insurance.

Victoria Battcock, Bought By Many

A high performer, Victoria joined the industry three years ago and has taken a real customer-first approach to her work. In her role as partnerships manager, she has brought a real focus on the customer, how they understand insurance and improving all round transparency of the product being sold.

Charlotte Field, tifgroup

Having held a varied range of roles in her company, Charlotte has used that experience of different parts of the business to break down internal barriers and, by channelling her passion for insurance, ensure everyone is focused upon delivering the best outcomes for customers.

Freya Foxall, Neon Underwriting

Using her geography degree to get into the world of catastrophe modelling, Freya has become the youngest member of the executive team as underwriting risk director. She realises that this probably makes her a role model and she is therefore focused on giving her team the necessary coaching and training to help them to one day achieve the same.

Bethan Perris, Vista Insurance Brokers

Another who has made it on to multiple shortlists (three) Bethan’s standout achievements have been her external work particularly in setting up a young member offering for Biba and by getting heavily involved in the Women in Manchester Insurance Network, notably setting up a mentoring scheme to promote young female talent in the region.

Carina Waterhouse, Ticker

Taking her customer-focused experience gained in the public sector, Carina has made a point of championing customer needs, particularly the needs of vulnerable customers. Not one to only talk about diversity, she has actively challenged the recruitment processes in her organisation to ensure that they don’t unintentionally discriminate against women.

Ellie Wong, White Oak Underwriting Agency

Having been in the industry for only a year, Ellie has progressed from assistant accountant to financial controller in that time. Rather than hide during a restructure, Ellie took the opportunity to network widely, undertake training and keep abreast of regulations in her discipline, to show the value she brings to the business.

That’s it for today. I hope that these more detailed shortlists are giving you all a bit more insight into why these women stand out and as I said, I hope you take the opportunity to share and show others just what is possible in a career in insurance.