View From The Garden

I have a confession to make - I don’t know the first thing about gardening…!

However, my spell of gardening leave en route to join ZURICH Insurance Group from AXA has given me the opportunity for plenty of reflection about our industry. A chance to take stock and consider things from a slightly different perspective.

On Tuesday of this week I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Chartered Insurance Institute. It was a candid meeting of Past Presidents of the industry’s professional body and I was able to meet up with many of the people who I have been lucky enough to call colleagues and friends - Chris Hanks, Ashwin Mistry and career long mentor Andy Homer to name but a few. 

I was the second female President of the Institute, Lillian Boyle being the first in 2001 and of course the current President, Dame Inga Beale being the third.

Today, I am enormously proud that it has been announced that I will become the Chair of the Association of British Insurers. I feel truly honoured that my fellow CEOs have chosen me for this responsibility but also privileged that I will be the first woman to take on this role in the 100 years of the ABI and its predecessor.

There are many important issues that our “beating heart” industry has to address - public trust, the savings gap, compensation culture, Brexit, data protection, insurance for all - the list goes on. But up there reaching out across all of them is the issue of diversity and inclusion. 

The blunt reality is that to tackle this list of complex issues, we need the broadest range of views from the broadest possible range of cultures and backgrounds. Only by having input and involvement from the widest audience can we address the important societal issues we face and come up with answers that are relevant for today.  

I am absolutely confident that Huw Evans and his team at the ABI have the enthusiasm and commitment to champion diversity and inclusion and I know the market colleagues I meet at the ABI, CII and BIBA are right now, actively seeking your participation to help it come about. 

So now comes your part - whoever you are, whatever your background, please take a positive role in forming, shaping and leading the industry you work in. Without people just like you putting your hand up and getting involved then our mutual goal of greater diversity and inclusion just becomes a talking shop where endless soundbites and platitudes go round in circles. I don’t know about you but I care too much about the industry and passing it on to the next generation in good shape to see that happen - it’s time for action.

So become qualified, actively support your local CII institute, celebrate Dive In, ask about talent development at your organisation, get seconded, put yourself forward for that promotion, spend a week with a broker, volunteer for the important ABI or BIBA working groups…. 

And if you think nobody will listen to you because of gender, background, race or anything else - take it from a comprehensive school girl whose grandfathers spent their lives a mile underground in the Welsh coal mines - the industry is serious, the ABI are serious - your voice and talent is needed so put it out there!

Be proud, get involved….

Now back to the garden - mmm, which end of this spade do you hold?

ABI Chair Announcement