Dive In 2024 – DE&I tales amid a milestone celebration

In the identical method that the second of reality for an insurance coverage coverage occurs on the level of declare, the second of reality for any worker wellbeing initiative can solely be when it’s lived and skilled. In dialog with Insurance coverage Enterprise forward of the 2024 Dive In Competition, Angela Flaherty (pictured), accomplice at Clyde & Co, shared highlights from her personal variety, fairness and inclusion (DE&I) journey.

Wanting again to when she joined the market and Clyde & Co some 16 years in the past, Flaherty famous that specializing within the power insurance coverage sector meant that she was used to attending conferences and conferences the place she was the one girl within the room. It’s each encouraging and provoking that that is not the case, by some margin, she stated, however that change hasn’t occurred in a single day – and it has required deliberate and focused motion from key gamers throughout the broader insurance coverage ecosystem. 

Evolving DE&I journeys in insurance coverage

Whereas the evolution of DE&I initiatives in insurance coverage has been gradual, a person’s journey is commonly marked by key milestones, and for Flaherty, these have coincided with Clyde & Co’s dedication to obviously defining its DE&I expectations – and residing as much as them. “Over the past three years, we’ve seen an acceleration in dedication to our DE&I technique, which very fortunately coincided with the timeframe during which I had my son. That was the most important milestone for me, to actually see that work in motion.

“I had progressed by means of my profession, from being a trainee after I utilized, by means of numerous promotions, to changing into a accomplice and now I used to be going to see how this was affected by having a toddler. I feel most individuals attain that stage in life with some uncertainty about the way it’s going to play out. And the assist I obtained earlier than, throughout and after my maternity depart… meant I might put my thoughts comfy figuring out my shoppers could be taken care of whereas I used to be away. For me, that’s a transparent results of what the agency has achieved by way of really training DE&I assist when it’s wanted on the most important occasions in any individual’s life and profession.”

There’s a myriad of how during which corporations can put DE&I initiatives into motion however, for Flaherty, accountability – on a private, firm and {industry} degree – is essential to their success.  On an {industry} degree, transferring the dial on DE&I is all about collaboration and there are few occasions that epitomize the capability for the insurance coverage market to place competitors to at least one facet with the intention to come collectively to unravel industry-wide challenges fairly in addition to the Dive In Competition.

Gearing up for Dive In 2024

Scheduled for September 24-26, the 2024 pageant is about to host over 130 hybrid occasions in a record-breaking 48 international locations. Since first changing into concerned with Dive In as a delegate attending occasions some eight years in the past, Flaherty has watched the pageant go from energy to energy and stated she is now trying ahead to serving to it have fun its tenth anniversary.

The theme for this yr’s pageant, “A Sustainable Future: The Subsequent 10 Years” is one that can seemingly resonate with the market, because it displays how far the {industry} has come, each by way of the person journeys of those that make up the sector, and on a collective degree. Nevertheless it’s additionally about what’s subsequent, she stated.

“It’s about encouraging companies to view inclusive and various cultures, not simply as a enterprise requirement however as a pivotal issue of their long-term success,” she stated.

“And Dive In serves the entire {industry}, so it’s vital for companies all throughout the sector to be this in the identical method and saying, ‘The place’s our funding and what’s our technique for the long run?’ We’re solely partway by means of the journey of DE&I and we have to be asking what the subsequent 10 years seem like, whereas encouraging folks to mirror on the final 10 years.”

What does a profitable Dive In seem like?

From her personal expertise of the pageant so far, Flaherty highlighted that “a profitable Dive In for me is a profitable Dive In for Dive In itself.” As an avid supporter of the occasion, she’s delighted to see its formidable aims for 2024, and deeply assured they’ll be capable of ship on their massive, international plans for the upcoming celebrations. Seeing acquainted faces at Dive In occasions is all the time rewarding, however she additionally hopes to see the initiative seize a brand new pool of attendees and imbibe them with the identical enthusiasm that retains her returning.

“I’ll be encouraging as many individuals from inside my crew, my shoppers and throughout the market to become involved and give attention to spending their effort and time to become involved with the pageant and contribute to creating it a hit, as a result of that’s what we’re all working in direction of,” she stated. “As with earlier occasions, it’s all about bringing the entire market collectively to make an actual, significant change for the long run. It’s not a once-a-year ambition however it’s a once-a-year celebration – and a terrific likelihood for us all to mirror on the progress we’ve made and the place we need to go subsequent.”

A Sustainable Future: The Subsequent 10 Years – #DiveIn2024