Multicultural and International Role Models in Insurance Multicultural Role Models in Insurance
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Standards. Professionalism. Trust. Multicultural and International Role Models in Insurance Multicultural role models in insurance role Multicultural The Chartered Insurance Institute 42–48 High Road, South Woodford, London E18 2JP tel: +44 (0)20 8989 8464 [email protected] cii.co.uk Chartered Insurance Institute INSURANCE CULTURAL @CIIGroup AWARENESS N ETWORK COH_J0112396 12/18 Contents 2. About us 3. Foreword 4. Ada Lu 6. Adobea Atsrefi 8. Alex Kazanjian 10. Alice Hang Tu 12. Anthony Rawlins 14. Ashwin G Mistry OBE 16. Chika Aghadiuno 18. Chirag Shah 20. Christopher Khan 22. Deepak Soni 24. Elisha St Hilaire 26. Erik Johnson 28. Hayley Golden 30. Ivan Yankov 32. Jennifer Thomas 34. Jimmy Kumar 36. Joanne Safo 38. Judith Ugwumadu 40. Kiran Sihra 42. Leon Walker 44. Liam Gray 46. Marjorie Adejumo 48. Maxine Goddard 50. Michael Clarke 52. Nazaneen Challawala-Hatimi 54. Oli Sawyers 56. Omo-Bisi Tanya Daniels 58. Pelumi Ojo 60. Prin Thayaparan 62. Captain Rahul Khanna 64. Rob Anarfi 66. Shamial Afzal 68. Shirine Khoury-Haq 70. Siva Karthikeyan 72. Velma Burton 74. iCAN committee members 1 About the Chartered Insurance Institute Foreword The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) is a professional body dedicated to building public trust in the insurance and financial planning professions. Our 125,000 and more members commit to Ajay Mistry, Co-founder and Co-chair, Tali Shlomo, People Engagement Director, Chartered high professional standards and success in CII and Kishan Mangat, Co-chair, iCAN Insurance Institute qualifications is universally recognised as evidence of knowledge and understanding. iCAN is the Insurance Cultural Awareness Network. It is I am privileged that the Chartered Insurance Institute has Find out more at: www.cii.co.uk the only industry-wide independent network that supports partnered with iCAN – the Insurance Cultural Awareness CII Customer Service multicultural and international inclusion across the Network – to produce this book, which I hope you will find 42–48 High Road, South Woodford, insurance sector. as inspirational as I did and provides you with tools to support London E18 2JP further progress on our profession’s diversity and inclusion tel: +44 (0)20 8989 8464 We launched in May 2017, following demand from the industry. journey. email: [email protected] We were born out of the first Dive In Festival (the Insurance industry’s global diversity and inclusion festival), following The diversity of our colleagues is vital, not just to create the realisation that many companies were running separate diversity of thought but also in order to ensure we are able to About iCAN multicultural agendas that were leading to little change. So, we reflect and represent diversity in wider society. Diversity and iCAN stands for Insurance Cultural Awareness decided to do something about it. We quickly came to realise inclusion is now on most senior management teams’ agendas Network. We are the industry-wide independent that speaking with one voice was crucial and by fostering and is a priority for the profession as a whole to attract and network that supports multicultural inclusion across relationships in the industry we really could make a difference retain the talent we need for the future. the insurance sector. Our mission is to promote for our BAME and multicultural colleagues across the sector. But it’s not just ‘the right thing to do’. McKinsey’s Why multicultural inclusion and progression, engage One of our key aims is to bring together existing employee Diversity Matters report reinforces the link between diversity with allies, and celebrate the benefits of inclusion resource groups within the sector and to provide a forum for and company financial performance, and suggests how and diversity in the insurance sector. those organisations that feel they do not have enough critical organisations can craft better inclusion strategies for a We organise and manage many events, networking mass to form their own networks. Since May last year, we competitive edge. The report shows that companies in the and skills sessions, speed mentoring events and have amassed more than 600 members – so we know our top quartile for ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have more, as well as working with companies and their voice is growing. We are providing that much-needed forum financial returns above their respective national industry employee resource groups across the industry to push our colleagues were looking for. In the past 18 months, we medians. the BAME agenda. have been meeting with senior leaders to understand their organisations’ needs around the BAME and multicultural It’s perhaps unsurprising that we still lack diversity in our If you are interested to know more, or want to get agenda, launched mentoring initiatives, hosted events and ethnicity, that men dominate senior management positions and more involved, please visit www.i-can.me or follow we even became an official Inclusion@Lloyd’s partner women are more prevalent in claims and operations. The Post us on Twitter @I_CAN_UK network (with fellow networks GIN , LINK and the Insurance Insurance Census 2016 revealed that the insurance profession is Families Network). 89.4% white, against 86% of the UK population, but the largest growth is in BAME, and BAME students are more likely to reach However, there are still ubiquitous issues in the industry that further education than white students. If we are to access the need to be addressed. These include increasing international best young talent, we need to reach out to our multicultural working and global mobility; the current and future impacts of society. We are not doing as well as other sectors at gaining Brexit; the attraction, retention and promotion of multicultural BAME representation in senior management: 6.7% of all senior talent; and a clear lack of visible BAME leaders. positions in UK are BAME, but in insurance it is only 3.6%. So, when the conversation with Tali Shlomo and the Chartered Following the recent announcement from UK Prime Minister Insurance Institute (CII) came about to create this booklet Theresa May of consultation on the ethnicity pay gap, what to promote BAME and international role models, we thought better time to start taking action and putting in place initiatives this would be a great chance to highlight some of the to support our multicultural colleagues and attract and retain individuals who have played a key part in advancing the talent to our profession? BAME/international discussion within insurance. Whether they have run BAME and multicultural networks themselves, Getting the best talent is often cited as one of the biggest spoken publicly, organised initiatives, written in the press or strategic challenges insurers and brokers face, along with even keenly attended events, our role models have all been obtaining the skills we believe we need to succeed as new an important part in progressing the BAME and international competitive pressures and technological advances make old agenda. ways obsolete. So why wouldn’t we tap into the widest pool available to get the best chance of finding and developing that By showcasing these industry trailblazers, we want to show talent, rather than restricting that pool to people who look that if you thought “you can’t be it if you can’t see it”, then here like the person they’re sitting next to? Let’s celebrate and you go – the insurance industry is full of positive role models embrace similarities and differences, while we build public for you to see. We want to show you that no matter your walk trust for our consumers by working with our profession to of life, the insurance industry has a place for you – and this make a difference and stand out as a profession of choice. is your time to rise. This report serves as inspiration and a guide to businesses Many thanks to our inspirational group of role models, and across the profession to ensure that diversity and inclusion INSURANCE to the CII for allowing us to promote some visible BAME forms part of their strategic focus. CULTURAL AWARENESS and international leaders. N ETWORK Please join us at www.i-can.me and follow us on Twitter @I_CAN_UK to get involved in the conversation. 2 Multicultural and international role models in insurance 3 Your current role/short bio: Your Journey: A bit more about you Senior associate at Aon Inpoint. My journey in the UK started What is the best piece I help (re)insurers shape and develop in 2011, when I came from of advice you have ever their strategy through providing data, China to study a master’s been given? degree at LSE. No one else will look after analytics, engagement and consulting. your career. Only you can As an Aon company, Aon Inpoint Initially, I was trying to look drive it yourself. not only has an unmatched team of ‘normal’. From overcoming industry professionals, but also access cultural shock to learning to proprietary industry data. This means about how to speak and act What are your thoughts as British, I had to constantly on cultural diversity in the the advice we give is based on factual insurance industry? information, not theory. face the voices in my head – ‘Am I right?’ I was shy, There is still a long way cautious and hardworking, to go. This requires a cultural What is your single proudest achievement? just like the stereotype of shift and efforts from people Summitted Kilimanjaro on the first morning a Chinese woman. from all cultural backgrounds. of 2014. I want to see more leaders Gradually, with the growth from different cultural Favourite work-focused saying/motto/quote: of my confidence and backgrounds and I want to The motto of my undergraduate university encouragement of my be a future leader.