Annual Global Festival for Diversity & Inclusion, Dive In, Begins This Week

The fourth annual global festival for diversity and inclusion (D&I), Dive In, begins this week in a record number of 27 countries across the globe.

Dive In began in 2015 in London, growing to 10 countries in 2016, 17 in 2017, and this year boasts 109 events in 53 cities worldwide.

A Dive In survey of a group of 2500 respondents from 150 firms across six continents revealed that the vast majority (93 percent) of insurance professionals believe that managers – traditionally the hardest group to reach and influence in the “middle” of firms – are now taking positive action on diversity.

Dive in said the survey was conducted from a sub-set of more than 10,000 registered Dive-In attendees.

This year’s festival is being joined for the first time by insurance firms in the Middle East, which is “further evidence that the sector is serious about building modern, inclusive cultures where talent is valued equally,” said Dive In.

Both Amman, Jordan and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will take a lens on empowering women in insurance across the region with guest speakers from both insurance and wider economy, Dive In said.

“It’s great to see that an initiative that was conceived in the London Insurance market in 2015 has gathered global momentum and is spreading to countries where the issues around inclusion and equality can still be challenging,” said Julie Page, CEO of Aon UK.

“We need the very best talent to be attracted to careers in risk if we are to meet the growing global complexities of threats such as cyber-crime and climate change,” she added.

“Since it was launched, Dive In has helped to build awareness and, more importantly, demonstrate the business benefits of a more diverse and inclusive workforce,” said Jason Groves, chair of the Dive In Festival and global director of media relations at Marsh.

“Ultimately, through their ability to innovate faster and attract and retain great talent, diverse companies are more successful,” he added. “It’s fantastic to see so many people in the insurance sector around the world taking real action to bring about this positive change.”

The festival’s gold sponsors include: AIG, Aon, AXA XL, Chubb, CNA Hardy, Guy Carpenter, Jackson, Lloyd’s, M&G, Marsh, Miller, Prudential, XL Catlin, Willis Towers Watson and Zurich, alongside gold festival partner Kennedys. This year’s silver sponsors are: Allianz, Beazley, BMS, Direct Line Group, Ed, Gallagher, JLT, Markel, MS Amlin, RenaissanceRe, Travelers and THB. Silver festival partners are Oliver James Associates and Resource Solutions.

Source: Dive In

Related:

• Diversity & Inclusion Help Drive Business Success: People Development Team
• Ways to Inspire Young Talent to Choose Insurance as a Rewarding Career

Topics Training Development