Dive In wants you! Lloyd’s annual diversity and inclusion festival summons those who work in insurance to be allies for change By Miranda Maxwell
T
he US Army’s “I want you” recruiting poster, with its image of Uncle Sam sternly pointing, is an unforgettable call to action. In the same spirit, the organisers of the 2021 Dive In festival are summoning those who work in insurance to “be an ally for change”. That’s the theme for this year’s festival promoting diversity and inclusion in the insurance industry. Dive In will be held on September 21-23 in a hybrid virtual/physical events format. Last year it attracted a record 30,000plus attendees from 35 countries – almost three times that of previous years. “We still have so many more people within the industry, and beyond, that we need to reach,” Dive In Steering Committee member and Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Willis Towers Watson (WTW) Jen Denby says. This will be the Lloyd’s-backed Dive In Festival’s seventh consecutive year, and organisers say it is time for attendees to consciously help others be successful under the “active allyship” theme. Global Festival Director and Head of Culture at Lloyd’s, Pauline Miller, says this year’s events will focus squarely on “making real change” and “turning good intentions into equitable outcomes”.
The theme has been welcomed by a range of companies in the local insurance industry. Willis Towers Watson (WTW), for example, is responding with a festival session on “helping to create a positive impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”. It is partnering with the From the Heart campaign, which seeks a First Nations voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the Constitution, as outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. That one-page, unfussy statement’s agenda culminates in a call for “makarrata” – a word from the language of the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land meaning “coming together after a struggle”. The WTW Dive In session will be presented by WTW’s Western Australia General Manager Corporate Risk & Broking Adam Rhodes, who recently stewarded the global broker’s commitment to its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), a framework which more than 1100 organisations have now committed to. Mr Rhodes describes himself on LinkedIn as “passionate about diversity and inclusion, especially with our First Nations peoples” – a passion inspired by a chance meeting with former rugby league footballer David Liddiard at an industry event.
Mr Liddiard champions a “be what you see” philosophy, Mr Rhodes tells Insurance News. “He had this expression, ‘blackfellas in suits’. He thought that was the answer — young Aboriginals can see their relatives leading these successful corporate lives we all take for granted.” Mr Rhodes is also an independent member of the Arnhem Land-based Ganybu Aboriginal Housing Corporation, and the Yinhawangka Decision Making Committee which represents the native title claimants of around 1 million hectares in the Pilbara region that include Rio Tinto mines and the mining town of Paraburdoo. Of WTW’s 577 staff, only two identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, and the company’s action plan is intended to “increase that number significantly”. It identifies 15 practical actions to drive relationships, respect, opportunities and governance. WTW has also committed to a review of its human resources procedures to identify existing anti-discrimination provisions and future needs. WTW Head of Australasia Simon Weaver says highlighting career pathways, breaking down stereotypes and working hand in hand with Indigenous businesses to provide procurement initiatives and
insuranceNEWS
August/September 2021
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