100 Women in Insurance

016: From Underwriting to Consulting. How to identify when it is time for a career change with Svenja Pinkepank

Summary
In this conversation, Svenja shares her journey from starting in underwriting to transitioning into consulting. She discusses the misconceptions about consulting and the importance of being authentic and collaborative in the industry. Svenja also provides insights on how to establish yourself as a consultant and navigate meeting new people. She emphasises the significance of role models and representation in creating inclusive cultures within companies. The conversation explores the importance of creating an inclusive culture, supporting women in their careers, true collaboration, and the rewards of a career in insurance.
Quotes
Ask yourself, ‘Can I accept this role/culture/environment, or do I want to change it (move on)?’
What drove me to make a change in my career was the realisation that I am not at my best, and when I am not feeling like I am in the right place, It is tough to do.
At the end of the day, everyone has an accent
Takeaways
Consider insurance as a career choice, even if it may not align with your background or interests.
Transitioning from one career path to another requires networking, reaching out to others, and being open to new opportunities.
Authenticity, collaboration, and flexibility are key to success as a consultant.
Building bridges and finding common ground with others can help establish strong working relationships.
Role models and representation are important for creating inclusive cultures in companies.
An inclusive culture should not solely rely on minorities to drive change; it requires big statements from the top and tangible support for women throughout their careers.
True collaboration across different companies, cultures, and countries can solve complex problems and improve the insurance industry.
A career in insurance offers opportunities to make a difference, work with passionate experts, and contribute to solving challenging problems.
Resources:
Announcement of Janet Truncale, EY Global Chair and CEO, appointment
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guest in this episode are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of their employer or any other organization with which they may be affiliated. The guest is speaking in their personal capacity, and any information or statements made should be attributed to them individually. Our podcast aims to provide a platform for diverse perspectives, and the opinions expressed by guests are not endorsements by the podcast or its host. Listeners are encouraged to consider multiple viewpoints and form their own conclusions.

015: Mastering Social Media to Change the Face of Insurance with Anna Dilku

Looking to see how social media can totally transform the insurance world? This is the episode you can't miss. We're joined by the amazing Anna Dilku, Group Social Media Manager. She's here to share her incredible journey in the insurance industry, filled with eye-opening stories and tips that'll totally wow you. Get ready to be swept up in a world where digital-savvy meets traditional business, and see Anna is making waves.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Anna's squiggly career from a media agency to the insurance world.
The sweet spot of when your personal and professional passions align.
How Anna's approach is diversifying the industry.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Anna began her career as a Graduate Media Buyer at WPP in Manchester, later moving to Bristol. She joined AXA's Graduate Leadership Programme, gaining experience across IT, Customer Services, and Marketing Strategy, and played a key role in AXA's first Diversity Forum. Anna's career journey took her through various roles in Communications at AXA, Friends Life and Aviva, focusing on areas like internal communications, event management, and creative strategy. She now manages Aviva's corporate social media and leads the award-winning multicultural network Aviva Origins. Outside work, Anna is a "Squiggly Career Advocate," a UN Women Delegate, and has been recognized as a prominent female and ethnic minority role model, receiving multiple awards for her work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
LINKS:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacv/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anskee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnaSocials
Learn more about Anna's journey (Post that went Viral): https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6853209456411521024/ 
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Aviva UK on TikTok: Catch a glimpse of the innovative and entertaining content Aviva is creating on TikTok. A fresh take on insurance that's not to be missed! https://www.tiktok.com/@avivauk 
FOLLOW US:
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Website: https://www.100womenininsurance.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97034609/admin/feed/posts/

014: Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in Insurance Leadership with Hannah Pring

Why are there so few women in senior leadership roles in insurance? How can culture shifts within organisations facilitate female talent retention? How can we encourage companies to consider DEI initiatives not simply as tick-box exercises but as integral means of driving positive change?
In this episode, we are thrilled to be speaking with Hannah Pring, Head of Compliance at Lockton and host of the incredible Miracle Working Mums podcast! In conversation with Sandra Lewin, Hannah discusses the importance of women establishing a supportive network both within and beyond their organisations to support them, particularly as they rise the ranks to more senior positions. She explores the importance of challenging the hegemony of ‘alpha male’ energy in insurance and the broader finance sector, and the power of feminine energy and active listening.
 
Quote of the Episode
“How business is done needs to be more diverse… the pitfall for some organisations can be to appoint somebody into a diversity role… and that does an excellent job. I really believe all contribution is really valuable, and everything's turning the dial. But, how do you turn the next notch,? It's been really important to make sure the messages are getting out there. But we need to make sure we're not tell[ing] a story that doesn't really ring true day-to-day in people's roles.”
Hannah argues that while the insurance industry is beginning to make great strides in its diverse recruitment efforts, this will not have a significant, long-term impact within companies unless their culture also changes. Diversity needs to be embedded into the fibre of everything an organisation does. When designing and distributing products; when thinking about clients, is your company thinking about the diversity of its clients, all of their needs, and how accessible these products might be for them? Thus, whilst bringing in diverse talent is a great first step, the culture in-house also needs to shift. Otherwise, companies may find that this new talent doesn’t stay for very long.
 
Key Takeaways
Hannah argues that, historically, feminine traits have been considered ‘degrading’ within insurance, and across the financial sector. In an industry where the ‘alpha male’ mindset continues to prevail, actively displaying and celebrating one’s femininity often may lead to others thinking less of you. Hannah suggests that women have typically progressed more successfully when they have presented more generically ‘masculine’ attributes, thereby suppressing their ‘feminine’ qualities. This is particularly the case in the upper echelons of the industry which continue to be dominated by men. Those women who do reach senior leadership roles may feel a pressure to assimilate themselves into that environment, and become homogenised, rather than embracing and displaying their diverse feminine approach.
It’s about time that the perpetuation of ‘alpha male’ energy in insurance is challenged. Hannah argues that the incorporation of alternative energies can be extremely powerful, and can foster a more supportive and inclusive environment in the workplace. There’s a lot of power in silence, and actively listening in a leadership position can help new voices and ideas be heard.
This is particularly important as we endeavour as an industry to promote female talent retention, which often drops off as women begin to plan families. We need to have open conversations within the industry about how we can support women who decide to have children, and who often wish to retain their careers. These topics, along with issues around women’s health, remain highly taboo across insurance, but they need not be. Hannah’s ‘Miracle Working Mums’ podcast aims to fill this void, enabling women to share their stories of planning a family alongside their working lives.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“I feel a huge responsibility to other women in insurance… there’s so few beyond mid-levels. Most organisations are managing to recruit 5050. And to keep up to mid management sort of 5050. But you really see that sort of proportionality drift off beyond manager level.”
‘All sorts of underrepresented groups have the capacity to do what everybody else does, but not the opportunity.’
‘The best skill that you can have as a leader is actually active listening, but in order to actively listen, you have to be quiet.’
“I feel like talking about planning a family and starting a family is something that is actually difficult for women to do, because we often talk about our personal life with our friends and our peers. But actually, oftentimes, you are approaching [having a family], at different times to your peers, or with different challenges. And you may or may not have someone at work that you feel you can talk to, because there's a whole dynamic when you're talking about trying to get pregnant, or challenges with getting pregnant, or what have you, at work.”
 
Resources
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto for Change by Mary Portas
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Miracle Working Mums Podcast: – https://miracleworkingmums.podbean.com/
Miracle Working Mums Episode 13 – Helping female business owners get clear on their goals to turn their desires into revenue – with Eleshia Harris: https://miracleworkingmums.podbean.com/e/e13-helping-female-business-owners-get-clear-on-their-goals-to-turn-their-desires-into-revenue/
 
About the Guest
Hannah currently specialises in Regulatory Compliance with a wealth of experience in the London Insurance Market. She has developed a high performing team and actively leads projects that develop Lockton’s wider corporate culture. Hannah is an Executive MBA candidate at King’s College London, and recipient of the Women Excelling in Business scholarship award, funded by The 30% Club. Hannah is the host of the Miracle Working Mums podcast, and is passionate about supporting women in business and increasing the female contribution to economic growth.
Hannah’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-pring-compliance/
Miracle Working Mums Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32Ebke3ft40hhbYuV3kmTt
 
Miracle Working Mums Instagram: https://instagram.com/miracleworkingmums
 
Miracle Working Mums Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/miracle-working-mums/id1696196096
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin

013: Shifting Perceptions of Insurance Careers with Florence Dennis and Charlotte West

Why should insurance companies invest in the personal development of their new employees through additional events and opportunities?
What opportunities are available to young insurance professionals looking to boost their personal brands?
What is CII New Generation Programme and Insurance Influencer Project?
 
In this episode, we are very pleased to be speaking with two insurance powerhouses: Florence Dennis, Lead Client Advisor at Partners & Charlotte West, Account Executive at WTW
 
In conversation with Sandra Lewin, they discuss their ‘Insurance Influencers’ project developed as part of the CII New Generation Programme, highlighting the importance of repositioning public perceptions of insurance careers and inspiring the next generation of industry professionals.
 
Furthermore, they discuss the importance of insurance companies implementing schemes and opportunities to develop their new talent, in order both to boost retention and interest in the wide range of exciting careers our industry has to offer.
 
Key take aways
Hear Florence and Charlotte career story
Find out about the CII New Generation Programme and how it can help you build your personal brand and expand networking circle (with ease)
Florence and Charlotte share their CII New Generation Programme journey of collaboration on the campaign aiming to dispel misconceptions about insurance careers, which resulted in the ‘Insurance Influencers’ initiative
Gain tips and insights on how to build your personal brand online
Learn what insurance companies can improve on to attract more diverse talent
Find out how to share your experience in insurance and use the ‘Insurance Influencer’ material
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“I think [The CII New Generation Programme] was a great opportunity to get in a room with other future leaders and people who are going to be big in insurance… I've met some wonderful, amazing people on the course.”
 
“[A career in insurance] is not this really boring thing where we all sit in dingy offices and speak to people on the phone all the time. We thought, everyone's got this misconception that insurance is really boring. So we wanted this video that can be shared on social media, thinking about our target audience, being the younger generation. We wanted to capture their imagination, using social media, to shine a light on the industry so that people start thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, it looks quite cool working in insurance’.”
 
“[Social media is] a really powerful tool to influence people. You can use your social media to influence and put things out there positively.”
 
“Job adverts don't do justice to the careers that are actually on offer. There's definitely a lot of work to be done on companies selling themselves. I think insurance companies, brokers and insurers alike, bear responsibility to try and keep the young talent invested once they're in the door, so you can get them in the door [to start with].”
 
“Networking fills me with dread... [but] you have to network. It’s so essential to build your network. So, I put myself in positions where I get to work with people to build my network. [Through] the CII New Generation Programme, I've now expanded my network, not by just walking into a room and having to introduce myself to people. I've worked on a project with them. So now I've probably got a deeper relationship and connection with them and built my network.”
 
Resources
CII New Generation Programme: https://www.cii.co.uk/new-generation-programme
CII – Insurance Influencer: https://www.cii.co.uk/about-us/initiatives/engagement/new-generation-programme/insurance-influencer/
Regional Committees – BIBA: https://www.biba.org.uk/regional-committees/
Next Generation in Insurance Network: https://www.nginlondon.com/
 
About the Guest
Florence Dennis is the Lead Client Advisor at Partners&. She is also the Chairwoman of BIBA East Midlands Committee and the Vice President of CII Leicester. Florence’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florencedennis/
 
Charlotte West is an Account Executive in the UK Retail Practice at WTW, and a Chair of Next Generation in Insurance Network.
Charlotte’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotteelizabethwest/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 

012: Deconstructing Stigmas Around Women’s Health with Emily Napier

Why is women’s health so heavily stigmatised within the insurance industry, both from an employee and client perspective? How can increased collaboration between specialist corporates and insurance companies create positive touch points for clients, granting them bespoke solutions and aiding our industry’s reputation?
In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Emily Napier, New Business Development Leader for Europe at Philips, focusing on women’s health and maternity care. Emily discusses how, through her role, she collaborates with insurance companies to develop bespoke products offering solutions to the challenges raised by women’s health conditions and pregnancy. Furthermore, in conversation with Sandra Lewin, she discusses how increased awareness of women’s health within insurance companies could not only help with maintaining client loyalty, but also talent retention.
 
Quote of the Episode
“[When starting a family], all of a sudden, you're thinking about so many different insurance options for the first time… Women make 80% of all the household decisions for themselves and spending for the family, but particularly on insurance. So, to be able to reach these people and to target them,; that's how we can help insurers, because we have access, to 80% of all pregnancies [across Europe through the Pregnancy+ app]. It's about helping the pregnant individual, finding the best deals, the best benefits, and the best solutions for them, so that they can get everything in one place. And they can make cost savings, but ultimately, it [also] helps the insurer because it's providing positive touch points.”
Philips Avent is collaborating with insurance companies across Europe to integrate their digital women’s health and maternity solutions into insurance products. For example, they have recently launched a partnership with Swiss insurer Zurich. This gives Pregnancy+ users access to Zurich’s digital platform LiveWell, and vice versa. This highlights the huge potential for insurer collaboration with corporate partners, to integrate solutions for women’s health and other areas underserved by the market into our industry’s offerings. Not only can this increase brand satisfaction and engagement; it can also increase loyalty and client retention. We have a huge opportunity to support clients through monumental changes such as pregnancy and women’s health conditions, which can yield huge benefits for their personal journeys and our businesses.
 
Key Takeaways
Insurance is typically perceived as a grudge purchase. Yet, it is something people consistently need, and which becomes a significant consideration particularly when one is considering starting a family. At the same moment, one might be contemplating life insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and supplementary health insurance cover simultaneously. What can we do as an industry to support those making these decisions? What amenities or support can we incorporate into our insurance offerings, in collaboration with specialist corporates, to support people along those journeys? Through incorporating women’s health consideration into insurance offerings, which Emily is negotiating with insurance companies across Europe, they are providing services which can make a substantial difference to people’s lives, whilst also affording them a solution they needed to purchase anyway.
Yet, women’s health in particular remains a fairly taboo topic across the industry. What can we do to start the conversation about developing women’s health provisions in insurance policies? Emily and Sandra suggest championing women’s rights and equal opportunities across the workplace as a great place to start. Furthermore, the circulation of training around the various health conditions that affect women of all ages can encourage these conversations to take place.
Increasing these conversations from a client perspective may also assist with the female talent retention issue within the industry. Approximately 45% of women leave insurance and do not return when starting a family. Educating employers about the suite of things that someone could be experiencing during the maternity process, to help them provide the best support and care, could help to retain talent, thereby lowering recruitment costs. Consequently, if employers endeavour to educate and empower women to understand their options if they do want to start a family, helping them to have the healthiest possible pregnancy outcome for themselves and their baby, can reap benefits both for the business and the individual.
To incentivise this internal and external consideration of women’s health within insurance companies, we need to share these stories. These issues will remain stigmatised for as long as we remain silent about them. There is already significant media focus on these issues, so if we follow these headwinds, we can make great progress in propelling the conversation and thereby securing improved benefits for women at every stage of their insurance careers, and for women purchasing insurance products.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“Women's healthcare products are seen as niche, certainly in the insurance industry. Yet, when we look at the population, it’s 50% women. So how are we a niche? Women tend to buy most of the insurance products for their house; yet again, the products are not really catered for their needs.”
“If you have more corporations partnering with insurance companies, or public health organisations, together, we have the innovation to create solutions, I don’t think one person, or one party can do it on its own.”
“Women have different hormones, different organs, different bodies to men. So, we do need specific treatment and plans, and different options available. I think, because it's complex, a lot of people put up their barriers straight away, rather than trying to break them down.”
“The problem is, even if you do work on your diversity pipeline, and you bring talent in, if your company is not set up to support that talent, because it doesn't take into consideration women’s lifecycle and how it impacts them throughout the various stages, then these women won’t stay, because they have to adapt.”
 
Resources
Philips – Philips Avent and LiveWell by Zurich announce partnership: https://www.philips.co.uk/a-w/about/news/archive/standard/news/press/2023/20231108-philips-avent-and-livewell-by-zurich-announce-partnership
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
 
About the Guest
Emily Napier is the New Business Development Leader for Europe at Philips, focusing on Philips Avent and Women’s Health.
Emily’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-napier-8420aa77/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 
 
 
 
 

011: Create Your Own Career Purpose with Sonia Habib

What are ‘silent opportunities’ and how do they present themselves to us, perhaps without us even noticing? Why might it preferable to motivate ourselves with a broader career journey in mind than specific, concrete goals? What mindset should you deploy when attempting to expand your network?
In this episode, we are very pleased to be speaking with Sonia Habib, Head of Product Development at the Jensten Group. In conversation with Sandra Lewin, Sonia articulates her philosophy for career self-motivation, rooted in a commitment to broadening your industry understanding and discovering how your unique skills can facilitate personal and company success. She explains the concept of ‘silent opportunities’ that may catch us unawares until we begin to recognise the blind spots curtailing our personal development.
 
Quote of the Episode
“Silent opportunities are silent for a reason. You have to want it. You have to want to want more. There's this facade that insurance is all about the people, and that you can only be an insurance if you're a really social person, but actually don't need to be social. Asking yourself, ‘What do you want?’ and speaking to the right people to help you, having a really good support mechanism around you, [is the real key]. I think sometimes you need that character assassination; at some point in your career, you need someone to say, ‘These are what I think your blind spots are’.”
During the episode, Sonia explains what she terms ‘silent opportunities’ – moments when we may be able to further our career and/or personal development but that we either fail to recognise or decide to ignore. She argues that missing silent opportunities can often be attributed to a misguided dedication to specific material goals (such as earning X amount of money by the time one turns 30), which may lead you to deny or ignore alternative opportunities that could accelerate your industry progress in another way. Both Sonia and Sandra concur that we should always be open-minded to the multifarious opportunities that may present themselves to us, and to only make plans in the knowledge that they are very likely to shift later down the line. As such, she argues that we should curate a network of trusted people and ask them to point out your ‘blind spots’ – areas in which you may be stunting your personal development or undermining your potential career progress. Identifying how you can work on yourself is a great way to open yourself up to ‘silent opportunities’ as and when they come about. The path that is meant for you, Sonia suggests, will only pass you by if you let it.
 
Key Takeaways
The start of Sonia’s insurance career was a time of self-discovery. She describes herself as having been a blank canvas, guided by motivation to progress within the industry, but not by specific goals. For Sonia, committing to particular plans is likely to lead to frustration and disappointment. Conversely, she suggests that you should be open to anything, particularly at the start of your career. Dedicating yourself to a journey of progress in the knowledge that your material goals are likely to shift as you meet new people and encounter new opportunities or ideas is crucial. In this way, you will open yourself up to different avenues of success whilst committing to a broader journey underpinned by motivation and self-belief.
Sonia argues that being inquisitive is absolutely crucial at the start of your insurance career. There’s always more to know in our industry, and there’s an entire other language of acronyms and shorthand phrases to be learned. Frequently asking questions not only highlights your initiative to executive members of your company; it also expands your knowledge which can only ever help your career progression, given the constant state of flux in which our industry currently operates. Furthermore, Sonia is ‘a massive believer in over-communicating’. In her role as Head of Project Development, she argues that reiteration of the same message is key to prevent important messages from being lost in the flurry of information transmitted within an insurance business each day.
Insurance thrives or fails on productive communication, or a lack thereof. As a profoundly people-based industry, networking is at the core of any opportunity, be it a new job or an alternative role within your company. As such, the more people you know, and the further your network branches out, the more frequently new opportunities will present themselves to you. However, Sonia notes that you should form connections with people who recognise your particular skills and experience as being assets. Not everyone who meet at networking events will necessarily be the ‘right’ contact. Additionally, ensure that when you are meeting new people, that your discussion is balanced. People want to be heard, and giving them an opportunity to speak about themselves is very important.
Ultimately, new industry opportunities will emerge when you’re not in the room. To make your name be the one that crops up in board-level conversations, connect with people both within and beyond your business and actively demonstrate how you add value to it. In doing so, silent opportunities will start to come your way.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
‘Plan for the fact that your plans will not work out.’
 
“I think the best plan is to not have a plan. Goals are great, because they keep you motivated, and they allow that discipline to kind of be instilled in you. But I think ultimately, you meet so many people in life that you don't know you're going to meet. And they can change those goals.”
“We all have a purpose, and you create your purpose; you discover your purpose. I think the infant time of my career was more about discovering who I was, and less about my career. What I discovered over the first few years of doing what I was doing was actually I was capable of more than I thought I was.”
 
“With insurance being such a people-based industry, networking is like the core of any kind of opportunity… if you know a lot of people, there's gonna be that ripple effect. They're going to know of someone that knows someone that can help you. So, the bigger you branch your network and base, that you're you've naturally threefold of that, because those people that you know, know a lot of people.”
 
 
Resources
Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto for Change by Mary Porter
 
About the Guest
Sonia Habib is Head of Product Development in the Jensten Group. With ten years of industry experience under her belt, she was the winner of the MGAA Rising Star 2023, the IBUK Rising Star 2021, and a shortlisted nominee for the Women in Insurance Awards 2022.
Sonia’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-habib-dip-cii-5143869a/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 
 

010: Finding the Resilience to Climb the Insurance Ladder with Yelhis Hernández

How do you navigate impostor syndrome when aiming for managerial roles? What methods should we implement whilst climbing the insurance ladder to secure competitive promotions? What role can an established personal brand play towards this end?
In this episode, we are thrilled to be speaking with Yelhis Hernández, Mexico Country Manager and Central America Market Development Manager for Lloyd’s. Openly sharing her inspirational journey, spanning a variety of fascinating insurance roles across seven countries, Yelhis is clear about the importance of resilience, and the curation of a supportive network, when pursuing your goals. She demystifies the presence of impostor syndrome in c suite managerial positions, and highlights the importance of proactivity and clear vocalisation of your ambitions to those empowered to fulfil them.
 
Quote of the Episode
“I've faced [imposter syndrome] many, many times during my career. If somebody says, ‘Oh, no, I don't know what that is’, they are lying to themselves. We all have a fear of sitting in a room with a lot of people that are senior, and that probably have more experience than you.”
In the episode, Yelhis emphasises that while you may not necessarily have years of experience behind you, potentially fuelling fears of inadequacy or uncertainty in your role, you will possess unique skills that may otherwise be missing in the room. You have something different to offer, which is why you have been given this position. Using that knowledge will give you the strength to sit at the table proudly, and enable you to begin to unravel impostor syndrome. Ultimately, she argues that this phenomenon will recur throughout your career, whenever you are given a new opportunity or responsibility. At every stage of your career, you are taking something new on, reigniting those feelings of uncertainty. Yelhis suggests that you must learn to live and work with it, whilst always keeping in mind that you have been granted that opportunity for a reason.
 
Key Takeaways
Yelhis has worked in a variety of different countries and markets across her illustrious career. While some of these roles were offered to her in a more traditional sense; others she created herself. Her initial move from Venezuela to Switzerland, for example, was prompted by a business case she delivered, demonstrating that if she continued to work in her home country, her ability to perform her role would be jeopardised due to prevailing political circumstances. This facilitated her first international move. Similarly, later on, she rationalised the need for her to move to Mexico, presenting a business case to the local CEO, evaluating the pros and cons of centralising and thereby improving operational processes in the market. This led to her being offered the job, which she had herself demonstrated the need for and value of. This decisiveness is indicative not only of Yelhis’ relentless drive and ingenuity, but also of the possibilities and opportunities that are unlocked by being well-researched and steadfast in your ambitions. If you can demonstrate how and why you could do more to help a company in its endeavours, you could very well open some new doors in your own career.
One of the key skills Yelhis deploys in her day-to-day activities is preparation. She argues that being well-prepared for every meeting and presentation will always give you the advantage, ensuring that you are never caught off-guard with a question or concern. Furthermore, intensive rehearsal and research will enable you to speak clearly and confidently in pressurised situations. Similarly, when dealing with clients, Yelhis suggests that you must thoroughly understand what they do, and what they need. You must be prepared to respond to any question they might have, and to provide a detailed answer with an understanding of their specific needs. The ability to ask them questions in return, before telling the client what they might need, is what could make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.
For Yelhis, networking is absolutely crucial, particularly early in your career, for rising up the ranks of insurance. Contrary to the military, in which you can transition from one role to another purely on the basis of a certain amount of years’ experience, in insurance, you have to build your profile yourself. Everyone must know your potential and ability to excel. She attributes her current role to a large degree to her knowing a lot of people in the region, who could provide positive feedback relating to her character and commitment. Thus, building your network base as early as possible is crucial for when you are seeking to climb the ladder later down the line.
She argues that curating your own ‘personal brand’ is key towards this end. While this may seem a vague and bewildering notion, she argues that a strong personal brand is developed through a consistent demonstration of your willingness to work hard for your goals, and a clear expression of those goals to those within your company who can fulfil them. You must never assume that you will reach a goal – you must actively work for it, and demonstrate to those in managerial positions that you deserve a certain role, for example.
Yet, Yelhis is also keen to highlight the importance of a strong work-life balance. Dedicating yourself entirely to your company will not guarantee promotion. To perform your best during your workday, you must also take part in activities or hobbies that enrich and fulfil you.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“In the case of Brazil and Mexico, I also made a business case, those roles had not been created yet. So, I put together the facts and demonstrated the need for those roles. And this helped move me to from London to Brazil, and eventually to Mexico.”
“I will never go into situation, whatever it is, without being prepared. I have a team that supports me in London with content and material if I have to deliver something. Once we have that content together, I start a routine of preparation, that includes recording myself with or without video. During that rehearsal, I’ll stand in front of my dog and my cat, reading the material, studying the material as much as possible. So, I never go into a situation not knowing what I have to say. You must be prepared. And that will give you a position of advantage in any situation.”
‘Building your network very early in your career will make a difference.’
“I think every success comes with a great deal of work that you have to do yourself, no one is going to do it for you. But if you demonstrate that you are here to learn, and work towards a goal, and you will find the support.”
‘It is time for companies to recognise those individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds that often face a lack of opportunities and exposure to professional sectors like insurance.’
“As a senior woman in this industry, what I want to do is pay it forward. And I hope that my journey shows that determination, belief in your abilities, and the support and guidance and encouragement from others can help people overcome any hurdles.”
 
Resources
InsureTV – Samantha Ridgewell Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRP9R6B6AeA&ab_channel=EmpowerDevelopment
 
About the Guest
Yelhis Hernández is the Mexico Country Manager and Central America Market Development Manager for Lloyd’s. She leads a prolific insurance career, with experience across a multitude of roles in seven different countries.
Yelhis’ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yelhish/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 

009: Job Share Opportunities with Emma Smith

How do you navigate negotiations with your employer to change your role, the nature or base of your employment? How can we shift the optics around job share opportunities and other flexible work solutions within the insurance industry?
In this episode, we are very pleased to be speaking with Emma Smith, a Senior Property Underwriter at Atrium Underwriters! In conversation with InsurSocial’s Sandra Lewin, Emma explains why insurance was always her chosen career, her experience working in Singapore for 7 years, and the origins, flexibility and functionality of her current job share role. She highlights the importance of approaching negotiations with management armed with solutions rather than problems, with a lens on how any shift to your current position could ultimately prove beneficial to the business.
 
Quote of the Episode
“You continue to develop [and] expand your knowledge. I think you need to be reading the newspapers, seeing what's going on at a global level in different countries, because it all comes back to you; it can have an effect on the risks that you'll seen on your desk the next day. That’s what I love about it: you get to do a little bit of everything within an underwriting role.”
Emma crystallises that at any given point in your insurance career, you can never know anything about the industry. There is always more to learn, particularly given the extent to which our market is interwoven with external events. A key means by which we can highlight the exciting nature of an insurance career to those external to the industry is the vital socioeconomic function that insurance plays on a national and global scale.
 
Key Takeaways
A recurring theme for many guests on the podcast thus far is that in any insurance role, every day is a school day. One of the most exciting aspects of an insurance career, the emphasis of which could alter external perceptions of our industry, is the mutable nature of every role in the industry; no day will ever be the same. For example, Emma notes that, as an underwriter, she has to be a marketer, to analyse and price risks, to contemplate risk exposure, and much more. There is no standing still in this role, and as a people-based industry, every day is new and exciting.
Yet, talent retention within insurance typically takes a huge hit amongst women in their thirties and forties. Both Emma and Sandra suggest that insurance should be exploring and investing in new flexible working opportunities to retain this talent and knowledge, and to ensure business continuity. Emma works in a job share; she and another underwriter share the role evenly and work for three days each week. This setup is rare in the industry, but it has proven extremely beneficial to both women, and to Atrium Underwriters. Both women come into work motivated, energised and committed, and their collective years of experience and understanding bolster their team’s productive output.
Emma was initially concerned about how misconceptions about working in a job share might affect her reputation within her business and the industry. She feared that people would perceive her as ‘just’ working part-time or ‘only’ in a job share, and that as a result of this discourse she would be taken less seriously. Yet, she hasn’t found this to be the case. As both women are highly ambitious, their careers have grown. They always go the extra mile, and due to their shared trust and collaborative communication, they productively challenge and bounce off one another’s ideas.
If you are intrigued by a flexible work solution of this nature and would like to raise the topic with your employer, how should you approach this conversation? For Emma, it is key to come with the solution if you want the change. Do your research beforehand, and come up with a plan for how your proposition could work for the business. Examine examples in other industries, particularly at a senior level, to demonstrate how your proposal could ultimately be beneficial rather than obstructive. You shouldn’t necessarily expect immediate acceptance: alternatively, approach the conversation with the question – ‘here is my situation, how can we make this work?’.
If you want to find out more about job shares or alternative work solutions, reach out to Emma – her contact details are linked below!
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“[In] a job share, we essentially have two people doing one role. We do three days each, and have a crossover day on a Wednesday. I work first part of the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and my job share works Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.”
“Do your research, come up with a plan of how you think it will work; what you need to make it work. Just think through, look at examples. There are some great examples in other industries where job shares have worked. At a very senior level, I think there's two ladies who hold one of the most senior positions in GCHQ as a job share. Do your research, find examples of how you can make it work, and how it has worked in either similar positions, or similar industries.”
“For many at the beginning, [a job share] will be a solution to a problem. But actually, it could just be another offering that a company has to retain the staff.”
“The power of a network is so strong. That’s not just from a business perspective, but from a personal perspective as well… Sometimes we take our network for granted, and actually it is worth assessing, and reaching out to more people. The greater your network, the more knowledge you gain.”
 
Resources
Atrium Underwriters Ltd: https://www.atrium-uw.com/
 
About the Guest
Emma Smith is a senior property underwriter at Atrium syndicate and is Chair of the recently established Women at Atrium network. 
Emma has worked in the Insurance market for over 20 years and been with Atrium for the last 10 years, having studied Insurance at University. 
Emma is a Chartered Insurer and ACII qualified and has spent time working in Singapore as well as in London and more recently is part of a job share flexible working arrangement.  
She was instrumental in setting up the Women at Atrium network and is passionate about inspiring and empowering women through education and knowledge sharing.  To ensure that they are equipped with the right tools to succeed. 
Emma’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-smith-5b666a1/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 
 
 

008: Using Education to Attract New Insurance Talent with Emma Ackers

How can insurance companies deploy educational material to boost talent acquisition and retention? What skills are needed for educative insurance roles? How can we use TikTok to change persisting misconceptions about our industry?
In this episode, we’re very pleased to be speaking with Emma Ackers, Senior Learning Consultant at Empower Development! In conversation with Sandra Lewin, Emma highlights the opportunities available through TikTok and LinkedIn to promote the opportunities available within insurance to an external audience. Additionally, she impresses the importance of employer-employee trust as we transition into a broadly hybrid working industry.
Quote of the Episode
“If you want to apply for a job, but you don't think you're going to get it, just do it anyway. You need to put yourself out there. I think there's more people coming into the market now by choice than there were before. I've seen a massive shift in that, especially with the young people that I speak to now, they're actively seeking out these roles. I think the change here is… we use social media a lot more, and more effectively.”
 
Emma suggests that recruitment across insurance may soon be on the rise as companies increasingly learn how to harness the tool of social media to better advertise the various roles and opportunities on offer in an insurance career. We need to push ourselves out of our collective comfort zone as an industry, to explore how TikTok and other social media platforms could assist us in reaching new potential talent. Empower Development offers a free course called Into Insurance for people who want to learn about the industry. In one of the most recent cohorts, 98% of the attendees were drawn to the course from TikTok, accentuating the vast amount of talent that can be accessed through such platforms.
 
Key Takeaways
Emma also highlights that social media can be deployed more effectively to educate those already within the industry. She notes that it’s impossible to know everything in our industry, as it is so reactionary to broader socioeconomic shifts and is constantly changing in accordance with them. If you wish to use TikTok or LinkedIn to encourage new talent to join the industry, you shouldn’t simply leap in at the deep end. It is key to devise a strategy of the type of content you would like to make. Showcasing insurance to a younger audience via social media can be achieved in so many different ways, and you don’t have to chase the prevailing trends. The personal nature of such content is often what people latch onto initially, so telling people how you got into insurance is a great start. You needn’t worry about whether you’re saying the right things. Telling your story is what an external audience are most likely to want to hear about.
Whilst working as an Operations Coordinator (amongst many other roles) at an insurance brokerage, Emma discovered that the company was struggling with compliance in relation to client assets. Many people didn’t understand what the rules were, why it was important, and were making mistakes and omissions. This prompted Emma to devise some compliance-related training and deliver it to her company. She discovered that the best way to educate people about insurance topics is through anecdotes and storytelling, thereby bringing to life what can go wrong when different errors occur. This experience served as a springboard for her branching into insurance education.
This is a role which may not initially come to mind when industry outsiders think of insurance. Yet, as Emma emphasises, there are so many roles that make up an insurance company. A role in this industry isn’t simply limited to being in a call centre with a headset on. Her storytelling and people skills ultimately guided her to an educational insurance role. Equally, your own unique skillset will also apply to a role in insurance. Furthermore, wherever you start in the industry, you can transition into as many different roles as you like until you find one that fits.
Emma argues that in our increasingly hybrid working world, it is essential that companies trust their employees. This can be achieved by affording them the flexibility to start earlier and finish earlier, or start later and finish later. Furthermore, having consistently good communication with your team, reiterating the company’s broader goals and individual workers’ targets can foster a positive and productive distant working environment.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“I stayed in broking for a long time and progressed through lots of different roles. I've done every single role you could ever imagine. I think it's a great way to learn. I've even done credit control. I was like, ‘Yeah, I'll try it. Why not?’ It was a good way to learn all the different functions in the business.”
 
‘There's a specific role for everybody in insurance, and I don't think a lot of people realise that.”
 
‘As an industry, we can do better on talking about the variety of roles [available]?’
 
“I think about people who worked in London five days a week, [who] travelled hours to get to work. It's wild when we think about it now, that that's what used to happen… Being at home and feeling trusted, and having that flexibility, then you feel calmer as a worker. You're going to get more joy, and you're going to be more motivated, and you're going to be happier. And happier people produce better results.”
 
Resources
Why Can’t I Learn Like I Used To? – Emma Ackers – CII Journal: https://thejournal.cii.co.uk/2023/06/20/why-cant-i-learn-i-used
TikTok – EmpowerEmma: https://www.tiktok.com/@empoweremma
TikTok – Empower Development: https://www.tiktok.com/@empower.development
Empower Talks Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/empower-talks
 
About the Guest
Emma Ackers is a Senior Learning Consultant at Empower Development, which provides training for insurance professionals across the London and Company Markets.
Emma’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaackers/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

007: Changing the Language Around Sales with Ema Roloff

How do you navigate the transition from a corporate role to owning your own business? How can we encourage more women to enter revenue-generating positions in the insurance industry? How could we alter the parlance pertaining to insurance sales to be more inclusive of alternative methods for closing sales?
In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Ema Roloff, co-founder and principal consultant of the newly established Roloff Consulting! In conversation with Sandra Lewin, she discusses how she transitioned from teaching into the world of technology, and subsequently insurance, sales. She emphasises the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset when negotiating sales, and the ability to cultivate good business relationships.
 
Quote of the Episode
“My clients know that they're my partners, and that I'm not looking at them, as they say, to ‘kill and eat’ so that I can make money. They know that I'm in there for a, a long-standing partnership that's beneficial on both ends. So, I do think that there is some work that we need to do in terms of that perception around sales, and getting more women into these types of roles because they might sell differently, but they can be really good at it.”
Ema suggests that the terminology frequently attributed to the sales process, particularly in financial services, can be profoundly violent or combative. This may contribute to the broader perception of sales positions as cutthroat and uncompromising, which may discourage and alienate many women from considering such roles. Ema herself was initially apprehensive about taking up a sales role before devising her own approach to navigating sales from a more mutually beneficial, relationship-building perspective.
 
Key Takeaways
Ema highlights persistence, problem-solving, resilience, and relationship-building as the essential tenets of being a good salesperson. She highlights the latter point in particular as being crucial. Even if you may not be able to negotiate a sale with a client at one point in time, establishing and maintaining a good relationship with them could facilitate a sale later down the line.
The aggressive, hunting-oriented language commonly attributed to sales arguably alienates a lot of women from revenue-generating positions, as this isn’t how they see themselves. Neither gender has a greater propensity for closing deals than the other. However, an article from the Harvard Business Review (linked below) notes that women tend to align with the traits needed to be a strong B2B salesperson, more so than their male counterparts. As such, the arguably masculine-oriented language used with regards to sales needs to change in order to encourage more women to consider such roles.
As Mercy Komar argued in a previous episode (Episode 2), a lack of women in commercially minded roles may also be a significant factor preventing women from taking up senior leadership positions. Sales roles provide an opportunity to lead within your company, and the skills that accompany sales positions grant an inherent acumen for leadership, hence why so many board members and CEOs tend to have backgrounds in insurance.
Ema argues that to be a good salesperson, you need to have an entrepreneurial mindset, geared towards how the services or products you are offering can help to address the specific needs of a given prospective client. The same is true of being a business owner. Ultimately, in transitioning from a corporate role to owning her own business, she suggests that the ability to establish and maintain good business relationships is perhaps the most fundamental skill of all, particularly in such a people-facing industry as insurance.
Learning to build good relationships can also afford a wide array of opportunities for you, particularly given the current talent gap facing the industry. In insurance, the opportunities to change roles, to grow into something new, to develop skills and transfer them elsewhere, are endless. Furthermore, Emma highlights that the industry is full of people who are willing to help and guide you in your career, if only you’re willing to say yes.
 
Best Moments/Key Quotes
“I honestly think of sales, especially in an industry like insurance, where things are so driven by relationships and the sales cycle is so long, that to be successful as a sales rep in this industry, you really have to have an entrepreneurial mindset. You can't rely on other people to hand you leads, you have to be out there cultivating those relationships, and building a reputation as somebody that helps solve your specific problem.”
 
“That relationship piece is so important. And I think it goes back to what the industry is here for: we're here to make a promise and deliver on that promise. And so that mentality of being true to your word, showing up for people, in good times and in bad flows through the entire insurance ecosystem.”
‘The best choices in life are both exciting and terrifying.’
 
“I think within the insurance industry, there is specific lingo and technical knowledge that comes with it. And especially when you go to your first insurance event, and you hear people using the acronyms and throwing around these terms, it can feel really intimidating. But behind all of those terms are just standard business practices. We just have different names for them, and different names for our processes.”
 
Resources
Flow: The Psychology of Happiness by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Harvard Business Review – Why Women are the Future of B2B Sales: https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-women-are-the-future-of-b2b-sales
Leading Change with Ema Roloff Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@emaroloff7690/podcasts
Ema Roloff: https://www.emaroloff.com/
Roloff Consulting – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roloff/
 
About the Guest
Ema Roloff trained as a high school teacher before transitioning to a career in technology, and later insurance, sales. Based in Wisconsin, USA, she is the co-founder and principal consultant for Roloff Consulting, which helps companies digitally transform the way that they sell.
Ema’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emaroloff/
 
About the Host
Sandra Lewin started her career in insurance as a broker and has since taken on many different roles. Alongside being a host of this podcast "100 Women in Insurance", she also specializes in helping insurance businesses and professionals establish a social media presence, delivers change programs, and provides one-on-one coaching for women looking to take control of their careers and lives.
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin