The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization marking 30 years representing the insurance industry through its mission of helping communities and enriching lives, hosted the IICF Regional Forums this month across five cities. This year’s forums in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and London gathered nearly 800 attendees for discussions centered around advancing the future of work, talent, inclusion and innovation. Since 2013, IICF’s leadership events have raised $10 million in support of regional nonprofits helping those in need.
Insurance industry and business leaders from around the globe led powerful sessions centered on a range of critical topics focused on building a more inclusive and innovative future of work and recruiting new talent to the insurance industry. Speakers across the forums included Subha Barry, President of Seramount; Heather Giordano of CNA; Rekha Skantharaja, CEO & President, Tangram Insurance Services; Jeanette Ward, CEO, Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Katie Lennon, Head of ESG for the UK & Lloyd’s at AXA XL.
Key takeaways from the events included:
- Grounding DEI Ambition: Trevor Gandy, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at AXA XL, shared how DEI measures can only be impactful if grounded in a company’s core values and culture. DEI needs to be clearly linked to the workplace and performance improvement should resonate with the workforce as a whole.
- New Practices, Not Best Practices: Xavier Ramey, Founder and CEO of Justice Informed, discussed how we should be fighting for authenticity and integrity to build a more inclusive future of work. This takes focusing on new practices, rather than implementing the same best practices as always.
- Create a Culture of DEI: From Default to Design: Rekha Skantharaja, CEO & President of Tangram Insurance Services, observed that “Today’s journey calls us to move in a more human space” and that engaging in authentic discussions and asking employees what they think is important – and then critical to be willing to act on feedback.
- Advancing Talent to Advance Our Industry: Dallas Forum Co-Chairs Jeanette Ward, CEO of Texas Mutual, and Katie Beth Ongena, AVP Executive Talent Management Consultant at Chubb, delivered an inspirational closing about the opportunities for welcoming new talent into our industry. Ward concluded that IICF’s events deliver “one of the best professional development programs in our industry.”
- Bridging the Gap: Uniting Social Progress and Environmental Stewardship: Katie Lennon, Head of ESG, UK and Lloyd’s, at AXA XL, posited that it’s not that we don’t have the resources to solve problems, it’s about having the will to be courageous and distribute the resources we have to make a difference.
“As we celebrate IICF’s 30th anniversary this year, the Regional Forums were a fantastic showcase of the collective strength of our industry when we work together,” said Elizabeth Myatt, VP, Chief Program Officer of IICF. “Across our forums, the speakers and attendees shared powerful insights and practical advice that will translate to key actionable steps in their respective workplaces. We are proud to convene the insurance industry for these essential discussions, all while working to raise funds for nonprofits supporting those in need across the US and UK and we look forward to seeing everyone next year at our Global Conference, again hosted in New York City.”
IICF’s leadership events were established as the Women in Insurance Conference Series in 2013 and are the only events of their kind to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations through IICF’s Community Grants Program. Since 2013, more than $10 million has been raised through the IICF Regional Forums and Global Conferences, benefiting nonprofit partners. IICF grants provide direct support in addressing food insecurity, homelessness, education, disaster relief and preparedness, children at risk, veteran causes and more. IICF will surpass $50 million in total grants awarded, and more than 3 million meals delivered to vulnerable children, as the foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024.
Special thanks to the Four-Conference Diamond Presenting Sponsors Amwins, CNA, Markel and USAA and all generous event sponsors for their support of our events and for making an inclusive and innovative future of work a core priority. Next June, IICF will host its 2025 Global Conference in New York. Registration and additional details will be available later this year at www.IICF.org
About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of serving as the philanthropic voice and foundation of the insurance industry throughout 2024, having contributed $48 million in community grants along with over 337,000 volunteer hours by more than 125,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised for maximum community impact, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across the US and UK.
IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on social media at: LinkedIn and Instagram.