Dive In Chair Jason Groves opened this event by discussing the success of this year’s Dive In Festival, before passing the floor to Lloyd’s Chairman and fellow cricket lover, Bruce Carnegie-Brown.
Bruce discussed his upcoming appointment as Chairman of Marylebone Cricket Club (MMC) and the parallels between Lloyd’s and MCC as they strive to adapt in a modern and changing world. He described D&I not as a challenge, but as an opportunity, and noted that Lloyd’s short term ambition for women in leadership in the market remains 35% by end of 2023. He compared the challenges of the marketplace to those in the world of sport, before handing over to cricketing legend Sir Andrew Strauss.
The Ashes hero and former England cricket captain spoke about his preparation for the 2005 Ashes, in which England beat Australia in the final. Despite overwhelming pressures, the team’s shared purpose got them over the line. A conversation began between Sir Andrew and Australian cricket rival-turned AXA XL insurance leader Jonathon Moss. The pair discussed overcoming the odds and bouncing back, leading to Sir Andrew’s sage advice that resilience is related to purpose and that we can all endure a lot if we are doing something that is meaningful to us.
The conversation naturally turned to the passing of Sir Andrew’s wife from lung cancer in 2018, and the Ruth Strauss Foundation that her loving husband set up in her name. Sir Andrew talked attendees through his process of dealing with grief, and what the foundation does to support families suffering from bereavement. He continued to discuss resilience in both his personal and professional life and elaborated on what he had learned from these experiences.
Andrew then discussed styles of leadership and the importance of bringing your authentic self to work, as well as demonstrating and showing the people you are leading that you care about them. This is, he said, a vital part of gaining respect so that others will emulate your approach.
Bruce returned to close the session, highlighting the importance of stories and bringing them to life with lived examples that people can relate to. He applauded Sir Andrew’s remarkable work with the Ruth Strauss Foundation and throughout his sporting career.
Sir Andrew Strauss is represented by the Champions Diversity and Inclusion speakers agency.