Middle Eastern countries participate in the annual Dive In Festival for the first time
- 2,500 respondents from 150 firms across six continents surveyed on attitudes to diversity & inclusion
- 93% of respondents say that their Managers – traditionally the hardest group to reach and influence in the ‘middle’ of firms – are now taking positive action on diversity
- New country locations for 2018 include Jordan and Saudi Arabia
- More than three-quarters (82%) say that their views on the importance of diversity and inclusion have changed positively since the festival started in 2015
EMBARGOED: 00:01 24 September 2018, LONDON: New research from Dive In, the global festival for diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the insurance sector, reveals that the vast majority of insurance professionals believe managers have finally got the message that diversity and inclusion are good for business and are taking positive steps forward. The survey was conducted from a sub-set of more than 10,000 registered attendees in August in the run up to the festival’s 4th year which kicks off today in 27 countries on 5 continents.
New festival participation this year by insurance firms in the Middle East is further evidence that the sector is serious about building modern, inclusive cultures where talent is valued equally. 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.
Julie Page, CEO of Aon UK, 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. 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.”
Jason Groves, Chair of the Dive In Festival and Global Director of Media Relations at Marsh, 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. Ultimately, through their ability to innovate faster and attract and retain great talent, diverse companies are more successful. 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 fourth annual Dive In Festival will take place from 25 to 27 September, with events in a record number of 27 countries across the globe. Dive In began in 2015 in London, growing to 10 countries in 2016, and this year boasts 109 events in 53 cities worldwide.
This year marks the start of a two-year campaign, Awareness into Action. After three years of raising awareness of the business case for diversity and inclusion, the global movement now looks to harness the energy of previous years to encourage action across the sector.
In support of this, the annual theme is #time4inclusion. Last year, CEOs from across the industry singled out time as the biggest barrier to achieving inclusive cultures in their organisations. Dive In is helping insurance get fit for the future, highlighting the business case for diverse and inclusive workplaces and providing practical ideas and inspiration for how to bring about positive change. Its unprecedented growth bolsters its strength as the first unique collaboration of sector organisations for D&I in the world.
The festival has continued to garner support with the highest number of gold sponsors from the insurance industry. Gold sponsors include: AIG, Aon, Chubb, CNA Hardy, Guy Carpenter, Jackson, Lloyd’s, M&G, Marsh, Miller, Prudential, XL Catlin, Willis Towers Watson, XL Catlin and Zurich, alongside gold festival partners Kennedys and PwC. This year’s silver sponsors have also been confirmed as: 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.