Dive In Festival 2020: Insurance Industry Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion Virtually

The 6^th edition of the global Dive In festival, which celebrates diversity and inclusion in the Insurance industry, was held virtually from 22^nd September to 24^th September 2020 in over 30 countries. The India festival was organised by AIG, Anviti Insurance Brokers, Lloyd’s, Swiss Re and Willis Towers Watson. The India event saw the participation of nearly 600 delegates across sessions from all over the country including CXOs and senior executives from the Indian insurance industry.

Dive In festival

Dive In is a global movement in the insurance sector to support the development of inclusive workplace cultures. Its mission is to enable people to achieve their potential by raising awareness of the business case and promoting positive action for diversity in all its forms. Since its birth in 2015, Dive In has grown exponentially, reaching global heights with events taking place across 32 countries world-wide, attracting more than 10,000 people. Bangalore city hosted Dive In for the first-time last year.

The global theme for this year's festival is Authenticity & Perspective. As we enter a decade of exponential change, demanding more global innovation and collaboration than human beings have experienced before, we reflect on the aspects of diversity and inclusion that enable us to bring our whole selves and our unique experiences to bear on our shared challenges.

The festival urges the industry to look beyond traditional definitions of diversity to level the playing field for talent comprehensively including gender, gender identity, age, cultural background, sexual orientation, social mobility, faith, caring responsibilities, mental health, and physical impairments. The themes for this year’s edition included mental health, inclusivity in multi-generational workplaces, among others.

Commenting on the importance of hosting such a festival to celebrate diversity and inclusion in the industry,

Jonathan Pipe, Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer, Anviti Insurance Brokers Private Limited said, “COVID-19 has provided a lasting reminder that no matter our race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, we are all equal. Through these unprecedented times we have witnessed examples of the very best of society coming together in displays of unity and support. However, we continue to see heightened tensions of division across the world, and perhaps none more so than that being raised through the historic solidarity of the Black Lives Matter movement. The complex and volatile world we live in faces complex risk challenges, and the insurance industry must continue to play its pivotal role in providing solutions. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce will ensure the insurance industry is best positioned to meet these challenges. Dive In continues the mission to support development of inclusive workplace cultures, globally.” 

Amit Kalra, MD & Head, Swiss Re Bangalore said, "The pandemic has compelled the whole world to reassess priorities so that we stay close to what is most important, both personally and professionally. Inclusion is more crucial for organizations now than ever before. Whether it be employee well-being and mental health, or mutual trust and empathy, the anxiety and uncertainty of these times have shown us that the quality of being human lies at the heart of inclusion. Dive In 2020 platform brings together the depth of expert perspectives and the various global discourses on inclusion and diversity, to highlight the connected nature of inclusion and diversity in all its forms. I believe organizations that have understood this and have already embraced D&I as part of their strategy will have an edge today and in a post-pandemic world."

Munish Sharma, Head of AIG India Finance Centers and Nikhil Philip, Senior Director, AIG India Analytics CoE said, "The diversity of our people is one of AIG’s greatest assets that brings great pride to us. It helps us to better understand our clients, increase innovation and reduce risk. As we build the AIG of the future, we continue our focus on fostering a culture of inclusion that is designed to attract, develop, and retain diverse talent. We invest in each employee through a wide variety of programs and initiatives – seeking to ensure that our people are not only respected as individuals, but also truly valued for their unique perspectives. Dive In is a festival where these ideas and lessons culminate. It is a platform for us to celebrate, engage, revalidate our efforts, and build knowledge through powerful personal stories.”

Rohit Jain, Head of India, Willis Towers Watson said, "To thrive in this changing world, organisations need to adopt a healthy company culture, where inclusion and diversity is steeped in the employee experience, enabling them to bring their best selves to work. Willis Towers Watson recognises that the best ideas come from the collaboration of a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds, abilities and preferences, and that this is central to giving organisations a competitive advantage. We are excited to partner with Dive In and are committed to bringing in positive change in the way organisations and society at large embrace Inclusion and Diversity."

Shankar Garigiparthy, CEO & Country Manager, Lloyd’s India said, “We are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive culture within Lloyd's market, but we have much more yet to do. We recently published our Culture Dashboard intended to track Lloyd’s collective progress towards a much more inclusive environment and have prioritised action improving the gender balance across the market. We have also resolved to improve the experience, level the playing field and increase the representation of Black and Minority Ethnic talent in our market. There is undoubtedly a long way to go, and it takes every single one of us to really accelerate change. But we are absolutely determined that we can and will create a culture in Lloyd's market in which everybody can flourish.

Dive In has united our industry, bringing thousands of people together from around the world around a common goal – to drive positive and meaningful action to create a much more inclusive and diverse sector. And this goal has never been more important, particularly as we reflect on the events over the last six months. COVID-19 has caused society more broadly to think about how it operates, exposing the inequalities, vulnerabilities and flaws in our current systems, given us all an opportunity to regroup and consider how we can reduce our environmental impacts, tackling inequality or by creating a more inclusive society."

About Anviti 

Anviti Insurance Brokers Private Limited is a composite insurance broker delivering insurance and reinsurance broking services to corporate clients in India, promoted by Catamaran, a stage and sector agnostic diversified investment firm that creates, partners with and invests in ethical differentiated and innovative businesses globally. Currently present in eight locations (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR (Gurugram) Hyderabad, Pune, Noida, Kolkata, and Chennai) in India.

About Swiss Re

The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cybercrime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally. It is organised into three Business Units, each with a distinct strategy and set of objectives contributing to the Group’s overall mission.

Diversity and Inclusion at Swiss Re

About AIG

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Willis Towers Watson

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas — the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential.

About Lloyd’s

Lloyd’s is the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance marketplace. Through the collective intelligence and risk-sharing expertise of the market’s underwriters and brokers, Lloyd’s helps to create a braver world. The Lloyd’s market provides the leadership and insight to anticipate and understand risk, and the knowledge to develop relevant, new and innovative forms of insurance for customers globally. It offers the efficiencies of shared resources and services in a marketplace that covers and shares risks from more than 200 territories, in any industry, at any scale. And it promises a trusted, enduring partnership built on the confidence that Lloyd’s protects what matters most: helping people, businesses and communities to recover in times of need. Lloyd’s began with a few courageous entrepreneurs in a coffee shop. Three centuries later, Lloyd's market continues that proud tradition, sharing risk in order to protect, build resilience and inspire courage everywhere.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace