The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) hosted its Women in Insurance Global Conference last week, where more than 600 attendees gathered to discuss diversity and leadership in an ever-changing industry. The conference took place at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel and featured addresses focused on the importance of inclusivity and innovation from a broad spectrum of insurance leaders and icons outside the industry.
Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Founder of Ellevest, and Kate White, former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, were keynote speakers at the event. White awed the crowd with an inspiring speech on the importance of fearlessness and confidence on the road to success. Krawcheck was the final guest speaker and prompted serious critical thought from the attendees with her advice on the importance of investments for women and the power of money.
In addition to the rousing addresses from Krawcheck and White, Wade Davis, former NFL player and the inclusion consultant for Google, Netflix and the NFL, delivered a compelling speech on the importance of engaging men in the conversation of gender inclusivity in modern work environments.
“We were truly inspired by this year’s slate of influential speakers and insightful and unique breakout sessions,” said Betsy Myatt, executive director of the IICF Northeast Division and chair of the Women in Insurance Global Conference. “Women and men from a variety of backgrounds within the industry listened to and participated in meaningful discussions designed to inform, challenge and motivate. They will return to their companies as champions of a path toward a future that celebrates and welcomes greater inclusion and diversity of thought, which will further drive innovation and growth.”
Attendees not only were able to learn from these renowned speakers, but also had the opportunity to network and explore the themes of the conference with colleagues and executives, and share their own personal career journeys. This led to some thought-provoking and insightful revelations on how industry leaders can continue to evolve their business work environments to achieve greater inclusion and diversity of thought and how newer members of the insurance world can navigate as the industry moves forward.
One of the conference’s highlights was the IICF Women in Insurance Global Conference Awards Dinner on June 13. At this special industry event, IICF bestowed the prestigious Inclusion Champion Awards, given to insurance industry professionals with a personalcommitment to community service who provide leadership toward the advancement of women in the workplace and diversity of all kinds. This year’s recipients were Nina Boone of Aon and Linde Hotchkiss of Willis Towers Watson. IICF also recognized Giselle Acevedo of the Ackerman Institute for the Family and the Board of Governors at Farmers Insurance, honoring her work with the Career Achievement Award. Please view all 2019 IICF Inclusion Champions and nominees at: http://online.fliphtml5.com/swww/gtee/.
Since the inception of the IICF Women in Insurance events in 2013, more than 6,700 women and men have attended these creative platforms for exploring important opportunities and challenges in the insurance industry.
All proceeds from the Women in Insurance Global Conference benefit IICF’s Early Literacy Initiative, which is a strategically-focused program designed to improve early childhood literacy opportunities, developed in partnership with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. The IICF Women in Insurance events are the longest running and only industry events of their kind to benefit a nonprofit cause.
IICF will convene the insurance industry on topics of leadership, innovation and diversity at its Women in Insurance Regional Forums in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York in June 2020. Visit https://womensconference.iicf.org/ for information on additional 2019 Women in Insurance events in San Francisco (August 15), Chicago (August 28), Dallas (late fall) and Houston (December). IICF will release its first Women in Insurance white paper, capturing key learnings from the 2019 Women in Insurance Global Conference, this summer.
About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation
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 has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing over $31 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact. 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 Twitter @doubleicf.