The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, has announced that Kathy Quintana of HUB International (HUB) has been named the 2023 IICF Inclusion Champion Award winner. This prestigious award honors the extraordinary contributions of insurance industry professionals working to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility within the industry and communities at large.
“We are thrilled to recognize Kathy Quintana as our 2023 Inclusion Champion,” said Betsy Myatt, IICF Vice President, Chief Program Officer and Executive Director of the IICF Northeast Division. “Her remarkable contributions and leadership are a shining light to all who value a fully inclusive future for our industry. We are grateful for Kathy’s work in this realm and for all this year’s outstanding nominees, and we thank them all for their tireless efforts to better our industry and communities.”
The Inclusion Champion Award represents the highest ideals and real world implementation of championing inclusivity and belonging through mentoring, talent development and advocacy to achieve a fully inclusive future and sense of belonging for all. IICF bestows this award biennially on those who demonstrate leadership and advocacy in the workplace, along with a personal commitment to community service. The award candidates were nominated by insurance industry colleagues and undergo a rigorous review conducted by industry volunteers working in the DEI space.
2023 Inclusion Champion Kathy Quintana serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for HUB California region and is recognized as a longtime leader in the western region brokerage market. Kathy is widely respected as an advocate for career development of promising talent of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and for her efforts to drive broader representation of women leadership across the company. Kathy is a regional co-founder and current co-chair of HUB Women Network, which in 2019 became HUB’s first company-wide Employee Resource Group and now includes more than 450 Ambassadors across North Americas, embracing a mission to Engage, Empower and Excel. She was also instrumental in developing the 2014 California Women’s Conference, a two-day event hosting 7,000 attendees. With a legacy of mentoring colleagues for opportunities within HUB, and as one of the first women to lead a major brokerage in the Los Angeles market, Kathy is deeply admired among the teams she has led and grown in Orange County and Los Angeles, and now as COO of HUB’s California operations.
“Starting out in the insurance industry 40+ years ago as a young female allowed me to understand the importance of being accepted, which was not always the case in my journey,” said Quintana. “Turning my dreams into reality took a lot of resilience, patience, and advocacy from others so my contributions and skills could be accepted and valued, even though they may not have fit the perceived mold at the time. The advocacy I was shown along the way made me realize I had a passion to do the same for others, regardless of any perceived biases.
I am beyond grateful to HUB for allowing the creation of HUB Women Network to now be that voice for so many of our employees going forward.
The work HUB and the IICF does around Inclusion continues to solidify my belief that we all have a role to play in changing the status quo. The work done through the many programs offered by the IICF is admirable and so very impactful. I am honored and humbled to be recognized by this esteemed group of industry colleagues.”
This year’s award will be presented at the Inclusion Champion Award luncheon on June 14 during the IICF Inclusion in Insurance Global Conference in New York. This event, the first in-person international event in the conference series since the 2019 Women in Insurance Global Conference, will run from June 13-15 and feature emerging topics in leadership, personal and professional growth, the business of insurance and more. The IICF Global Conference is the only one of its kind to benefit charitable causes. Those wishing to attend can register here.
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 has served as the philanthropic voice and foundation of the insurance industry for nearly thirty years, contributing $45 million in community grants along with 320,000 volunteer hours by more than 115,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact.
As the convener of the first Women in Insurance conferences to spotlight gender diversity in 2013, IICF works directly with the insurance industry in offering creative leadership platforms for exploring opportunities and challenges, and advancing ideas into action, with continued focus on women and broader inclusivity opportunities. These events remain the only ones of their kind to benefit charitable causes, with proceeds of the IICF Inclusion in Insurance Global Conference to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations serving local communities and individuals and families in need.
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: @doubleicf