Spencer Foundation honors industry leaders at 10th annual gala
The Gala Dinner honors executives and their companies for their contributions to insurance industry education.
Close to 500 members of the insurance industry attended the Spencer Educational Foundation’s 10th annual Gala Dinner on Sept. 20, 2018, at the Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York City.
This year’s honorees were David Eslick, chairman and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Agency, and Patrick J. Kinney, executive vice president, field management at Travelers. The Gala Dinner honors executives and their companies for their contributions to insurance industry education.
Eslick, who has worked with colleges on insurance programs, is passionate about Spencer’s cause. Even though 70 scholarships were awarded this year, Eslick emphasized that 700 students applied, meaning more than 600 students weren’t selected.
Asked what he’d like to see in the property & casualty industry going forward, Eslick said: “We need to do a better job in diversity and inclusion in our industry.”
Related: Spencer awards 12 part-time master’s scholarships
The power of Spencer
C. Zakia Phillips, Spencer board member and chairwoman for 2018-19, believes Spencer’s grants — the first one was awarded in 2014 — have been a game changer in terms of attracting talent because they’re being given to schools that never offered a risk management class.
“Once they offer the classes, they start to participate in the programs,” Phillips said.
Among those in attendance, many were Spencer Scholars — both past and present. Jennie Lynn Martino, a senior at St. John’s University and Spencer Scholar for the second year in a row, spoke of Spencer’s impact and how she wants to pay it forward for others interested in insurance.
“My relationship with Spencer is beyond anything I could’ve imagined,” said Martino. “Spencer inspires me to give more of myself.”
Related: The Spencer Educational Foundation names 2018 scholars