Essential steps for building an inclusive insurance workforce
Spotlight on DE&I: Sustainable programs are more than “one and done,” says WSIA DE&I Director Vanessa Sims.
Vanessa Sims wants insurance professionals to get comfortable being uncomfortable about conversations related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives.
This, she says, is how lasting workplace inclusivity programs are born.
Sims joined the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) in 2021 as the organization’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This topic is one in which Sims has developed an expertise as she previously worked as a DE&I professional and practitioner at a regional bank as well as other talent solutions roles at a global financial services firm. Sims also lends her skills to volunteer work as a board member for two different community organizations that serve the place she calls home, Kansas City, Mo.
PropertyCasualty360 recently caught up to Sims to talk about insurance industry diversity programs and the role DE&I conversations will have at WSIA’s 2022 Annual Marketplace happening Sept. 11-14.
PC360: What makes an organization such as WSIA well-suited to provide a platform for DE&I conversations?
Sims: The insurance industry is at a juncture where we stand to lose 400,000 professionals [largely to retirement] in the next few years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So we want our members to be prepared to attract and retain new talent.
We also want them to be wildly successful in achieving their own DE&I goals. We want [this work] to be relevant in their business and relevant to the people they seek to employ and retain in their organizations.
In order to do that, you have to build an awareness. You have to build your knowledge.
PC360: How will the DE&I conversation be showcased during WSIA’s 2022 Annual Marketplace?
Sims: We are really excited to be able to make this part of an ongoing conversation. This year, like we did last year, we’ll have a booth set up with materials, and I’ll be available to answer questions. There also will be an executive panel (on Mon., Sept. 12, 2022) with representatives from three organizations talking about what they’ve done at their firms related to diversity, equity and inclusion, why it’s important to them, and why other [insurance professionals] should be participating.
We’ll also have an event that I think is very unique. It will be a panel discussion called “DE&I: What If I Say (or do) the Wrong Thing?” This is intended to be a courageous conversation. We will have individuals from different surplus lines firms talking about their own diverse perspectives and experiences, personally professionally, in a safe setting…
We want to get into the habit of helping people understand that these are conversations we should be having more often, on a regular basis. We need to get comfortable getting uncomfortable when talking about some of these things, because it can lead to growth as culturally effective humans.
PC360: Is this just a moment in the insurance world, or does the recent focus on DE&I reflect real change in the industry?
Sims: This is a time to seize the moment so that we can have sustainable change. Going forward, we can no longer have firms or individuals who have ‘checked a box’ or have done performative acts. It’s time out for that.
The reason is that all of the talent that we’re seeking to bring into the industry are going to be watching, and they’re going to be listening. They’re going to be paying attention to DE&I statements and compare them to our ongoing actions. We cannot approach DE&I as “one and done.” This is a time to seize the opportunity for the long haul with a real comprehensive strategy.
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