The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) recently hosted the IICF Northeast Forum in New York, an event where more than 200 insurance industry and business professionals gathered to take actionable steps toward building a more inclusive and innovative future for the insurance-industry workforce.

This year's sessions covered a range of significant topics including the state of inclusion and belonging, disability etiquette and awareness, staying professionally competitive, talent and recruitment issues, and how to empower the workforce to build a brighter future for the industry.

Leading speakers included:

• Subha Barry, president, Seramount;
• Roger Bliss, founder and CEO, EVS Advsiors;
• Omari Aarons-Martin, executive director and COO of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA);
• Trevor Gandy, global head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, AXA XL;
• Ivy Kusinga, founder, Career Vine;
• Meghan Parilla, vice president of Global Early Careers and Strategic Initiatives, Aon Plc; and
• Christina Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Legal for U.S. Businesses, CNA.

IICF's leadership events were established as the Women in Insurance Conference Series in 2013 and are the only events of their kind to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations through IICF's Community Grants Program.