Celebrating women at Zurich
03/07/2024
As part of International Women's Day 2024, we take a look at the stories of four of the amazing women who work at Zurich.
Amy Brettell, Caroline Dunn, Jacqui Kelly and Safa Saeed have all made their mark not just on Zurich but on the insurance industry as a whole, and in interviews with Insurance Post, Insurance Age and Insurance Business Magazine they've given insight into the importance of accessibility, visibility and mentors in the workplace.
Amy Brettell, managing director at Zurich Municipal
"Growing up, I was always told that I can be anything I want to be, and this has helped me believe in myself and make bold career choices."
When Amy joined the insurance industry it was male dominated, particularly at leadership level, but there has been a changing of the guard in recent years.
"It has become more inclusive, and not only are we seeing more women in the board room, we're seeing people of all different backgrounds leading businesses as well - it's great to see and is a trend that must continue."
Read all of Amy's interview with Insurance Post magazine here.
Caroline Dunn, chief underwriting officer at Zurich UK
"Social mobility is linked to equality of opportunity."
Caroline joined Zurich UK as chief underwriting officer in November 2021, and is an example to others of how the insurance industry as shifted its focus to social mobility.
“As I was growing up and thinking about what I wanted to do, things such insurance and careers in the city or in financial services were difficult to find out about,” she said. "Not having the contacts needed to know what careers and opportunities are out there creates an additional barrier to entry for young people."
Read more about Caroline's entrance into insurance, and the steps both she and Zurich are making in trying to make insurance more accessible for young people here.
Jacqui Kelly, head of sales and distribution at Zurich UK
"Having a truly inclusive environment and mindset across a whole business is fundamentally important."
In her interview with Insurance Age, which you can read here, Jacqui discusses how coaching and mentoring are so important within the insurance industry, and something that with time will help bring through the diverse talent that we need.
"The industry must recognise the talent it has and be conscious that, sometimes, women might not put themselves forward for a role. That's why things like job shares are a fantastic tool because they provide experience in different areas and give people a chance to prove what they can do."
Safa Saeed, claims handler at Zurich UK
Winner of the 2023 Insurance Post Claims Apprentice, Safa assumed upon entry to the insurance industry three years ago that insurance was a man's world.
But, as she explains to Insurance Post, Safa has had many role models and people to help inspire her in the journey so far.
"When I started in insurance on the apprentice scheme, I had two mentors in the teams I was working across – Rose Sutton and Danielle Lindsay. They were really helpful, and whenever I had questions, they were my go-to people."
Safa believes that mentoring schemes like this are a fantastic way to help people grow and develop in their roles, providing invaluable experience to new starters in a complex industry.
"I've also had female line managers - Rosie Wilson and Kelly Richard, and seeing them in their positions inspires someone as young as me to aim for that trajectory."
But, Safa continues, it isn't all just about female role models.
"James Nicholson has been a huge cheerleader of mine, personally posting a video on LinkedIn when I won the apprentice of the year award. Having him believe in me has added fuel to my progression fire."
