Last month, Ohio Insurance Agents (OIA) hosted an industrywide call to action event that brought independent agents, carriers and other business professionals together to engage in thought provoking discussions surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion. The event was in collaboration with the national Big “I" Diversity Council, Grange and Westfield. During the event participants gained insights on research surrounding the business case for diversity and inclusion. They also heard from agency owners Quincy Branch with Branch and Company and John Loftin with MJ Insurance on how and why they have established DEI as a leading principle in their agency operations. The event ended with everyone sharing their "why" and the next steps they plan to take in moving the needle forward in DEI. More to come from OIA as they proactively work to bring a greater culture of diversity, equity and inclusion across the great state of Ohio!
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Reflections from the event“It was an honor to collectively bring a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program with the great minds on this subject from Big I National, Grange and Westfield. To see a room of individuals, competitors in most scenarios, gather in one room to discuss a matter that is bigger than themselves, is humbling. We look forward to many more discussions within the insurance industry to discuss how we can inspire greater conversation around DEI, and how we can make a greater impact on the effort in our industry."
– Jeff Smith, CEO at Ohio Insurance Agents
“To move your agency forward in diversity, equity and inclusion, it's extremely important that you know your why – for both yourself and your business at large. A great way to develop your why is through investing time in educating yourself on DEI and engaging in thoughtful conversations about it with industry peers. That is what made this event so great!"
– Whitnee Dillard, Big “I" Director of Diversity and Inclusion
"It was truly inspiring to be part of something so unique to advance meaningful conversation about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Multiple carriers coming together with the OIA, Ohio agents, and other industry partners to share, ask, and learn in such a vulnerable dialog session format. We are on a journey to advance DEI efforts within our company, in our communities and our industry. From our corporate staff to every agent, customer and supplier, Westfield is embracing all people and enabling all possibility"
– Greg Garrett, Diversity and Inclusion Operations Leader at Westfield
“Grange Insurance was proud to partner with Westfield, the Big I and OIA to inform independent agents and carriers about understanding the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion and how it is a catalyst to help them grow their businesses in an ever-changing marketplace"
– Priscilla Hammonds, AVP of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations at Grange.
But wait there's more...
Last October, the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) hosted their first diversity event series “Be Diverse" as a precursor to their annual state convention. Nick Fyntrilakis, MAIA President and CEO, stated, "The program brought together respected leaders who shared important perspectives on embracing diversity to bring about business growth and the changes necessary for the independent agency system to thrive. We were thrilled with how it turned out and received a great deal of positive feedback from participants."
Heather Krammer, MAIA Vice President and COO, states, "Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace simply makes sense and is the right thing to do. Including everyone ensures we mirror our communities and gives businesses a strategic advantage in the workplace and the ability to reach more consumers. We are committed to both the education and practice of DEI and believe we can all grow positively when working together."
Click here to learn about more DEI initiatives Big “I" state associations are implementing across the independent
agency channel.
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