On the 7th October 2021, Sheffield Haworth sponsored and hosted a global Executive roundtable. The session focused on why cognitive diversity is so important in insurance, how the industry can attract talent from other sectors and/or more diverse backgrounds as well as considering the major obstacles and how to overcome them.

It was a pleasure to welcome so many of our members to a discussion focused on leadership, at a senior networking event sponsored by Barclays. The event opened with a conversation with Karla Maloof, Head of FIG at Barclays, who discussed her own leadership style, how it has adapted over the last eighteen months not only to account for the needs of her team members but also to ensure that she was leading in a way which felt true to her.

The session focused on the topic of ‘managing consciously’ which Sinéad Condon, Chief People Officer at Guidewire, had discussed previously with Christina Colby, Chief Customer Office at Guidewire, on an ISC broadcast. Sinéad explained what it looks like when someone is managing consciously and its value when it comes to appreciating the needs of each, individual team member. The pair also discussed the role a manager plays in creating an environment that allows team members to feel capable of self-advocating as well as the importance of self-advocating.