On the 29th of November, ISC Group welcomed 185 of our members and friends to The Ned in London, along with our sponsor EY, to celebrate an astonishing 18 months.

The evening was filled with celebration and connections new and old. It was also the first occasion where we have hosted an event to spotlight our own achievements and to thank all those who have supported ISC Group since its birth as The Insurance Supper Club.

Pamela Thomson-Hall, ISC UK Chair, summarised these achievements, prior to the dinner, in a speech that celebrated sponsorship and the role that it has in promoting women and greater inclusivity, generally.

In 2022, ISC Group expanded into three new countries (Bermuda, Germany, and Ireland) and grew in France and the United States. The General membership launched, providing women globally with access to networking and educational resources regardless of their socioeconomic situation. Since the 1st of January 2022 [to the 8th of December], 1207 women have become General Members. We have also seen a dramatic increase in Corporate Members, bringing the number to over 100, along with an additional 15 organisations acting as Sponsors. 

This growth has allowed the organisation to pivot towards becoming a business association with a greater focus on research and development. Currently, there are 1000 women, going through the ISC Group Aspire and Emerging career development programmes. These programmes are designed to ensure the promotion of women, taking into consideration their unique experience. Along with the 35 bespoke workshops carried out for our Corporate Members, these programmes provide us with unique and unfettered insight which will act as the foundation of research projects in 2023.

It is essential to note that the Executive community remains a core part of ISC Group with over 800 senior women in the UK at c-suite and minus one positions. In November, we were delighted to be joined by seven of the original twelve women who unified to create the community which is now so valued. Alongside the original cohort, we have been strengthened by an additional 120 volunteers who sit in board and committee roles across 7 countries.

We have come a long way since 2008.

Barbara Schönhofer MBE, ISC Group Founder and Chair, reminded all in attendance that ISC Group is not only a significant network but also a community based on allyship. She stressed that without one you cannot have the other; allyship creates trust which in turn strengthens bonds between community members.

It is time for us to take the trust and allyship that has been built out to other networks and industry bodies to collaborate with underrepresented groups across the industry, providing energy and support to those who need it most. With this comes a recognition of intersectionality and the additional challenge for those who hold multiple protected characteristics within their identity experience. By working with organisations which are experts in their own field of inclusivity we can better strengthen the industry together.

Allies help each other and we were joined at the festive celebration by friends and allies who are integral to the success of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Barbara encouraged all in attendance to reach out to someone from an underrepresented group and become an ally. We need to change the world of work to be more welcoming, allowing us to tap into much needed talent that thinks and acts differently.

We encourage those reading to carry this message. Anyone can be an ally, and every one of us needs allyship.

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