• Event attracted 260 attendees and heard from keynote speaker Charlotte Sweeney, the lead on the City of London’s inclusion programme “The Power of Diversity”
• “Insurance Ireland’s promoting ‘the Year of Inclusion’ is a positive development which I look forward to seeing adopted more widely across the sector” Minister Eoghan Murphy

15th February 2017. Insurance Ireland has launched its Year of Inclusion to highlight inclusion best practices in its member companies and to draw on expert external resources to advance this work. 

The launch event for the Year of Inclusion took place in the Shelbourne Hotel and attracted over 260 representatives from across the Insurance industry. This is the first of a series of events built around four quarterly themes of gender in Q1, LGBTI in Q2, ethnicity and age in Q3 and disability in Q4. 

Insurance Ireland is partnering with external resources throughout the year including the 30% Club, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, the National Council for the Blind Ireland and the DiveIn festival for Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance which has grown to take place in multiple cities each September. 

The keynote speaker was Charlotte Sweeney who is Vice-Chair of the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills External Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Panel and led the City of London’s Diversity Programme “The Power of Diversity”. 

Speaking after the event Charlotte Sweeney stated “There is a compelling business case for diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace. The challenge for businesses is realising the opportunity and this starts with inclusive leadership. The interest and engagement on the issue at today’s event bodes extremely well for the year ahead and I congratulate Insurance Ireland for taking this important step forward’.”

Minister of State, Eoghan Murphy, T.D., said “Ireland’s Marriage Equality Referendum demonstrated the massive reputational dividend that flows from the adoption of progressive measures. Many financial service companies have adopted exemplary diversity and inclusion programmes and have benefitted on many levels as a result. Not least by maximising the productive and innovative capabilities of their workforce. Driving the benefits across the sector as a whole is an objective of the Government’s IFS2020 Strategy. Insurance Ireland’s promoting ‘the Year of Inclusion’ is a positive development which I look forward to seeing adopted more widely across the sector.”

Kevin Thompson, Chief Executive, Insurance Ireland, stated “Today’s event is a result of the exceptional work of our Inclusion Task Force in recent years and is an important landmark in the process of further recognising and promoting diversity and inclusion in our member companies. This initiative is an opportunity for our industry to consider how to apply inclusion best practices for the benefit of current and future employees.”

“There are many positive and best practice inclusion initiatives across the sector but like all other industries we must draw on external expertise. I would like to thank the 30% Club for partnering with us for today’s event and look forward to further collaboration with them and our other partners during the year ahead.”  

The other speakers at the launch event were Frank Mee of Allianz Worldwide Care and Chair of the Inclusion Task Force; Terry Kelly Oroz, Head of Regulatory & Compliance at Irish Life Health; Sean McGrath, CEO, Allianz Plc; Carol Andrews, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Service Delivery, BNY Mellon & 30% Club Representative; and Penny Bryant Head of Communications, Western and Central Europe, MetLife.

Ends.

Media contact:

John Byrne                                                                      Nuala Buttner 

Communications Manager, Insurance Ireland                      Q4 Public Relations

Tel: (+353) 01 644 7781 / 087 938 3852                            Tel: 01 475 1444 / 085 174 4275