IIABA Installs First Woman Chair In N.Y.

"It means a lot to me," said Ms. Clancy, referring to the fact that she is the first woman elected to chair the board. "Its important to me," she said.

"We have an industry that has a lot of women in support positions, but not in the leadership positions."

Throughout her career, she said, the issue of being a woman in a male-dominated business was never an issue. In fact, she found it to be a benefit.

"I was never faced with any barriers as far as moving up the ladder," Ms. Clancy reflected. "I always felt that being the only woman in situations was an advantage, not a disadvantage. People know you. People remember you. By virtue of being part of [the industry], you are remembered.

"Ive always felt that both the companies and the agents have always reached out in trying to support me. Ive never felt anything but positive things from all of them. They want women to succeed."

"Ive never felt that it hurt me to be a woman in any kind of insurance venue. I think we have a really wonderful industry with a lot of straight arrows–a lot of good, solid people trying to do the right thing and help one another. Thats their nature."

Asked why there are not more women in the insurance industry, Ms. Clancy felt there were two reasons.

One, the nature of the independent, family-owned agency is changing.

In the past, women who were involved in a family agency could have two careers–being involved in the agency and raising a family, Ms. Clancy suggested. There was the flexibility in the small agency to be in both worlds without committing to the leadership of the agency.

Her mother, Maureen, is a case in point. She raised a family, but kept a hand in the family business, and became more involved as she grew older and had the time.

Today, the growing size of agencies has changed that dynamic. As agencies become more corporate, they require greater commitment from a woman who wants to move up the agency ladder.

But that move up the ladder is taking place.

"I see a lot of women coming up," said Ms. Clancy. "Our association is reaching out to a lot of people of diverse backgrounds–younger people, women, people of diverse ethnic background. Our goal is to have our association reflect our agency membership and the insurance buying public."

The second problem is the lack of interest in insurance careers.

The issue, she noted, is broader than getting women into the industry. It is a matter of getting that new diverse blood into it.

The insurance industry has "a public relations problem," said Ms. Clancy. "It just doesnt sound like an interesting business. Thats what were faced with. But there are women now in huge leadership positions in companies. The difference I see today, compared to 17 years ago when I started, is dramatic. There are so many more women than there ever were before. Its a trend that is certainly changing quickly."

"This is an industry that is proactively trying to bring in people from diverse ethnic backgrounds," she continued. "Its not [pressure] from the outside in terms of affirmative action for why this is happening. Its all from the inside [from] the carriers [that are] trying to reflect their agency workforce in terms of their buying public."

Ms. Clancy said that the biggest part of her agenda during her term will be to bring state industry groups together to work on several issues they have in common to create a "louder voice in Albany," New Yorks state capital.

Among the legislative issues to be tackled are insurance fraud, automobile insurance, workers compensation and reform of the absolute liability surrounding the states scaffolding laws.

There is also the issue of company solvency and how agents can protect the consumer. She said the issue is substantial as agents try to keep up with rating agency changes that she called "monumental."

"Company solvency is a huge, huge issue for us right now," Ms. Clancy noted. "We are seeing some of our insurance companies that are trademarks to the industry having problems." She added that the association is dealing with this issue by gathering information and keeping agents informed.

But the issue of diversity remains large, she says, not only for IIABNY, but also carriers and wholesalers.

"Everyone is making an effort to improve our public image," she noted, adding that the association will be holding a conference in Syracuse, N.Y., to bring the next generation of agents and company people together "to interact and help develop the future leaders of the industry."

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, August 25, 2003. Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.