To quote J.R.R. Tolkien, the world is changing.
Diversity, both in the workforce and in the rich experience of our personal lives, is something no one can deny; it is not a choice. The insurance industry is no different.
You can see it, in the number of non-white, not-always-male faces at insurance carriers and brokerages, and at such major industry gatherings such as RIMS in New Orleans last month. You can certainly see it in the demographics that make up graduating classes of universities across this great nation.
The insurance business for too long has been characterized by what is often referred to during happy hour conversations as "PMS": Pale, Male and Stale. Yet it is evolving beyond that. Much of the Old Boys' Club will be retiring within the next five to 10 years, succeeded by talented individuals who will lead the insurance industry's next generation.
In fulfilling our mission to cover and chronicle the insurance industry to the best of our power, National Underwriter Property & Casualty recognizes that the business that does not continually evolve will die—and thankfully, the diverse nature of people who work in the business of insurance and the varied perspectives they bring to the table will ensure our industry's ability to thrive and more effectively serve the needs of its varied customer base.
Which brings us to this issue's cover.
NU historians can feel free to weigh in on this one, but I'm very confident in saying this is the very first time a female executive of color has appeared as the cover subject of this magazine. For that, I am very proud—but that's not why I made that decision. (You can also believe me when I say that if Leilani Brown had been advised that was the case, she likely would have given me some friendly grief over it.)
I decided to so because Leilani Brown is the latest in a series of feature subjects you'll see in these pages that embrace the varied makeup in the people who comprise the insurance industry. That includes insurance professionals who are—guess what?—not male.
Let's face it: "Women in Insurance" features can often come off as pandering, or at worst, an insincere money grab. Running galleries full of female faces while slipping that list to the ad department in hopes of generating "congratulations" ads to increase revenue is … distasteful. To run a "Women in Insurance" headline implies that these individuals are exceptions to a rule, that, "Hey, what do you know? She's a woman, and has succeeded anyway."
Personally, I find that implication revolting. It displays a mindset that has not evolved beyond a frat-boy, country club mentality. And that's not what you will ever find, in our pages.
Brown is just one of the rich profiles we'll present to you this year, followed by others such as a Tennessee agency principal who's proudly—and successfully—continuing the tradition of insurance professionals in her family, and an executive at Willis whose financial and executive risk specialty practice places approximately $1 billion of premium in the marketplace—and under her watch generated double-digit revenue growth in 2014.
As always, I welcome your feedback. Join us as we continue to do the best job we can for the audience whose loyalty we look to earn every single day, by accurately and effectively telling the stories that make us worth your valuable time.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.