Getting Ready to Dive In

RMS is proud to be a gold sponsor for this year’s Dive In – the festival for diversity and inclusion in the insurance industry. Dive In has gained such great traction around the globe as it gears up for its fifth year. It started as an initiative by Lloyd’s to raise awareness and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the insurance market – and has emerged as a global movement in the sector to support the development of inclusive workplace cultures, and much more. The work of Dive In is year-round, but its focal point is a three-day festival (September 24-26) with a wide range of different events happening in countries around the world, all of which aim to bring diversity and inclusion of all types to the fore.

Year-on-year, the Dive In festival has grown exponentially in terms of events, and the numbers of countries and attendees. From the first festival in London in 2015, last year saw 115 events in 27 countries, attracting over 9,000 attendees, and 72,000 visits to the Dive In website.

And with Dive In recognizing the challenges that the global risk industry faces, such as climate change and cybercrime, the industry knows it needs to be able to attract the very best talent to keep pace with the rate of change, and focus on its reputation as a great sector to work in.

Diversity and inclusion sit naturally with good business, which is reflected in the partners supporting Dive In. This includes AIG, Aviva, Axa XL, Aon, Marsh, Willis Towers Watson, Lloyd’s and MS Amlin, showing the overwhelming appetite for practical events that enable the insurance sector to translate awareness of the business case for diversity and inclusion into action.

What’s Happening for Dive In 2019?

This year sees Dive In events planned in many cities including Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, Dubai, Bangalore, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Antonio, San Francisco, Washington, Toronto, Hamilton, Rio de Janeiro, Zurich, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Edinburgh, Leeds and London. So, hopefully there is an event near you…!

The official launch for the Dive In festival is July 11, when events across the globe will be announced and you will then be able to reserve tickets. On launch day itself, the official kick-off in London will be outside Lloyd’s (between Lloyd’s and Willis). There are a few planned surprises in store for the launch.

The festival is a celebration, with so many different events, and speakers from all types of backgrounds, including celebrities, insurance and business figures. Don’t delay – participate, sign-up for events (first come, first served) and get involved at the Dive In website.

2019 will build on the great achievements of 2018 which saw Dive In events in new cities across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe, with events tackling topics such as gender equality and inclusive hiring, to take practical steps towards creating more inclusive workplaces.

Attendees in Amman, Jordan, heard from Mayyada Abu-Jaber, the renowned female activist and inspirational leader who discussed her lifetime dedication to female empowerment. In London, a panel of business leaders chaired by Victoria Derbyshire discussed how to close the diversity gap; and the festival finished with a standout speech from Sir Lenny Henry on his personal journey of diversity and inclusion – along with a fresh serving of comedy. Global engagement on social media helped the festival reach a further audience of three million.

Dive In is making a difference. Research among 10,000 registered Dive In attendees last year revealed that 93 percent of insurance professionals believe managers have got the message that diversity and inclusion are good for business and are taking positive steps forward. The survey also found that more than three-quarters (82 percent) feel their views on the importance of diversity and inclusion have changed positively since the festival started in 2015.

Why is RMS involved?

We are looking forward to our role as a sponsor for Dive In, and to help promote and support the global drive for greater diversity and inclusion, as this is an area where we are proud to play our part. As a global company that delivers successes and results by working together, across geographies, cultures and time zones, RMS wanted to be involved because a diverse and inclusive culture is important to us, it gives us strength to compete and grow, to face the challenges together, and we want to let people know that we think it is important to the industry as a whole.

And in 2019, Dive In will look beyond traditional definitions of diversity to level the playing field for talent comprehensively, including gender, age, cultural background, sexuality, social mobility, faith, caring responsibilities, mental health and physical impairments.

Everyone’s invited, so we look forward to seeing you at a Dive In event or supporting one of their many initiatives to make it the biggest year ever.