Women Leaders in Insurance | Elite Women 2023

“My desire and genuine passion for this industry to help people automatically outshone the disadvantages”
Nilima PokalaSureInsure Insurance Advisors

Building a career

According to the Australian national census, 28% of women in Australia were born overseas, and two of 2023’s Elite Women feature in this demographic.

Jenny Whitby, senior cyber underwriter at ATC Insurance Solutions, left the UK in 2022 and has since been focusing on building out her firm’s cyber portfolio.

“It’s been a whirlwind year of attending nationwide events, building my network, and generally trying to kick as many goals as I can both personally and professionally,” she says. “As a woman in both the insurance and tech industries, it’s a privilege to turn my attention towards the Australian market. To have made a difference and to have been nominated for an award like this after only having been here for 12 months is an incredible feeling.”

Fellow winner Nilima Pokala moved from India. She has been able to succeed due to her mindset. The principal, managing director and co-founder of SureInsure Insurance Advisors highlights her “self-motivation” and “hunger.”

“Being female and of Indian ethnicity did throw a few curveballs my way, but that was temporary, as every time my work spoke for me, and my desire and genuine passion for this industry to help people automatically outshone the disadvantages,” she says. “In the past, when I was paid less as compared with my male colleagues, I stood up for myself and actually made my bosses listen to me.”

Born and raised in Melbourne, Michelle Domanski faced challenges relating to work-life balance. However, the claims team leader for GT Insurance persevered, attempting “to give 100%” to her family and her employer.

“That’s an ongoing challenge I think a lot of working mums or other females experience,” she says. “You need to learn to say no, and that was probably the hardest thing for me, whether that be saying no to being invited to an event at work, out of work hours, working overtime on a weekend, or saying no to a family event on the weekends.”

“I’m all for women supporting women”
Jenny WhitbyATC Insurance Solutions

Elite Women share their keys to success

“Don’t do it alone,” says Whitby. “Find your mentors. Find the people who get you and are like minded and able to support each other, and you’ll be able to succeed. I’m all for women supporting women.”

Whitby also emphasises the importance of patience in crafting a career.

“You have to do the work and take your time before you deserve the recognition and the promotions,” she says.

Echoing this sentiment, Domanski says, “There are a lot of setbacks, and younger people need to understand there will be those setbacks, but just keep trying and give 110%, and you will get there.”

Whereas Pokala recognises that there is a strong sense of achievement for those who can be there for their clients.

“Every day is rewarding when you genuinely help someone with correct coverage and/or their claims. Getting them the maximum entitlements in their time of need is very satisfying,” she says.

Elite Women mentorship

Leading and inspiring are key elements of being an Elite Woman, forging a path for others to follow.

Whitby describes the initiatives she believes in and wants to share with others in the industry:

• equal parental leave  
   

• improving monitoring of the talent pipeline to nurture young female talent  
   

• boosting inclusivity for after-work events  
   

Domanski is another Elite Woman who wants to encourage greater networking.

She says, “We need to offer more opportunities for women to get involved in industry events, whether outside of work hours or during work hours. There are a lot of opportunities for men to attend golf days and network. There just don’t seem to be a lot for women.”

And another change she wants to promote is increased education on neurodiversity and compensation.

“I think there is still a big discrepancy between what males and females get paid in our industry, so it would be good if there was transparency on salaries.”

Pokala’s own mentorship principles build on this. She would like to drive a greater focus on:

• upskilling 
   

• making diversity a strategic priority 
   

• mandating that salary figures be disclosed  

Elite Women industry insights

The analysis above compares well with IB’s survey, which probed the nominees and their nominators by asking the following questions and including a sample of responses.

What makes a woman of influence in insurance?

• “excellent skills who achieve great things”
   

• “great at relationship management”
   

• “high emotional intelligence”
   

• “inspires other women to achieve”

What is the most difficult thing about being a woman in the insurance industry?

• “lack of senior leadership mentoring young talent”
   

• “gender pay gap”
   

• “quantitative disadvantage: too few women”
   

• “stereotyping and unconscious bias”
    

• “no maternity leave”   

What is it about insurance that makes it important to recognise top-performing women?

• “Women are reluctant to promote themselves.”  
   

• “Promotion boosts inspiration and celebration.”
   

• “It helps attract younger talent.”
   

• “There’s still an imbalance of genders.”
    

• “It helps drive greater equality and pay.”  

If two candidates were evenly matched, would you promote a female over a male?

• There were zero answers for yes. All instead referenced factors such as competency, work ethic and ambition as the determining criteria.  

“Younger people need to understand there will be those setbacks, but just keep trying and give 110%, and you will get there”
Michelle DomanskiGT Insurance

Elite Women reflect on the industry

Providing an overview of the fundamentals of progress as an insurance industry leader, expert Riedel says, “It is useful to take a step back and focus on things like being authentic to yourself, connecting with your colleagues and treating others with kindness and respect. Those characteristics never go out of style and without fail, leave a lasting, positive impression.”

Pokala shares that, in her view, the industry is in a better place, but more could be done to usher in a greater number of Elite Women in the future.

“It has vastly improved, but clearly, we still have a way to go,” she says. “We need more dedicated mentoring of junior staff, including women, helping them with their career goals and objectives. More diversity and inclusion committees and meetings are required. I wish I had all this 20 years ago.”

Whitby picks out remote working as a key tool for any woman considering parenthood.

“I’m not a mother, but it’s something that’s definitely on my radar as far as what it’s going to look like in terms of workload and the home workload. Women have been told they need to do it all, and we now have more opportunities to have careers, which is fantastic.”

Women Leaders in Insurance |
Elite Women 2023

• 
  Amanda Bush
  Group Operations Manager
  Action Insurance Brokers
   
  
• 
  Emma Hosking
  Manager, Government Partnerships
  Gallagher Bassett
   
  
• 
  Jeanene Hill
  Head of Coverholder and Delegated Authority – APAC
  Canopius
   
  
• 
  Jenny Whitby
  National Cyber Manager
  ATC Insurance Solutions
   
  
• 
  Kristy Meaton
  Corporate Services Manager
  AAMC
   
  
• 
  Nilima Pokala
  Principal, Managing Director and Co-Founder
  SureInsure Insurance Advisors
   
  
• 
  Abbie Wilson
  Your Trusted Broker
  National Insurance Brokers
   
  
• 
  Alisha Hill
  National Product Manager, Heavy Motor – Package
  NTI
   
  
• 
  Michelle Domanski
  Claims Team Leader
  GT Insurance
   
  
• 
  Rebecca Stevens
  Partner
  Carter Newell Lawyers
   
  
• 
  Robyn Watkins
  Technical Underwriting Specialist
  GT Insurance
   
  
• 
  Shelagh Bock
  General Manager
  AM&T
   
  
• 
  Susan Wentworth-Perry
  Director
  MKS Insurance Services
   
  
• 
  Tetiana George
  Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
  Curium
   
  

• Aimee Henderson
  WA State Manager and Senior Broker
  Grace Insurance
• Alison Smith
  Head of National, Australia
  Aon
• Angela O'Neil
  General Manager, Broking
  Resilium
• Anita Lane
  Co-Founder and Director
  Solution Underwriting Agency
• Barbara Stenning
  National Head of Claims
  Berkley Insurance Australia
• Chrissy Cheeseman
  National Operations Manager – Crawford TPA
  Crawford & Company
• Claire Ohannessian
  Chief Client Officer
  Sedgwick
• Demetra Day
  Head of Distribution, Australia and New Zealand
  Chubb
• Drew Schnehage
  Managing Director
  Innovation Group Australia
• Fabrizia Roberto
  Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
  koverd
• Gail Murray
  Principal Broker
  Gallagher
• Geniere Aplin
  Chief Executive Officer
  EML Solutions
• Gina Brasher
  Senior Broker
  Sanderson
• Heather Blanco
  Chief Executive Officer
  SUREWiSE
• Helen Stephens
  Chief Executive Officer and Director
  Simplex Insurance Solutions
• Ilona Strong
  Partner
  Hall & Wilcox
• Jen Bettridge
  Clear Leader
  Clear Insurance
• Jennifer Steger
  Senior Account Manager
  Trade Risk
• Jessica Jenkins
  National Corporate Relationship Manager
  Solution Underwriting
• Jodi Sharman
  Corporate Manager
  Gallagher
• Julijana Sumner
  Head of Claims
  AXA XL
• Kezia David
  Special Counsel
  Hicksons Lawyers
• Lilly Lazarevski
  Executive Manager, Commercial and Agri
  CGU Insurance
• Lisa Carter
  Managing Director
  Clear Insurance
• Lorelle Hillman
  General Manager, Partnerships
  QBE
• Lynne Crockford
  Head of Finance and Human Resources
  NM Insurance
• Menna Troughton
  National Manager, Operational Excellence
  Crawford & Company
• Michelle Morrissey
  National Claims Manager
  UAA
• Monique Reibelt
  Client and Operations Lead – Professional and Executive Risks
  Honan Insurance Group
• Prudence Chang
  Executive Manager – Business Development and Partners
  NCI
• Rebecca Fox
  Managing Director
  Fox Insurance Solutions
• Retha Van der Merwe
  Executive Director
  Omnisure
• Roslyn James
  Principal and Operations Manager
  Austbrokers SPT
• Sarah Lyons
  Chief Executive
  Gallagher
• Stephanie Blewett
  Senior Talent Advisor
  Honan Insurance Group
• Taela Bloemers
  Director
  Status Insurance Brokers
• Tiana Luvale
  Principal, Broker Engagement and Communication
  CGU Insurance
• Tracy O'Brien
  Assistant Broker
  AUZi Insurance
• Yvette McLaughlin
  Partner
  Sparke Helmore