In a survey of insurance company employees, Insurance Business asked insurers’ staff if they were as engaged and conscious of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) policies 12 months ago. It found that a good 69% of insurance employees said that they had DE&I policies in place over a year ago.

Whether an insurance company has been on its DE&I journey for years, or has just begun, it is important for the organization to help all its staff understand that they are welcome. For Markel Canada, it puts its DE&I efforts front and centre so that everyone who joins the company knows that they are entering an all-accepting environment.

A winner of Insurance Business Canada’s 5-Star Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award for 2023, Markel Canada is of the belief that inclusion is deeply embedded in its company creed: the “Markel Style.”

The Style dictates that employees must be inspired and challenged to be honest and fair with all their dealings; share their success with others; honour their commitment to the communities; and empower people to reach their full potential – inclusion perfectly aligns with these goals, and the company has made it known that its DE&I strategy is a part of its overall vision and not just a program that was tacked on at the last minute.

"Fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization is a business imperative at Markel,” said Markel chief human resource officer and global D&I steering committee member Sue Davies in a statement on the company’s website. “It is critical to support the culture and community we as a company cherish. It will help ensure that all our employees, whatever their role and wherever they work, can thrive and, as the Markel Style states, reach their personal potential.”

Markel’s DEI&I policy is so successful, that the company maintains at least eight employee-led diversity groups, allowing like-minded employees to find their place and interests among each other. These include: Black Engagement at Markel, Markel Asian Professionals Network, UN1DOS, Markel Veterans Network, Markel Women’s Network, The Jitneys, PRISM, and Markel International Inclusion Network.

“We are on an exciting D&I journey at Markel, working to provide education, build awareness, and ensure our talent processes support all our employees whilst building inclusivity and collaboration,” said Davies.