Chair
Independent Women in Insurance Network (Worshipful Company of Insurers)
“In thinking about how to take control of their career development, young women in the insurance industry often cite the importance of building networks and of securing an industry mentor,” says Barbara Merry. The Independent Women in Insurance Network (iWIN), which she chairs, aspires to address these needs.
Merry embraced the idea of launching iWIN, which is supported by the Worshipful Company of Insurers and offers a learning and development programme for young women, many of whom need help in navigating the work environment.
“I’ve always felt strongly about the need to do the right thing for people who are disadvantaged in some way or who are less fortunate than I am. As a result, I am passionate about the diversity and inclusion agenda and my focus has been on gender, most particularly because of unconscious bias, which makes it very tough for young women to be treated fairly. When we launched iWIN, it was clear that we had touched a nerve, and we have been able to secure massive support across the market,” Merry says.
She is also involved in a number of other D&I and networking initiatives, notably as a member of the Inclusion@Lloyd’s Group and as a founder member of The Insurance Supper Club.
For Merry, diversity and inclusion are business imperatives as it is crucial from a competitive perspective that businesses respect and understand cultural and intellectual differences, to ensure better-quality decision-making and better understanding of their customer base.
Merry served for 12 years as CEO of Hardy Underwriting Group, which manages Syndicate 382 at Lloyd’s, having previously been MD of the Omega Group and with the corporation of Lloyd’s for 14 years.
INDEPENDENT WOMEN IN INSURANCE NETWORK (iWIN)
Established by the Worshipful Company of Insurers in 2014, iWIN is a forum for networking, mentoring and targeting learning and development for all women within the insurance industry.
“The objective of iWIN is to bring together people who have aspirations to have a career in the insurance industry and who have a common interest in the industry. We want to provide a learning and development framework for the young women that are trying to make their way in the industry by giving them the education they need to help them take control of their own career progression,” says Barbara Merry, chair of iWIN.
