Conference Opening & Welcome Remarks

Patti Harman, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Insurance, opens the 2023 Women in Insurance Conference and introduces the facilitator for the event, Meg McKeen, who is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Adjunct Advisors LLC.

Transcription:

Audio Presentation (00:07):

Please welcome to the stage Patricia Harman, Editor in Chief Digital Insurance.

Patricia L. Harman (00:18):

Good morning everyone, and welcome to the 16th Annual Women in Insurance Leadership Conference. As I said, I am Patti Harman, the Editor-in-Chief of Digital Insurance, and it is just such an honor for me to be here with all of you this morning. Just to share a little background with you, I've covered various aspects of the insurance industry for well over the last 25 years, and as the editor in chief of different news outlets, I've always made it a priority to ensure that women in the insurance industry and related industries had a voice and an opportunity to share their wisdom and insights, and that's why I'm so excited to be here today. Today you are going to have an opportunity to hone your leadership skills network with phenomenal women leaders in our industry and learn from women who are trailblazers in multiple areas of insurance. And if you're wondering why being here is so important, let me share a few facts with you.

(01:19)

Courtesy of an executive I really respect with the Insurance Information Institute, women comprise over 60% of the insurance workforce, but they only occupy about 19% of the board seats. And while 11% have been named to insider officer positions, only 12% hold top officer positions. In addition, only about 8% of insurers have formal programs to develop strong careers for women, and even in 2023, there's still a significant pay gap with women only earning about 62 cents for each dollar earned by a man. Several of our sessions today will talk about the importance of diversity in thought leadership and perspectives, and it's up to us as the leaders in this room to build up the women in the industry, whether it's as mentors, sponsors, or just encouragers. To move to the next level, an important aspect of any event is the networking with the other attendees, and we've built in several opportunities for you to do just that.

(02:30)

But I want to challenge you today to introduce yourself to five people that you don't know. Just say a hi. You can admire her scarf, her shoes, her smile, whatever, and just share a little bit about yourself. And I think that you'll find that it's a lot easier and less intimidating than you might think, especially in this setting, and the friendships that you will develop will just totally transcend this event. If you want to know who is attending or what to expect for today, I encourage you to check out The Women in Insurance Leadership 2023 app. Yes, there is an app for that. Now I'd like to introduce Meg McKeen, who some of you may remember from last year. Meg will be our MC and guide for the day. She's the Principal Consultant of Adjunct Advisors LLC, which she founded in 2018 with the simple belief that we can and must do more to support the individuals who choose a career and insurance. Her more than two decades in the industry have included roles in underwriting, leadership and sales, which fuel her work as a consultant, and she hosts The Bound to Determined Podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, Meg McKeen.

Meg McKeen (03:52):

Thank you, Patti. Thank you Patti for that warm welcome. It is so lovely to be back. I would love just a quick show of hands, were you here last year? Have you been to this event in the past? It's so great to see some familiar faces. We created some really beautiful momentum last year that we are absolutely hoping to continue today, and it won't happen without you, so thank you for being here. You are making an investment in your career and in your life by choosing to be here today. You have likely sacrificed to be here some time with family, maybe asking a spouse or partner or neighbor, friend or family member to pull double duty. If you've got kids, maybe it's a team that's pinch hitting for you back in the office so that you could be here. It is an investment and I encourage you to get absolutely as much out of this day as you want and as you need or don't.

(04:47)

That's the other thing I'll offer you. Sometimes the beautiful thing that we need is just to change a perspective. It's time away, and as you think about the day to come, you're going to hear a lot. There's going to be a lot of ideas and a lot of thoughts and a lot of wisdom that come your way. I highly encourage you, take what works for you and absolutely leave the rest behind. Not everything is for you. Not everything was meant for you, and not everything will land with you today. Take notes, come back to your notes because as you continue to evolve and change the way that you approach some of the things that we'll talk about today, we'll evolve and change as well. I'd like to invite you to close your eyes for a quick second, maybe a little more than a second, and start to think about an intention for your day.

(05:35)

I'm a yogi. I'm not a good yogi, but I continue practicing. I continue showing up, and I continue thinking every time I walk into the yoga studio, why I'm there. What is my intention for that day? Sometimes and sometimes it's wide open. I don't have one I might offer you today. If you don't have an intention to think about the word connection and think about the connection that you have to, the work that you do and the people that you do that work with, the company that you work for, the connection that you have with the people in your life who you are in relationship with. Maybe it's those colleagues, maybe some of them have become friends. Maybe it's family at home or far away. Maybe it's connection with yourself, which I know for me is the thing that often comes last, the thing that I prioritize the least or the lowest. Can you give yourself this day in this time to be in connection with yourself? I love Patti's challenge to make five new friends, make friends with yourself. Can you leave here more clear and more confident and more settled, but not settling in? Not settling, but just really honoring and owning who you are as a woman in insurance leadership today, it is my total pleasure to be here, and it is my pleasure to introduce Tricia Tran, who's going to bring up our keynote speaker this morning.