Female Innovators: The Industry Needs You

Sacramento, Calif. – Julie Davis believes that women working in insurance have the unique skill sets and innovative ideas that are keys to reforming the industry, and that risk-taking in bringing forth these innovations should be rewarded. The problem, Davis said, is that risk-taking is something women tend to avoid in the insurance industry.

This week the executive vice president for Aon Corp., told attendees at California Women’s Network conference in Sacramento that this dilemma is not insurmountable, and that, even in a tough competitive environment, women can and should play the role of “change agent.”

“Women can take small steps every day to try and improve overall industry performance, which has been lackluster at best," Davis told the group.

In a follow-on dialogue with INN, Davis hinted at the urgency required of insurers that are considering innovation in their organizational plans, stating that the “frequency of major challenges and threats for survival are growing at a very rapid pace. Threats are continuous.”

According to Davis, "talent is needed to turn problems into products.” Because women are good collaborators who inherently hold a combination of skills that lead to innovation, they need to brave male-run corporations and promote their new ideas, she added.

“Innovation is one of the keys to survival,” Davis said, pointing to the need for creating a safe haven for insurance employees to share innovative ideas. Understanding business relationships (internal and external), reframing problems and identifying opportunities are other areas where both male and female business leaders should focus their attention, she said.

There are many tools available to better understand the client’s challenges and problems, Davis said, stating that these tools can help insuers think about alternatives and develop new products, services and ideas.

Davis, who was recently named “Who's Who for Entrepreneurial Work in the Insurance and Risk Management Field,” counsels entrepreneurs, risk managers, CFO's and CEO's of technology, Internet and life science firms on management of their risks. She will present on the topic of women leadership the Insurance Networking News’ Women’s Leadership Forum, Nov. 11 and 12 in Las Vegas.

 

Source: PRNewswire, California Women’s Network

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Core systems Security risk Policy adminstration Data security
MORE FROM DIGITAL INSURANCE