Women in the insurance industry: on the way to diversity and equal opportunities

Women in the insurance industry: on the way to diversity and equal opportunities

With the aim of making the job profile of the insurance brokers in Austria more attractive, the insurance broker association has launched the “Women Wanted - Women for the Industry wanted” initiative. This campaign aims to reduce the discrepancy between the potential this profession for women and the current share of only 15 percent female representatives: to reduce inside the industry.

The tasks of an insurance broker are versatile and demanding. The challenges are numerous from independent customer advice to specialist expertise and damage management to risk analyzes. Christoph Berghammer, the specialist association chairman, emphasizes that it is urgently needed to network women more and to show them the diverse opportunities in this professional field. "Diversity is necessary in our industry to meet the high demands of consumers," he says.

challenges and visions

A central point of the initiative is the need to create more female role models and to develop more flexible framework conditions. Factors such as the compatibility of work and family as well as the presence of women in decision -making positions are challenges that may not be ignored. In addition, prevailing prejudices must be broken down. Studies show that companies that have women in management positions are often more innovative and successful, but such positions are still rare for women.

The so -called "glass ceiling" shows how difficult it is for many women to get to the top. Access to politics and representation of interests is often perceived as male dominated, which makes it even more difficult to underrepse women in relevant positions. Women need role models to be able to build on their success and to understand that they too can achieve their own goals.

In an insightful interview that is presented on the following pages, Angelika Sery-Froschauer, chairwoman of the WKÖ federal division information and consulting, as well as Brigitte Kreuzer, who previously worked in leading positions in the specialist association, share their experiences. These female leaders give insights into their challenges and successes and thus encourage other women in the industry.

The initiative aims to draw attention to the important topics and to promote a dialogue about the role of women in the insurance industry. An increasing number of women in this area would not only enrich the industry itself, but also contribute to improving the entire corporate landscape in Austria. For more information on this important initiative and the conversations with Female Leaders, see the report on www.wko.at .