New research from Dive In, the global festival for diversity and inclusion in the insurance sector, reveals almost three-quarters (71%) of insurance professionals surveyed believe that the culture in their firm needs to change.

The survey of over 2,800 festival attendees, suggests that in order to attract and retain the best talent for the market, firms need to become more inclusive. Close to two thirds of the insurance industry believe that their firm should do more to advance diversity and inclusion in gender, LGBT and mental health. The survey, carried out in August this year, also highlights the importance placed on talent attraction and retention for a market that is facing complex global challenges including cyber threats and climate change.

The third annual Dive In Festival will take place from 26th to 28th September, with events in 32 locations across the globe.

Nicolas Aubert, Chair of the London Market Group said, “building a diverse, dynamic workforce is critical for the global insurance market to enable us to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. I am delighted that the Dive In Festival continues to grow around the globe but, as demonstrated by these results, we must recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done. As the London Market Group highlighted in our recent London Matters 2017 report – it is only by acknowledging the importance of an inclusive and diverse workforce that we can ensure we drive change in our industry.”

Inga Beale, CEO at Lloyd’s added, "the insurance sector is working hard to address its culture. We have made a lot of progress and, although we have more work to do, we are uniting across the insurance world to attract and retain a diverse workforce. The launch of the Dive In Festival, a unique and global celebration of diversity and inclusion, is an integral part of those efforts. Now in its third year, the scale and reach of the Festival is inspiring. From what started in the UK, it now spans 17 countries and aims to get us all to a better understanding of how to embrace difference and ensure our sector is fit for the future."

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