Dive In Aims to Unlock Innovation in 2023 Festival
Mary Nnah
Dive In, the world-renowned festival dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the insurance industry has confirmed September 26-28 as the date for the 2023 festival which will focus on the theme, “Unlocking Innovation: The Power Of Inclusion”.
While calling on the industry to create inclusive cultures that value diverse perspectives, the organisers said that after last year’s record-breaking turnout of 34,000 global attendees, Dive In will continue to operate in a hybrid format.
For the first time, the festival will also offer a reverse mentoring programme to promote cross-level diversity, equity, and inclusion engagement following the close of the three-day festival.
In Nigeria, this event is themed “Driving Innovation in Insurance”, inspiring individuals across the commercial and operational sectors of the insurance industry to catalyze change, fostering greater inclusivity and innovation.
This marks the fifth year of Dive In’s dedicated efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion within the Nigerian insurance sector, promising an engaging and transformative experience for all participants.
Event registration opened on September 5th, through the Dive In festival website.
Following the tremendous success of last year’s festival, Dive In 2023 introduced a groundbreaking initiative, “Dive In to Reverse Mentoring”.
This novel programme aims to bridge connections between leaders from diverse segments of the Lloyd’s market and individuals at all organisational levels. It fosters ongoing sharing of experiences, perspectives, and learning well beyond the three-day festival.
Chief Strategy Officer of AON Reinsurance Solutions, Mary Alade, emphasized that “The Dive In Festival has made a noticeable impact on the Nigerian insurance sector. Local leaders are not just advocating for change but embodying it. By engaging insurance leaders in critical discussions on cultural diversity and inclusion, we’ve seen tangible improvements year after year. Dive In’s dedication, from research to advocacy campaigns, is evident, and the response from corporate leaders indicates that they are listening.”
Dive In has experienced remarkable growth in terms of participation and global reach since its inception in 2015. In 2022, the festival achieved its highest attendance, with 34,000 attendees from 40 countries engaging in 150 events.
This year, the festival will once again combine virtual and physical events, transcending geographical barriers and enabling a robust global dialogue centred on diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation.
Head of Culture at Lloyd’ Mark Lomas, said: “We are proud to witness the continuous progress of inclusive cultures in our industry. Last year, over 40% of registered individuals acknowledged the insurance industry’s increased diversity and inclusivity since the inception of Dive In in 2015.
This year, we spotlight the impactful policies and initiatives resulting from the Dive In Festival, fostering continuous improvement and driving innovation through our reverse mentoring initiative.”
Head of Strategy & Innovation at Lloyd’s, Tom Allebone-Webb, adds: “We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just business objectives but urgent necessities. By actively involving the commercial side of businesses, we can fuel the much-needed innovation required in our industry. Everyone across the insurance industry will benefit from engaging with the festival to motivate them to take the necessary actions to make an inclusive and more innovative future a reality.”Dive In provides the insurance industry with the platform to take decisive actions to enhance DE&I within the workplace.
The festival covers an array of vital topics, including non-visible disabilities, mental health, religious equality, cultural inclusivity, ageism, and social mobility within the workplace.
