Breaking the Bias on International Women’s Day

Alera Group is Creating an Environment that Inspires, Empowers and Supports Women

Fifty-seven percent.

That’s the number of women in the insurance industry holding entry-level positions.[1]

At first glance, these statistics seem hopeful in the pursuit of gender parity. However, representation of women drops off significantly on the path to executive-level roles, with only 18% to 23% of the C-suite roles in insurance and investments, respectively, being held by white women and just 3% to 4% of C-suite roles held by women of color.[2]

These discrepancies can come from many sources — in particular, the unspoken or often unconscious biases against women and what they can achieve. This year’s International Women’s Day is focused on breaking the bias against women. Aware or unaware, bias makes it challenging for women to move ahead — and action is needed to form a more inclusive world.[3]

Break the Bias

While improved leadership representation would have a positive impact for women, it will also positively shape our organization, and the insurance and investment industry overall. Research shows that when more women join the workforce, everyone wins — through higher productivity levels and increased organizational growth.[4]

At Alera Group, we believe that this status quo must change. As an organization, we recognize that we still have growth to do in this area and are working hard to improve the representation and empowerment of women.

Alera Group fosters an environment that inspires, empowers and supports women to positively impact business, culture and collaboration within the organization and beyond. Specifically, Alera Group’s Women’s Steering Committee focuses on actions to help break the bias against women in insurance and investments.

Alera Group’s Women’s Steering Committee has established key programs to break the bias:

• The Women’s Leadership Committee provides a network for leaders to share ideas, best practices and discussions on current issues.



• The Women’s Mentorship Program creates paths for longterm career development and leadership for women at all levels of the organization.



• The Women in Insurance and Investments Network seeks to inspire, encourage and empower all women within Alera Group to own their journey through discussions, events and shared resources.

Alera Group is proud to be part of the #BreakTheBias movement by supporting women in insurance, investments and beyond, and we look forward to a more collaborative, inclusive future for all.

1. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/closing-the-gender-and-race-gaps-in-north-american-financial-services

2. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/insurance-blog/gender-parity-is-still-a-problem-in-insurance-heres-what-leaders-can-do

3. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

4. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/12/economic-gains-from-gender-inclusion-even-greater-than-you-thought/