000: Introduction to the podcast
What is the 100 Women in Insurance podcast, and what are the intentions behind it? What can you expect from each episode?
In this introductory episode, we’re discussing the reasons why the podcast was created, the messages it seeks to promote, and the community it hopes to cultivate. Your host, Sandra Lewin, introduces herself and her history with the insurance industry, before delving into the podcast’s broader objectives of inspiring listeners in their career journeys and encouraging talent acquisition and retention.
Quote of the Episode
“I thought, ‘Well, what a great way to showcase women in their amazing roles,’ because there are some incredible women out there achieving wonderful things on a career and personal level. [The podcast will also] showcase the variety of roles available in the market and share various career tips.”
Insurance is an incredibly diverse and versatile industry with regard to the number of different roles available. While most people might typically imagine brokers or underwriters when thinking of insurance, there are so many other branches of our sector which might afford a thrilling transition in your career journey. The 100 Women in Insurance podcast seeks to highlight this range of different roles, and inspire you to take the leap in exploring alternative roles, whether you’re contemplating joining or leaving the industry.
Key Takeaways
Sandra Lewin worked in the insurance industry for many years. Initially joining the industry as a broker, she later joined Lloyd’s and worked in business development, before transitioning to a focus on operations and project management. In 2021, she left the corporate world to start her own business.
This career shift was prompted by Sandra’s struggles with endometriosis, a debilitating health condition which forced her to take six months off work in order to deal with various operations. During that time, she reflected on how she envisioned the future of her career, and ultimately decided to go solo. She hasn’t looked back since, and while she’d never wish her condition on anyone, she is grateful for having undergone it as it inspired her to take this plunge.
Sandra conceptualised the 100 Women in Insurance podcast as she is passionate about promoting the variety of roles available in the insurance market. Through interviews with a range of wonderful guests, the podcast will showcase women in different insurance roles, thereby offering alternative pathways for women into this industry, and new opportunities for those already within the industry to explore.
A key question she will always ask in each episode is whether a guest’s insurance career was by chance or by choice. The podcast aims to promote the industry to women, who area woefully underrepresented in the financial services sector, particularly at the strategic level. As such, Sandra wishes to discuss ways that we can better advertise our industry to outsiders and veterans, to tackle our prevailing issues with talent acquisition and retention, and to inspire the future generation of insurers, brokers, underwriters, and more.
From each episode, you can expect an interview with typically one, and sometimes two, women working in the insurance industry, be it those working in compliance, IT, product development, underwriting, or companies which offer insurance as part of a wider offering. Excitingly, these guests are not all London-based. Upcoming guests hail from California, Ohio, New Zealand, Mexico, Poland, Belgium, and more. The podcast will cover a wide range of topics related to insurance career journeys, such as navigating stakeholders, negotiating salary, or building a personal brand.
Sandra strongly encourages feedback from the podcast audience. She wants to cultivate a supportive community through this podcast, to provide a springboard for networking opportunities which could lead to wonderful new things for listeners. To help with this endeavour, please get in touch and share what topics you would like to hear about, and who you would like to hear from!
Best Moments/Key Quotes
‘I hope that by speaking to these amazing guests, and there are so many of these that are in the pipeline, who have made incredible career changes, incredible negotiations of career setups and role setups, I hope that inspires women to find the roles that work for them.’
“This podcast is not just for women, it’s for those who really want to think differently about how we can help the insurance industry with the talent shortage, and with talent retention. We lose a great percentage of women in their late 30s-early 40s due to lack of flexibility in ways of working. So, I hope this podcast also inspires change so that we can retain more talent.”
“I also hope to create a network off the back of this podcast, where we can reach out to the amazing guests… There is lots of great support out there, and I speak from my own experience that there is a great community here that is keen to help and support.”
Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn and find out more: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin
