Opinion: ‘Audacious’ self-confidence is vital to progress D&I agendas

On the second day of last month’s Biba Conference in Manchester (15 May 2025), there was a slight change in the atmosphere compared to the hectic productivity of the event’s opening day.

Around the exhibition floor, multitoned blue beads clicked at women’s wrists, the colourful bracelets signalling which delegates had attended trade body Biba’s inaugural Women In Insurance Breakfast, sponsored by law firm Carpenters Group.

Over pastries, muffins, coffee and juice at Manchester Central’s Junction cafe, female conference attendees flocked to hear a panel of high-powered professionals discuss diversity, equity and inclusion in our sector – pinpointing how the goal posts have moved around diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives and what women in our sector need to bear in mind to succeed in their careers.

Speaking on the panel was Carpenters Group owner and director Donna Scully, Lockton’s UK operations leader for property and casualty retail, Hannah Ebbitt Ngang, AmTrust Management Services in-house solicitor Bavita Rai and Olamipo Adeola, deputy manager, corporate communication and branding at Scib Nigeria and Company.

For me, the tips and advice coming from the panellists were not groundbreaking, but centred in good, old-fashioned common sense – yet their messages were ones that we, as female professionals, still need to hear more of in order to truly believe them and instigate the betterment of working practices.

For example, Adeola described the necessity of having access to workplace policies such as parental leave and even menstrual leave, while Scully commented that firms have to “mean it” when committing to D&I measures by introducing practices like job shares.

Rai, meanwhile, commented on the value of inclusive language and ensuring that staff were not put into one dimensional, prescribed boxes because individual identity is composed of so many different strands that “overlap and intercept” – such as gender, race, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.

“Diversity and inclusion is not assuming sameness, but honouring the differences. I accept we have a common goal [across underrepresented demographics], but don’t assume sameness,” she explained.

Ebbitt Ngang flagged that the pace of change around embracing D&I across the insurance sector is not happening quickly – this is despite the fact that the ABI published an industry-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Blueprint back in 2022. She emphasised the value of sponsor and mentor networks.

The main takeaway for me as an attendee of this event was actually not terribly practical.

When I left Junction that Thursday morning, I was buoyed by the sheer inspiration and ambition circulating around the absolutely packed room, where the key focus had been on women supporting women and – as Scully termed it – dropping the ladder down to help other women up the career trajectory.

As part of the panel discussion, the four leaders described important superpowers that women needed to develop in order to thrive professionally. Scully highlighted the need for greater self-belief from the get-go of a woman’s career, while Rai signposted understanding your own value and impact to act as your own champion, as well as advocating for others.

It was Adeola’s response that rang most true with me, however. She expressed that more women need to recognise and overcome imposter syndrome, where they consistently feel inadequate despite evidence to the contrary.

She said: “Can we as women allow ourselves to be delusional? This is that audacious confidence that we have in ourselves – that we can do it, unapologetically. We don’t need to shrink ourselves to feed somebody’s else’s belief system.

“At the heart of this is knowing who you are, knowing your strength [and] embracing your uniqueness. So ladies, let’s be delusional.”

Biba concluded the Women In Insurance Breakfast with the announcement that it will be establishing a women’s forum, using the attendees from this event as its first potential pool of participants.

I, for one, am excited to be involved in this new venture from the trade body, building on the collaborative support I already provide to initiatives such as the Insurance Breakfast Club, representing Insurance Times.

I wonder how many of Biba’s blue bracelets will be spotted in the Square Mile moving forward as we bring the conversation from Manchester back to our businesses?