QBE North America Celebrates International Women’s Day

As people around the globe prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8), QBE North America, an Integrated Specialist Insurer, is pleased to announce that the company is reinforcing its ongoing commitment to gender equality through a number of initiatives including having achieved Fair Pay among employees.

“At QBE gender equality is something we consider every day as an essential aspect of an inclusive workplace,” said Russ Johnston, CEO, QBE North America. “This commitment extends to pay, and I am thrilled to report that we have recently confirmed Fair Pay among all employees.”

Johnston continued, “The best ideas and greatest ideas come from people with diverse perspectives and experiences. Overall, our workforce is just over 50% female. This is a fantastic statistic, but we are not there yet. As a team, we’re now working to ensure that there is a clear path for more women to move into leadership roles, creating a more diverse balance among senior management.”

QBE has also committed to supporting the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals, which include gender equality. In addition to providing flexible benefits that support women in the workplace, some of the initiatives that support gender equality at QBE include:

Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) Business Resource Group
Dedicated to supporting the advancement of women at QBE, WIN is celebrating International Women’s Day by hosting Sophia Yen, Principal, Ernst & Young LLP and Insurance Strategy & Innovation Leader, for the EY Insurance Advisory practice. Sophia will join QBE employees to deliver a Keynote: “Finding Your Purpose—Women & the Drive to Advance.” This inspirational discussion will cover Sophia’s personal journey as a female executive in the insurance and financial services industry. She discusses the critical nature of building your personal brand, assembling a personal Board of Directors and identifying male sponsors. Gratitude, failure and a range of relevant and hysterical personal stories are woven into the inspirational discussion, which ends with everyone on their feet making a promise to themselves to succeed.

“Supporting others, providing opportunities and raising awareness around important issues are central to our inclusion efforts,” said Erin Fry, Co-chair of QBE’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) and SVP Specialty & Casualty Programs. “IWD is a great way to raise awareness and open the doors for employees to feel comfortable discussing concerning subjects and hear from others about resources and possible solutions.”

Recognition & Alignment
The company’s efforts to provide a diverse, inclusive and innovative workplace were recognized with QBE’s inclusion as a member of the 2019 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index and in the top 200 companies in the Equileap 2018 Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking. QBE is also a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles and supports Catalyst, MARC (Men Advocating Real Change) by Catalyst and Male Champions for Change.

The QBE Foundation 
Through the QBE Foundation, business and philanthropic values are brought together to serve the communities in which our employees live and work. By leveraging our financial resources, volunteer engagement and vast expertise, QBE multiplies its impact in the world. The QBE Foundation, WIN and St. John’s University have forged a partnership to help women entering the insurance field, or similar vocations, through an annual scholarship program.

About QBE North America
QBE North America, an integrated specialist insurer, is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE NA reported Gross Written Premiums in 2018 of $4.7 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2018 results can be found at www.qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 31 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. The actual terms and coverage for all lines of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbe.com/us or follow QBE North America on Twitter.