Delta Insurance Participates In Lloyd’s Global Dive In Festival, Celebrating Unlocking Innovation

Delta Insurance is excited to announce their support for the Dive In Festival, a global program aimed at accelerating efforts in fostering a more diverse, equal and inclusive industry.

Just what is the power of inclusion? By recognising individuals, their unique backgrounds, and cultures, and embracing varied perspectives and insights creates a whole exceeding the sum of the parts. Inclusive cultures are also, quite simply good for business and best for people. That’s why international insurance underwriter Delta Insurance is proud to participate in Dive In, hosting a ‘Walk the Talk’ event at its Auckland headquarters and online together with partner and claims management specialist Sedgwick. ‘Walk the Talk’ takes place on September 28 with an in-person and online panel of highly profiled speakers, with global Dive In Festival activities happening from 26-28 September.

Led by Lloyd’s, Dive In Festival is a global movement and event in the insurance sector supporting the development of inclusive workplace cultures and levelling the playing field for talent. With 38 countries already confirmed as participating in the 2023 Dive In Festival, this year's theme is 'Unlocking Innovation: The Power of Inclusion'. Through multiple activities coordinated across the world, the insurance industry is exploring how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) helps unlock the innovation necessary for addressing some of the biggest challenges faced by the world.

Delta Insurance’s Head of People and Operations Dasha Goryacheva says: “Walk the Talk is about demonstrable action towards effective DE&I. Walking the talk is about doing, rather than speaking. This is where the rubber hits the road and real change, and results are generated. DE&I is a founding principle at Delta, creating a company, workspaces, and a reputation built on the individual and combined characteristics of our people, where diversity is embraced, culture celebrated, and competence encouraged and built through collaboration and association. Our efforts were recently manifested in Delta Insurance being awarded as 2023 Top Insurance Employer by Insurance Business New Zealand. We’ve taken actions to walk the talk ourselves, and now we’re pleased to present our live event while enthusiastically contributing to the Dive In Festival in spirit and in action.”

The panel includes high profile leaders in business and culture who have demonstrably walked the talk. They are:

• Founder & Managing Director, Clinical & Organisational Psychologist at First Response Health Rajna Bogdanovic, an internationally recognised Clinical Psychologist who has spent over twelve years working within both frontline and corporate mental health. She has worked with victims and witnesses of war crimes for numerous United Nations Criminal Tribunals as well as in war torn Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a police psychologist in Melbourne and criminology lecturer in Melbourne. Upon her return to New Zealand, she founded First Response Health, a specialised mental health service for professional services firms and those that work in high stakes/high stress roles, utilising her skills from the 'pointiest end' of first responder mental health, to support the corporate workforce too. She is passionate about helping people get 'unstuck', restore their sense of self and thrive in all areas of their life.
• Founder and CEO of KidsXpress Margo Ward is A trailblazer in children’s mental health services, Margo Ward is a passionate advocate for trauma-informed care and expressive therapies. The seed of KidsXpress emerged out of Margo’s professional experiences working as Head of the Play Therapy Unit at Sydney Children's Hospital specialising in paediatric chronic illness, trauma, palliative care and bereavement, and later as a National Facilitator in Suicide Prevention. Margo became increasingly aware of the link between unresolved childhood challenges and later emotional and social problems in life. These experiences and observations were supported by international academic research and led to Margo establishing the KidsXpress program in 2005 – a world-first not-for-profit organisation to change the life trajectory for children in need.

Margo is a highly regarded leader across many business arenas and has been acknowledged for her leadership and impact in the sector via numerous recognitions including the Stanford Executive Leadership Scholarship, Rotary Humanitarian Service Award, and being a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

• Managing Director at The Rehabilitation Specialists and occupational therapist Fiona Fonti has her own personal experience living with a disability. Growing up deaf and dealing with the challenges along the way trying to fit in to a mainstream school helped to shape who she is today - a determined, confident, empathetic and driven woman who can achieve amazing things when others doubted.

Diversity and inclusion are essential in the running of Fiona’s business. Her own personal experiences have made her acutely aware of the importance and benefits of inclusion. Fiona has built a culture where diversity is celebrated and her inclusive leadership style fosters innovation in a supportive way. Diversity to Fiona extends beyond different races, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds to also include different ages, professional backgrounds, learning styles and personalities.

• Ryan McGrory, who is the Founder & Employee Experience Enthusiast at Exsona consultancy dedicated to reshaping workplace cultures. McGrory is on a mission to make work a happier experience and collaborates with HR and People & Culture leaders to elevate engagement, foster wellbeing, and drive tangible results. His work has received recognition nationally and internationally, and the strategies, platforms, and programs he has designed have won 9 HRD Awards for excellence in the areas of wellbeing, HR tech, reward and recognition and engagement.

Delta Insurance’s Casualty and Financial Lines Underwriter Daniel Toebosch is moderating the debate, designed as an inclusive presentation where engagement and participation from the audience is encouraged.

Delta Insurance Group CEO Kent Chaplin says: “Unlocking innovation demands a culture where diverse perspectives are not just valued but emerge as an essential component of competitive advantage. Delta itself was founded as an innovative underwriter doing things slightly differently from the usual. That doesn’t just mean identifying and underwriting new risks. It means embracing better ways of doing business with collective action across our partner, broker, and customer networks as we move the industry forward. DE&I is integral to our success as a company, and industry, and as members of a community seeking to drive positive change.”

The Walk the Talk event takes place on September 28 at Delta Insurance Auckland. Interested parties are invited to register for Dive In and join the online event.

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