Talbot Jones Wins 5-Star Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award
We’re hugely proud to be one of just five companies in the insurance industry recognised as winners of the 5-Star Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) awards.
While this is a huge achievement, it’s also a little alarming that the list is so short. You can read the full article and discover the other outstanding winners over at Insurance Business Magazine.
Meaningful DEI, Not Box-Ticking
Clare Talbot-Jones, our Managing Director, explains:
“We’re not interested in DE&I as a box-ticking exercise but as something meaningful, useful and intrinsic to our organisation.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical for attracting the next generation of insurance professionals. Organisations with robust DEI policies are far more likely to appeal to the brightest, most talented candidates.
The Insurance Business UK (IBUK) team carefully evaluated nominations for the 5-Star DEI awards. They interviewed DEI professionals to understand industry standards, then went directly to employees to assess the effectiveness of each programme. Only five companies met the criteria, demonstrating the type of DEI initiatives that truly attract skilled and passionate professionals.
Progress and Challenges
While we celebrate this achievement, Clare emphasises that there’s still a lot of work to do:
“Although we’re moving in the right direction, we really need to speed up. Recent events, such as misogynistic comments at the Aviva AGM, remind us that policy alone isn’t enough—practice and perspectives must also change. This applies to all forms of diversity, not just gender.”
There are encouraging statistics: female board members in the insurance sector now make up 29%, and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic professionals hold 10% of entry-level positions. However, they account for only 2% of executive and board posts. The COVID-19 pandemic has also slowed the progression of women and people of colour in the sector.
Talbot Jones’ DEI Strengths and Challenges
Our strengths:
Recognising the value DEI brings to the workplace.
Genuine interest in learning, being challenged, and embracing different perspectives.
Sharing our experiences outside the company.
Our challenges:
As a young, small organisation, maintaining DEI while scaling up.
Increasing ethnic diversity and broadening recruitment outreach.
Proactively engaging with clients and influencing insurer DEI practices.
Clare adds:
“We want to build on our work and ensure that our DEI programme continues to evolve, making a real impact on both our organisation and the wider industry.”
Call to Action
While we celebrate the successes of this year’s DEI exemplars, the list of winners needs to grow. Next year, more companies should:
Prioritise DEI at all levels.
Improve DEI policies to make them meaningful and actionable.
Integrate DEI programmes fully to transform company culture.
We can all do better. Let’s take action and make DE&I a core part of everything we do.
