Though women remain notably outnumbered by men in property/casualty insurance, industry experts and veterans are saying that there is tremendous potential for women in this business.
Trindl Reeves, principal of Barney & Barney has been working within the California insurance community for more than 22 years, and has been recognized for her work in assisting women executives with professional growth.
Reeves explained that women have a number of qualities that make them a suitable fit for insurance business successes. She gave examples that women are capable of empathizing with the circumstances of their clients, they communicate well, and they tend to be able to multi-task effectively. She added that women can be equally as persistent, hard-working, motivated, and ambitious as men in the equivalent position.
According to Reeves, these are qualities that will often bring about a successful career in the insurance industry. Therefore, she has established the Growth in Relationships and Opportunities for Women (G.R.O.W.) Initiative at Barney & Barney.
There are five basic programs that are taken in by the B&B G.R.O.W. initiative. Though some of them are available to the general public, others are offered specifically to employees of the firm:
1. Keynote Speaker Series
2. Mentoring Program
3. Educational Symposiums
4. Social Events
5. INSPIRE Mentor Groups
There are currently 15 people at B&B who lead the initiative, with the primary goal of advancing women into leadership positions within the company.
In recognition of her creation of the B&B G.R.O.W. Initiative, Reeves has just received the Athena’s Pinnacle Award. She explained that “Women have a huge opportunity to lead in the insurance industry — they just have to go for it.”
