SURA Tackles Unconscious Bias At Dive In Festival

SURA will help to bring the insurance industry’s Dive In Festival to Melbourne for the first time in September this year, in line with a commitment to show leadership on diversity and inclusion.

Dive In Festival is an international, sector-wide event that began in London in 2015, and aims to help the insurance industry get future fit by encouraging enhanced levels of diversity and inclusion.

Together with Wotton + Kearney and Liberty, SURA will deliver a Melbourne event on ‘Tackling Unconscious Bias’, enabling the local insurance market to get involved for the first time.

The event will bring together revered journalist and diversity advocate Tracey Spicer as MC, Women’s AFL trailblazer Jan Cooper and an unconscious bias subject matter expert.

SURA managing director Angie Zissis said diversity and inclusion is a strategic priority for SURA, and the insurance industry as a whole would benefit from progress on the issue now and in the future.

“We are proud of our involvement in this year’s Dive In Festival, a laudable global initiative that is positioning the insurance sector around the world as a true progressive business force,” he said.

“Enhanced diversity and inclusion in Australia’s insurance industry will position us all for a robust and resilient business future, by encouraging insight and contribution from all our great people.”

Planned as an interactive world café style session, the ‘Tackling Unconscious Bias’ event is designed to facilitate discussion and participation among attendees to maximize industry impact.

The issue of unconscious bias is said to be far more prevalent than conscious prejudice on issues of gender and beyond, and this form of bias can often be incompatible with one’s conscious values.

SURA head of sales and marketing Denver Van Gramberg said the insurance industry in Australia was beginning to link diversity and inclusion with enhanced business performance and innovation.

“We are making progress as a local industry, and while we are working hard to understand the challenges that still exist, we can continue to build a collaborative, inclusive culture for all.”

Dive In 2017 will be held in 31 locations, including Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, USA and the U.K.

Dive In Melbourne – Tackling Unconscious Bias

27 September, 14:00 – 20:00
RACV Melbourne, 501 Bourke Street,
Melbourne, Australia

For more information or to book tickets, visit the official Dive in Festival event page. Tickets are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to get in quick.