A number of leading companies have collaborated with Group for Autism, Insurance, and Neurodiversity (GAIN) to champion the benefits of neurodiversity in the insurance, investment, and financial services sectors.
Aviva, Marsh UK & Ireland, Lexxic, Principal, Swiss Re, UnderwriteMe, and Zurich are among the industry leaders collaborating with GAIN to develop an industry-wide initiative to maximise the potential of neurodiverse employees. They say that employing individuals with various neurocognitive abilities such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette syndrome can mean hiring some of the best people in the industry.
GAIN says it wants to help neurodiverse people enter the workforce and provide companies with access to untapped talent to help them succeed. It highlights skills such as having a methodical approach to tasks, strong attention to detail, alternative creative thinking, and the ability to look at situations from a different perspective as desirable in the financial services industry.
Aviva group enterprise risk director Chika Aghadiuno says: “Neurodiversity is rightly starting to receive more attention and is an area that we at Aviva are keen to learn about. In addition to our recently launched neurodiversity placement scheme, we are delighted to become a founder member of GAIN. In collaboration with GAIN, we hope to help champion neurodiversity across our industry and become a ‘neurodiversity-smart’ employer, embracing, and maximising the talent of our existing and future colleagues.”
Marsh UK & Ireland chief client officer Ailsa King says: “Working with GAIN has been really important for me personally and for my colleagues at Marsh and MMC. With GAIN, we are learning how to better support neurodiverse colleagues and attract new candidates into our industry. As a group working across the industry, we are comparing notes and practical advice on how we can do better to be an employer that is designed well to embrace all skill sets and all different perspectives within the workplace. GAIN is helping us to attract more neurodiverse colleagues, who can enjoy what is a wonderful career with so many different roles for people with a wide range of skills.”
Lexxic head of partnerships Kate Goodanew says: “Lexxic are leaders in empowering neurodiversity in the workplace. We partner with organisations to make a positive difference; creating Neurodiversity Smart workplace cultures and a world where all minds belong. We are delighted to be a founding member of GAIN as our missions align in championing neurodiversity through an industry wide initiative, while seeking to positively impact lives and improve workplaces for the benefit of all.”
Principal chief inclusion officer Miriam Lewis says: “Diversity and inclusion, including neurodiversity, are foundational to our culture and our continued success as an organisation. We’re committed to advancing accessibility within our workplace, providing professional development opportunities, and supporting the well-being of all employees.”
Swiss Re group head of tax Michael Ludlow says: ”As an organisation, supporting GAIN and being involved from the start is exciting for Swiss Re. We are proud to be a part of an alliance of people and businesses who are committed to ensuring neurodiversity is recognised, supported, and celebrated within the industry. Swiss Re is committed to making the world more resilient and we need the best people to achieve this mission. We know that inclusion, diversity and equality is fundamental to attracting the best people and making Swiss Re a great place to work enabling all our team to bring their whole selves to work.”
UnderwriteMe chief executive officer James Tait says: “GAIN is an industry-wide initiative, where organisations and individuals are working together to champion neurodiversity and create employment opportunities, that will positively impact lives and improve workplaces for the benefit of all. We’re passionate about creating a diverse team which is both inclusive and supportive of one another. We also see the need to be able to tap into new ways of thinking to solve the challenges that our industry has, to ensure our insurance products and the industry as a whole is truly accessible to all.”
Zurich and cabinet office disability and access ambassador for the insurance sector head of market engagement Peter Hamilton says: “We’re incredibly proud to be founding members of this important network. As a Disability Confident Leader, we’re keen to ensure that the valuable skills and qualities of neurodivergent employees are welcomed and celebrated. One of the steps we’ve taken at Zurich is new global service agreement with Auticon, an IT/Data consultancy and social enterprise that exclusively recruits consultants with autism. We want to make the most of a talent pool which has what can often be a very different skill set.”