Allianz Diversity Strategy
Lori Callahan
General Manager Liability and CTP Claims
Who is Allianz?
 Allianz Australia
- One of Australia's largest General Insurers
- Serving over 2 million Policy Holders and over 50% of Australia's top 200 BRW
Listed Companies
- 3,300 Employees Locally
 Allianz Group
- Largest Property & Casualty Insurer in the World
- 75 million customers in 70 Countries
- 172,000 Employees Globally
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Group Diversity Strategy
 Global Diversity Council
- Established in 2007
- To establish diversity as a worldwide goal at Allianz
 Why diversity?
- Fully tap into workforce talent capabilities
- Diverse Teams positively impact performance
 But Also Overcomes Basic Business Challenges:
- Top quality resources in order to compete in a highly competitive business
- Shrinking and Aging workforce
- Growth
 “What is the Motivation for Diversity?” Survey of Allianz Managers:
- “Performance of my team”
- “Attractiveness to best talent”
- “Competitiveness”
- “Customer needs”
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Group Diversity Strategy
 Focuses on three areas:
1. Diversity Policy
- Discrimination, Equal Opportunity, Complaints/Grievance Procedures and
Staff Education (Cultural Diversity Days)
2. Customer Diversity
- Diverse Markets and Consumers (eg Islamic ‘Takeful’ Insurance)
3. Women in Management
- Capability Development first and Recruitment second
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Group Diversity Strategy
1. Diversity Policy
 Highest Positively Ranked Question on Allianz Australia’s Cultural Survey:
“Allianz is a safe environment to work in e.g. free of sexual harassment,
discrimination etc.”
2. Customer Diversity
 Many programs and initiatives
3. Women in Management
 Equal Opportunity for Women in the
Workforce Agency ‘Employer of Choice for
Women’
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Why women?
 First some Statistics:
- 52% of the Population
- 50% of the Workforce
- 60% of new University Graduates
- 80% of the Buying Decisions
- 50% of all Businesses are Owned by Women
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Why Not?
Allianz SE Board:
 “If we are looking for high performance individuals to bring problem solving ability
and enhance the quality of management, we cannot afford to ignore the
capability and potential of women.”
 “Not logical for management to be under-represented in 50% of the workforce.”
 “We cannot afford to lose out on this input in management.”
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Why Not?
 4 recent studies found a link between Gender Balance and
Performance:
More women in leadership results in Stronger Financial Results
1. Catalyst
2. McKinsey & Company
3. French Study
4. Vietnam Study
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Is it Just Talent?
 Do Greater Numbers of Women Make a Difference?
 2002 Canadian Conference Board Report - Link between women on
boards and good governance credentials
- Conflict-of Interest Guidelines
- 94% of boards with 3 + women
- 58% of all male boards
- Conduct Formal Performance Evaluations
- 72% of boards with 2 + women
- 49% of all male boards
- Gender Balanced Boards
- Pay more attention to audit and risk controls
- Considered needs of more categories of stakeholders
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There is Risk
 Women may be the same as men
 Men may become alienated
 Women view strategy cynically
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How is Allianz Achieving This Goal?
 Intended Outcomes:
- Increase number of Women in Talent Pipeline
- Increase promotions of Women into Senior Roles
- Increase in Rate of Return-to-Work Mothers
 Activity:
1. Survey of Women in Management
2. Develop Flexible Workplace Strategy
3. Diversity metrics include in Senior Management Targets
4. Diverse Candidate Panels used for critical positions
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1. Survey - What would assist?
 Mentoring
 Networking Opportunities
 Leadership Programmes
 Flexibility - not Balance
 Visibility
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2. Develop flexible workplace strategy
 Part Time
 Job Sharing
 Work from Home
 Measuring and Reporting by Business Unit
 Higher now than at all time since Measured
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3. Senior Management Targets
 Diversity metrics included in Senior Management Targets
- Demonstrate activity
- % KPI (not quotas)
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4. Diverse candidate panels used for critical positions
 All senior position recruitments now include a woman
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Practical Examples of this for Allianz:
 Example of a Recruitment Ad:
“Do you have a home of your own, a family and now would like to have a job
close by? Great – because if you display qualities such as resilience, diligence,
empathy, and ambition as a matter of course in your day-to-day family life, you
have a lot in common with our successful employees.”
“If you want to embark on a new career, we offer you attractive opportunities, a
work place close to home and an interesting job at Allianz.”
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Practical Examples of this for Allianz:
 Recent Tender for Legal Panel Asked:
“As a global company, Allianz recognises the benefit of diversity in its workforce
and customer base. Describe how your firm recognises and leverages the
benefits of diversity.”
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Is it Only Insurance?
 70% of the Law Graduates are Women
 20% of the Law Partners are Women
 Even once you “make it”, there are problems:
Survey on Women in Court – Law Council of Australia
“Anecdotal evidence that Gender briefing patterns exist in the legal profession.”
Full results in October
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The “BIG” Issue
 “On Ramp – Off Ramp Careers”
- Re-entry after Maternity Leave
- Women more impacted by:
- Child Care Gaps
- Elder Care
- Sudden Family Illness
 Helen Allchurch Research
- Women need to be asked to return to work
- Mere presence of other women makes a difference to the willingness of
women to express their need for flexibility
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What are lawyers doing?

Active Women Lawyers Associations (networking, mentoring, issues,
supporting women in roles)

Formal Women’s Network Programmes e.g. TressCox’s Connected Women’s
Network – Objective: to Create Forum for Female Oriented Networking

International Women’s Day Activities
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What can you do?
 Listen
 Ask an “Off Ramp” Female to come back to Work
 Offer Flexibility without being Asked
 Calculate Your Own Diversity Statistics
 Brief a Female Barrister
 Add Diversity to Tenders
 Be Visible
 Be a Mentor
 Be a Role Model
 Be Flexible
 Create a Network
 Network Yourself
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Conclusion
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