This prestigious award honors the extraordinary contributions of insurance industry professionals working to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility within the industry and communities at large.

“IICF was again inspired by this year’s outstanding nominees, and we are proud to congratulate the 2021 IICF Inclusion Champion Award winners,” said Betsy Myatt, IICF Vice President, Chief Program Officer and Executive Director of the IICF Northeast Division. “These leaders are both remarkable advocates for diversity and inclusion within the insurance industry who have also contributed in generous, personal and meaningful ways in their communities.”

The Inclusion Champion Award represents the highest ideals and real world implementation of championing inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility through mentoring, talent development and advocacy to achieve a fully inclusive workplace. The award is bestowed by IICF biennially on those individuals who demonstrate leadership and advocacy for these ideals in the workplace, along with a personal commitment to community service. The award candidates were nominated by industry colleagues and undergo a rigorous review made by industry volunteers working in the DEI space.

2021 Inclusion Champion Dawnmarie Black, who serves as Head of US Broker Practice for the Lloyd’s Corporation, is recognized as a leader in driving diversity and inclusion efforts across the Americas, throughout her region as well as more broadly across Lloyd’s offices globally, including strategies to grow minority-owned business opportunities and expand mentoring and career opportunities for talent of diverse backgrounds. She is Chair of the Boston Chapter of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and is a board member of several other industry and nonprofit organizations including the Intermediaries Reinsurance Underwriters Association, Association of Professional Insurance Women (APIW), founding member of Women in Insurance Global Network Advisory Group, and the Covenant House International Latin American Development board.

Dawnmarie is deeply involved in the community through both philanthropic leadership roles and as an active local and international volunteer. "Attending the IICF Women in Insurance Leadership Forum, now the Inclusion in Insurance Forum, 8 years ago changed my life, opened my eyes, and inspired me to get more involved with activities around inclusion and giving back,” said Black. “One small step led to years of growing, a continued desire to make a difference, and an understanding of what impactful leadership can look like."

Fellow 2021 Inclusion Champion Catherine Duffy serves as AIG’s Country Leader of Bermuda and is a respected civic and community leader on the island. Cathy is known for her extensive focus on mentorship, with a long history of identifying and guiding underrepresented talent toward opportunity in the industry. This includes her current role as Executive Sponsor of the AIG Bermuda Women & Allies Employee Resource Group, advocacy for the AIG Student Internship program, and as a speaker on topics that include the role Bermuda has played in (Re)Insurance, career guidance, and DEI. Cathy thrives on the energy from mentoring youth, and she is passionate about helping to attract and retain Bermudians of diverse backgrounds to careers in the insurance industry. She is a published author of the first comprehensive reference book, Held Captive, A History of International Insurance in Bermuda. Currently, she is serving as Chair of the DEI Committee for the Association of
Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR). She is also an active participant on the ABIC CEO Roundtable and sits on the DEI Council for AIG. “I live and breathe diversity every single day, just by the color of my skin coupled with the fact I am a woman. It allows me to be a leader who is compassionate, empathetic and able to create a space where courageous conversations can be had. We have to move beyond the zero-sum game to lifting each other up regardless of race, gender, sexuality, accessibility or mental capacity.”

This year’s award winners and nominees will be honored on June 17 at the IICF International Inclusion in Insurance Forum. This unique virtual leadership forum, focusing on diversity and inclusion, wellness and the future of work, runs from June 15-17. Those wishing to attend can register here: IICF International Inclusion in Insurance Forum - Choose Registration (eventscloud.com)

About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership.

Established in 1994, IICF has served as the philanthropic voice and foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing $42 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact.

As the convener of the first Women in Insurance conferences to spotlight gender diversity in 2013, IICF works directly with the insurance industry in offering creative leadership platforms for exploring opportunities and challenges, and advancing ideas into action, with continued focus on women and broader inclusivity opportunities. These events remain the only ones of their kind to benefit charitable causes, with proceeds of the IICF International Inclusion in Insurance Forum to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations serving local communities and individuals and families in need.

IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on social media: @doubleicfAbout Lloyd’s

Lloyd’s is the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance marketplace. Through the collective intelligence and risk-sharing expertise of the market’s underwriters and brokers, Lloyd’s helps to create a braver world. 

The Lloyd’s market provides the leadership and insight to anticipate and understand risk, and the knowledge to develop relevant, new and innovative forms of insurance for customers globally.

It offers the efficiencies of shared resources and services in a marketplace that covers and shares risks from more than 200 territories, in any industry, at any scale.

And it promises a trusted, enduring partnership built on the confidence that Lloyd’s protects what matters most: helping people, businesses and communities to recover in times of need.

Lloyd’s began with a few courageous entrepreneurs in a coffeeshop. Three centuries later, the Lloyd’s market continues that proud tradition, sharing risk in order to protect, build resilience and inspire courage everywhere.