Elite women on boosting relationships with employees and partners

Insurance Business recently released a list of the best female leaders in the Australian insurance industry this year. Among the winners are two experts who offered tips on how companies can improve their relationships with their employees and partners.

Many companies believe that taking care of their employees’ needs is key to improving customer experience. Elizabeth Williams, one of this year’s elite women in the Australian insurance industry, is the head of people and culture at HDI Global SE in Australia, managing 104 employees across five locations.

Within the group, Williams is recognised globally as an HR leader who can bring people together. A change ambassador and a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), Williams shared with Insurance Business Australia (IB) that she has implemented an effective recruitment process to highlight and remove unconscious bias. She has also refined policies to ensure gender-neutral language and empower those with – or considering having – a family. Additionally, she works closely with the management team to provide career development opportunities to help employees reach their potential.

Another elite woman in the Australian insurance industry this year is Jessica Jenkins, a multi-award-winning relationship manager at Brooklyn Underwriting with a track record of insurance industry and relationship management experience. In her current role, she is responsible for developing healthy, productive partnerships and nurturing and building the company’s existing key relationships with brokers.

IB found that clients and partners who meet Jenkins benefit from her depth of knowledge, strategic capabilities, and ability to identify and develop new market channels. Proactive, highly informed, and committed to outstanding communication, Jenkins helps Brooklyn Underwriting nurture and develop its existing key relationships by taking an authentic approach to fostering lasting relationships and genuinely reflecting the company’s commitment to its core value of “customer first, always.”