Coterie Insurance first established its Diversity & Inclusion group in summer 2020 with the creation of the company’s Racial Equity Initiative. Since then, Coterians have decided to expand the range of scope of the group to include all diversity and inclusion initiatives at work.
Read on for an update on the group and how we continue to see this play out over 2022.
Brian Thomas, Director of Claims Experience, led the group for much of 2021. “I wanted to be able to assist in the voice of any and all being heard by any and all,” he said. “It is our duty to be able to accept, listen and absorb our differences to be able to become stronger as we team”
The D&I group is entirely run by Coterians who voluntarily participate due to their passion for the topic. Finding space to talk about what Coterie could do better, and how we can enrich our culture through diversity and inclusion has allowed Coterie to be a safe space for many of our team members.
In 2021, the group continued to work with Nick Jackson of Nick Jackson Speaks whose sessions were designed to push us to thoughtfully consider assumptions. Nick is back in 2022 to lead sessions on microaggressions and implicit bias, among other topics. In his sessions, Nick creates a safe place to share past experiences, with our diverse Coterie sharing their personal experiences.
“When I reflect on the sessions that we have had with Nick Jackson, two words come to mind: connection and belonging,” said Diana Hillenmeyer, Operations Manager at Coterie. “Nick has asked deep, thought-provoking questions in a way that leads our teammates to discuss incredibly difficult topics in an open and safe environment.”
The D&I group also maintains a Teams channel where they share thought-provoking articles with the company to encourage discussion.
In 2022, a new Coterian will be taking the helm to lead the company’s D&I initiative. We’re thrilled to announce Jane Decker, Director of Wholesale Distribution at Coterie, will be our new D&I leader for the first part of the year.
“I’m extremely excited and grateful to be stepping up into this role for Q2,” Jane said. “Brian has done an amazing job creating a safe environment for all people from all backgrounds to be heard by all people from all backgrounds.”
