The Lloyd’s diversity and inclusion festival, Dive In, is getting bigger by the year.

Established in 2015 and inspired by CEO Inga Beale, it was initially restricted to the UK before expanding globally the following year.

Last year it attracted more than 7000 people across 17 countries and 32 cities.

This year it will take in 26 countries and 50 cities. In Australia and New Zealand 16 events will be held in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Wellington and Auckland.

Lloyd’s General Representative in Australia Chris Mackinnon told insuranceNEWS.com.au he has been overwhelmed by the local insurance industry’s support.

But that doesn’t mean we should become complacent. The theme for this year’s festival – #time4inclusion – represents a call to arms, a determination that it’s time to turn talk into action.

So if you haven’t supported the festival yet, now’s the time. Visit www.diveinfestival.com and book some tickets.

Support for the festival is important because the issues of diversity and inclusion in the insurance industry aren’t going to go away.

Despite much good work over the past few years, the gender pay gap in financial and insurance services, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, remains at 26.1%. It’s the worst-performing sector.

And a new report from the University of Sydney Business School confirms about 90% of senior executives have Anglo-Celtic or European backgrounds, despite these groups accounting for only about 75% of the broader Australian population.

Mr Mackinnon has been delighted with the reception for Dive In over previous years.

“There was a huge amount of enthusiasm to get involved,” he says.

“It was fantastic to see because it was non-competitive – everyone came together and worked on the initiative for the greater good, rather than trying to kill each other, which is what we normally do Monday to Friday.

“I have no doubt that one of the reasons for the success of the Dive In Festival here is the nature of Australian society. We are a multicultural society, a diverse society.

“Generally, we are very inclusive and accepting of people with differences. However, it’s time to take the next step.

“We have had two years of talking about where we are and what we need to do,” Mr Mackinnon says. “We feel that [this year] the call to arms is about what practical steps we can take to start implementing change, to make sure the work we are doing is not just a talkfest but actually becomes actions.”

He says the diversity and inclusion survey, carried out again this year by Macquarie Bank, is a crucial resource.

“It will give us a view as to whether anything has changed in the past 12 months. If it has, which we hope to see, that will be fantastic news.

“It will also show where we are making progress and where we’re not making progress. That will be a really important discussion piece within the festival. We have some real data here, now let’s start working out what we can do to implement some change.”

Diversity and inclusion is good for business, and it’s the right thing to do. So get involved.

An article covering industry leaders’ views on diversity will feature in the August/September edition of Insurance News (the magazine)

Dive In program

September 25

8am, Sydney: Official opening and launch of the diversity and inclusion survey results, powered by Macquarie. This event is invitation only. Lead sponsor Lloyd’s.

Noon, Sydney: Out in the workplace: the power of LGBTIQ+ inclusion. Lead sponsor QBE, supported by Sparke Helmore Lawyers.

2.30pm, Auckland: The mental health stigma: ignorance or unconscious bias? Lead sponsor NZbrokers, supported by Wotton + Kearney and Ando Insurance.

4pm, Sydney: Finding opportunity through adversity. Lead sponsor XL Catlin, supported by Norton Rose Fulbright.

September 26

7am, Perth: Mental health for life. Lead sponsor NIBA Young Professionals, supported by Gilchrist Connell and AIG.

8.30am, Melbourne: Inclusive leadership. Lead sponsor Aon, supported by Swiss Re.

12.30pm, Sydney: Time for inclusion. Lead sponsor Willis Towers Watson.

4pm, Sydney: Remaining relevant: diversity in business is the key to success. Sponsored by Zurich.

September 27

7.30am, Sydney: Waking up to mental health: an open conversation with Lifeline. Lead sponsor JLT, supported by AUB Group.

7.30am, Adelaide: Policy construction: it’s a matter of interpretation. Event hosted by AILA, in conjunction with Dive In.

9am, Brisbane: Diversity doesn’t stick without inclusion. Lead sponsor NIBA Queensland, supported by Allianz, QBE, Marsh, Emberin and Nick Did This.

Noon, Sydney: Future of work. Sponsored by Steadfast.

3pm, Melbourne: Gender vs multiculturalism, the great unconscious bias debate. Lead sponsor Sura, supported by Wotton + Kearney and Liberty International Underwriters.

3.30pm, Sydney: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion: time for action. Lead sponsor Marsh, supported by AIG and DXC Technology.

4.30pm, Wellington: Creating an environment for inclusion. Lead sponsor Marsh New Zealand, supported by AIG and Mercer.

5.15pm, Perth: Cultural diversity within the insurance industry. Lead sponsor NIBA Young Professionals, supported by Gallagher and Hall & Wilcox.