Allianz Australia brought Queensland business leaders together during Refugee Week for an event to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The insurer partners with Settlement Services International, which was last year recognised with the Australian Human Rights Commission’s business award.

Since the partnership formed in 2016, Allianz has provided almost $100,000 in scholarships and hired 21 refugees in a range of permanent roles.

Allianz Chief Technical Officer Donna Walker says the event, in conjunction with the Queensland Multicultural Ambassadors program, was a reminder to challenge stereotypes and build multicultural workforces. 

“Australia’s refugees are far from a homogenous group,” she said. “They come from enormously diverse backgrounds and bring with them a wealth of skills and life experiences.

“However, there are often barriers that many highly skilled refugees face when seeking suitable employment, including language and cultural differences, a lack of recognition by employers for their experience and education, and, quite often, unconscious bias.”

Allianz employee Dana Al Samaan came to Australia with a bachelor of economics degree from Syria and is completing her masters in auditing.

“The perception is that all refugees are uneducated and unskilled, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said.

“The opportunity to bring my skill set and university qualifications to a global company such as Allianz has helped to address some common misconceptions about refugees, while also helping to establish my confidence in a foreign country and sharpen my English skills and experience.”

The Queensland Multicultural Ambassadors program unites a range of businesses committed to the Multicultural Queensland Charter, which aims to help organisations capitalise on the benefits of diversity.