Insurance workers must promote the industry as a career option, according to Zurich General Insurance CEO Daniel Fogarty.

They should be encouraged to discuss positive experiences with insurance and the value it adds to communities, he says.

“We all need to be talking confidently about insurance and be proud of what we do as professionals in a highly valuable industry,” Mr Fogarty told the recent A&I Member Services (AIMS) conference.

“While we still have a way to go, I anticipate a world where people think of insurance as a rewarding career choice that’s talked about as an option, is socially desirable and is attractive to a wide range of skills and aptitudes.”

Insurance leaders say attracting and retaining good staff is a priority, but the industry is not gaining enough new talent.

Demand for skills in health and general insurance is expected to grow 15% by 2017, Mr Fogarty told the conference in Hawaii.

“We need people now and even more in coming years. With the breadth of roles that insurance offers, there’s a place for many different skills and people in our industry. We want to attract the best people.”

When Mr Fogarty asked the audience who “fell into” insurance, rather than deliberately choosing it as a career, almost all of them raised their hands.

“Even though we hear that people ‘fall into’ insurance, it was a shock how large the proportion actually is,” he said.