International Women’s Day: Committing to Balance

Newfront is thrilled to participate alongside the International Women’s Day community, today and throughout the month of March. At Newfront we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging – a culture in which each member of the Newfront team feels they are treated fairly, respected, and represented.

At Newfront, we've sought a better way forward for clients, colleagues, and the communities in which we live and serve. We said that people come before policies, and we said that we would build our firm on “we”, not “I”. We believe that together is the only way forward – indeed, “In This Together” is one of our core values. As we made diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority, we recognized that DE&I is an extension of our values. DE&I is part of our DNA.

Newfront’s DE&I Council created our DE&I Charter, including our process for establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and launched our first ERG, our Women’s ERG, NewHER.

NewHER aims to play an active role in creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for all women at Newfront by elevating each to reach their highest potential and to break down biases and barriers that stand in the way. COVID-19 has certainly highlighted some of these biases and barriers, where working mothers, in particular, are feeling immense pressure balancing needs at work and needs at home. These pressures have led many women to leave the workforce. This is a problem we must address through creative solutions. For example, why not try to match up team members to support and back up each other based on scheduling needs? It is imperative that we show women in the workplace how much we value them by creatively addressing the challenges they face in both the expectations and the demands that are placed on them.

At Newfront, we celebrate the trailblazing women of our team and challenge gender bias and inequality across our industry. While women make up 60% of the insurance workforce, just 12% of top officer positions are women. It is incumbent upon each of us to challenge these gaps – in our workplaces and our community.

Throughout the month of March, we are taking the opportunity to celebrate some of the many women and allies of women who inspire us at Newfront. We hope you enjoy meeting them and reading their stories and inspiring messages. Join us as we embrace Newfront’s “Work, Love, Play!” ethos to help women in the workplace realize true equity, achieve balance, and enhance their wellbeing.