Denise Hall | Aon Canada

Denise Hall, managing director, specialty broking, Aon Canada

Women have made clear advancements over the past decade, but more work is needed to improve female representation within senior leadership, says Denise Hall, managing director of specialty broking at Aon.

“For example, Aon’s global executive board is 58% women. And in Canada we do have some great examples of women having that top job, be it at brokerages or insurance companies,” she tells Canadian Underwriter. “Work is still needed at those mid-level manager positions [and creating] that pipeline to bring women up through the different levels of management.”

Success in this area is linked directly to sponsorship, she adds. “I was fortunate early in my career to have a couple of key sponsors; not just mentors. [They] pushed me forward, suggested I apply for different roles.”

“That encouragement early in my career was very helpful. [Someone] saying, ‘You’re ready for this, apply to this position.’”

Women must also shrug off concerns about so-called imposter syndrome, she adds. That means seeking affirmations from colleagues, clients, friends and family instead of focusing on what they can’t do. That includes getting past a tendency to forego applying jobs if they don’t check every box in a posted recruiting description.

“I’m currently leading several different broking teams,” Hall says. “Now, maybe I didn’t know each coverage inside and out; however, I do have the ability to learn quickly. I am good at asking questions. I have learned difficult things in the past and been able to be successful.

“It’s just a mental shift. It’s [as if there’s] this little person on your shoulder [saying, ‘You’re not qualified’], and you’ve got to flick them off and [say], ‘I can do this. I have done this in the past. I have gotten great client feedback. I have been able to negotiate that great deal.’”

It’s important to avoid behaviours that trigger unconscious biases about women in the workplace, she says. “If there are chairs along the side [of a conference table], don’t sit in them. Sit at the table. And don’t be the one offering coffee. Everybody can get their own beverages.”

Similarly, the industry needs to address unconscious bias around mothers returning to work, including the stereotypes that they don’t want stretch assignments or can’t travel. “On the flip side, I have heard feedback from other females that if they don’t have children, people assume they can [always] stay late, that they can do that extra work,” Hall says. “It is important that everybody has a good work life balance.”

The current hybrid working environment is helping women with family and other obligations advance their careers, says Hall. It’s a tool that, alongside mentorship, can help build the talent pipeline.

“We have to invest in training…recognizing that talent, and challenging outdated views of what a leader should look like,” she says. “Twenty years ago, I’m not sure anyone would have said, ‘Denise, you mirror other senior leaders in our company.’ I’m a bit quieter. I like to listen in meetings.

“When I negotiate, I don’t negotiate aggressively. I like to find the win. But the nice thing about today, versus when I started 22 years ago, is the skill set I have, and other women have, and other men have, too, is what is needed to be a longer-term success. We’ve gotten away from, ‘I’m gonna [engage in] negotiations where someone’s bleeding at the end.’

“It’s more of a partnership, and our clients are also taking a longer-term view as the world gets more volatile.”