Since I started publishing my series on AI Transformation, where I present the point of view of an insurance CTO, I have had many people ask me why the CTO is a female, or comment that it was unusual.
Sometimes you learn a lot by what questions people ask.
Everybody knows that the insurance industry has a ways to go in terms of diversity in a lot of respects. But the fact that this has come up so often is very interesting to me, because it has nothing to do with the message of the articles. I just decided to use a female as the protagonist.
Of course, this could also be a reflection on the technology profession as well.
As a white hispanic male in this industry without an obviously hispanic name and no hispanic “accent” (heck, I don’t even speak Spanish well), I haven’t personally experienced overt discrimination, but I have seen it around me. Most of of it is unintentional, but the subtle challenges of being an “other” in this industry is a real thing.
Even if you set aside the fundamental questions of fairness and equality, the insurance industry is not well served by any bias that limits its access to talent regardless of gender, race, color, or cultural background. Especially now, when the industry must adapt to many disruptive forces and replace a generation of retiring professionals.