How to break through the insurance glass ceiling

How to break through the insurance glass ceiling | Insurance Business Canada

Insurance News

How to break through the insurance glass ceiling

One insurance head shares her path

Insurance News

By
Mika Pangilinan

The insurance industry has long been perceived as a male-dominated industry. For decades, women have struggled to shatter the glass ceiling and prove that they can compete with their male counterparts.

As one of Insurance Business Canada’s Elite Women of 2022, Anna Kavanagh is among the industry’s trailblazers who have been able to do just that.

In a recent IBTV interview, Kavanagh discussed how she was able to break through the glass ceiling and emphasized how self-development and mentorship helped her move forward in her career.

Currently vice president, Affinity Market Group at TD Insurance, Kavanagh entered the insurance industry in the late eighties.

Recalling her experience then, she recognized the importance of making her aspirations clear to her managers.

“Yes, I had a family, but that didn’t mean that I also didn’t want a career,” she said. “And so, I had to make sure it was clear that the job was more than just a paycheck to me, that I wanted to advance, that I wanted a career.”

To convey this, she invested in her learning and constantly sought to gain the foundational knowledge required to perform at a high level.

Kavanagh recounted how she enrolled in different courses to prepare for the roles she held throughout her career. Doing so gave her the confidence to “really hit the ground running” and signalled to her managers that she was serious about advancing her career.

In this regard, she highlighted the role that mentorship plays in helping women advance in the insurance industry.

“They actually become more important as you start to progress to more senior roles because mentors share their experience with you,” she said. “They give you a perspective that you may not have and as you become a leader.”

Learn more about Anna Kavanagh’s experience as a woman in the insurance industry by watching the full interview here.