Tuesday 29 October 2024
- BELONG
Black History Month at Tokio Marine HCC International
At Tokio Marine HCC International (TMHCCI), one of our core principles is delivering success through diversification. Our ability to operate in a variety of speciality markets is key to our success. This will always be our strength but to continue enjoying the same level of success, we have to encourage greater diversity – in all its forms – in our workforce too.
We pride ourselves on hiring the smartest, most conscientious people, who want to make a difference no matter their background. Diverse businesses experience higher levels of innovation, improved decision making and profitability than less diverse businesses, which is one of the reasons why we take events like Black History Month so seriously.
This year’s theme of Reclaiming Narratives encouraged discussion about the stories, allegories and histories that form Black culture in the UK today. In that spirit, we brought together employees at Lloyd’s Old Library, where some took to the stage to share their own stories and perspectives, particularly in the context of the modern workplace.
We were lucky enough to be joined by British historian, author, presenter and filmmaker, David Olusoga who gave us an eye-opening tour through the key (but hidden) figures and events in Black history. It was illuminating and powerful to hear about so many important stories that have been wilfully forgotten and erased.
Representatives from Equity City, who are working with us to ensure we can continue to draw more talent from more diverse sources, also joined our event. We are deeply proud of the internal initiatives we run across our business to help us achieve greater diversity.
Earlier this month, a group of our colleagues were joined in Fenchurch Street by Sir George Monoux College students to explore the world of work against the backdrop of Black History. We recreated a debating room atmosphere with TMHCCI employees helping students prepare for the debate before giving them constructive feedback on their performance.
In the middle of the month, at our Leicester office, we held an interactive lunch and learn session with one of our charity partners, Facing History & Ourselves. In a broad discussion, we covered questions of race, identity and belonging as well as celebrating the achievements of Black Britons and how those achievements really drive home the importance of Black History Month.
This is just a sample of what has been happening across the business, and of course, many of you will have celebrated in your own way. We must keep celebrating and bringing these experiences to the fore as we strive to diversify our workforce in the same way we have diversified our business.
