As a diversity & inclusion ambassador for Gallagher, Jen Tadin is passionate about promoting an equitable work environment for all, and working to create a fully inclusive professional culture.
“I believe everyone should be focused on creating awareness of the inequities that currently exist in the workplace, and using their positions of power and privilege to eradicate those inequities,” said Tadin, who holds the title of national sales director and client experience leader for small business at Gallagher in the U.S. “In my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find a woman in any industry who doesn’t have a story or two to share about experiences with workplace inequality. At minimum, we’ve all been the only woman at the conference table at least once before, and that needs to change,” she added.
While the issue of workplace gender bias is often discussed and awareness has greatly improved, Tadin believes we are not taking swift and sufficient action to find a solution.
“My challenge to every single person in our industry is to act intentionally every single day, and that can be done through hiring practices, ensuring pay equality, building diverse teams, and placing more women onto boards and into executive positions where they can make critical decisions on behalf of the business,” she said.
“As more women move into positions of power and influence, this whole concept of women being held to a higher standard than men will dissipate.”
Tadin hopes to encourage other young women to pursue a career in insurance, to help change the landscape of the industry.
“We need more women in our industry,” she said. “There’s a wealth of opportunity to build a long-lasting and prosperous career.”
The insurance industry was a natural career choice for Tadin as she grew up with a number of strong, female role models in the industry – her mother and aunts. She started as a producer at a mid-size agency, but quickly realized she was interested in pursuing a sales role on the insurance carrier side.
“Once I became aware of the different roles that existed on the carrier side, I was very specific about seeking out an outside sales position with a national carrier,” said Tadin, who went on to hone her skills at three different insurance carriers over a 10-year period. The turning point in her career came in 2014 when she was offered a role on the brokerage side at Gallagher.
“It was a difficult decision for me because I had built a great professional reputation and moving to a brokerage role felt like I was taking a big risk due to the entrepreneurial nature of the brokerage business,” she said. “It was the first moment in my career when I felt like I was taking a risk on myself without having a specific career path laid out for me.” Following advice from one of her mentors, Tadin took the leap and made the move to Gallagher, where she is currently responsible for the creation, implementation and senior leadership of the firm’s small-business sales team.
“Looking back, it was absolutely the right decision,” she said. “It taught me that you have to bet on yourself and take risks. Bigger risks can often lead to larger success.”
