In the global insurance sector, progress on diversity, equity and inclusion is anything but uniform, but one career consultant thinks Bermuda is a “great experiment” in building diverse talent and more inclusive corporate cultures.

“I think Bermuda is a great experiment of how we actually can work because of the mix of talent that is here,” said Ivy Kusinga, chief executive of Career Vines, a career management consulting firm.

Bermuda’s insurance sector has a unique blend of local and international expertise, and Ms Kusinga pointed out that this diversity brings opportunities for genuine inclusion, though she cautioned that success is not guaranteed by demographics alone.

She pointed to the persistent challenge of informal “insider” networks: “If the leaders are all of one ilk, they tend to socialise with each other. That’s the circle, the ultimate circle.” Breaking out of these circles, she suggested, is essential for sustaining real progress.

Ms Kusinga, speaking last week at the PwC Insurance Summit, emphasised the importance of moving beyond performative gestures, urging companies to keep examining whether diverse talent can actually advance.

“Can we say that our leadership team is a reflection? Can we say that people have a fair play in this culture?” she asked.

Ms Kusinga said that despite progress in talent diversity, the insurance industry continues to wrestle with the “first promotion gap” for women.

The moment women enter first-level supervisory roles is critical: “Once that gap begins, it actually widens,” she said. This widening gap can result in long-term social isolation at upper management. Solving the problem means clear tracking of patterns and support structures like sponsorship and leadership development programmes, she said.

“So the key takeaway for those of you who are managers is every time you’re doing those first-level supervisory promotions, really look at gender,” Ms Kusinga advised.

At the same time, she warned against mistaking cosmetic changes for genuine progress on DEI.

One example: “If you have to change your website, you probably need to have a very hard conversation inside the company as to: ‘What are we doing?’”

In her view, authentic diversity is measured not in public-facing statements or “cleaned up” online messaging, but in the lived experiences of employees at every level.