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International Women’s Day 2023: Interview with Tracey Kesby
International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD 2023 is an ideal time for us to highlight the incredible female talent working in the insurance business at NewSure. It’s an opportunity to increase the awareness of women’s roles in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and to highlight the expertise and passion these women bring to our business each and every day.
In this series we discover why these women chose a career in insurance, and why more young women should choose a career path in insurance. In this interview, we talk to Tracey Kesby, Operations Manager & General Insurance Broker.
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Tell us a little about your background. Why did you decide upon a career in insurance?
Nepotism, got me into insurance in the 1980s. My father-in-law offered me a job in his Canberra-based brokerage as a junior. He eventually sold the business and I stayed on! My next move was another small brokerage in Canberra.
A few years later, my husband’s business was taking off and we packed up the family to move to Newcastle to set up a software and bookkeeping business. I then spent some time working for a large accountancy firm. During my time there I picked up skills in bookkeeping. One of the accountants at the firm had an association with Garaty Murnane Insurance Brokers (the predecessor of NewSure) and asked if I’d like to join the team.
My bookkeeping experience was a great foot in the door at Murnane’s and that role evolved into accounts, compliance and claims. After a stint back in Canberra, I came back to the business and now work in a hybrid broking and operations role.
What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?
I wanted to become a psychologist. I loved psychology at school and I find people immensely interesting.
Which innovative woman do you admire the most and why?
Greta Thunberg is at the top of my list. She is young and passionate and I strongly believe in her cause. As someone with grandchildren, I believe that the environment needs to be protected for future generations.
My book keeping experience was a great foot in the door at Murnane’s and that role evolved into accounts, compliance and claims.
How do you believe NewSure supports women?
I believe there’s a generational issue in our industry and it’s crucial to advocate for the younger brokers and assistants to develop their skills and careers. This is why we encourage professional growth through training and on-the-job support. Once an employee gets to a stage where they are comfortable with their ability, they are offered a small portfolio to manage as a stepping point to growing the portfolio to move into a full-time broker position.
On a personal level, NewSure has always encouraged me to evolve from primarily support roles.
What do you think the insurance industry needs to do to attract more women and create more of a gender-equal future?
When I started in insurance in the 80s, the topic of gender diversity was not discussed; it was definitely a male-dominated sector. Today, we’ve made progress to have gender balance in the industry and I can see the role that women can play in the future.
Insurance has also become incredibly complex and nuanced and it’s more reliant on relationship building – an area many women have an affinity for.
What’s advice you’d give to the women of the future/women who are looking to join the insurance industry?
Be interested in people and have the willingness to learn. As whilst the work can be extremely satisfying, it can be quite stressful and demanding, set boundaries early on and ensure you have allowances for work-life balance.
Tracey Kesby is a Broker Assistant at NewSure. We offer complete insurance solutions for all types of businesses – from start-ups to medium and large size enterprises. Let us help you.
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