Donna Ince, senior vice president and chief underwriting officer, personal insurance, Definity

Donna Ince has witnessed significant shifts in gender representation over her decades-long career in the property and casualty insurance industry, but she recognizes there is still work to be done.

“I believe the industry has made good progress with respect to women in senior leadership roles,” says Ince. “There are many outstanding women leading insurance companies, brokerages, and other industry organizations.

“These women are talented, confident, and ambitious individuals who role-model strong executive leadership traits. However, women still face many challenges, starting at the senior manager and director level, where the gender balance flips and continues to narrow the higher up it goes.”

Ince is now senior vice president and chief underwriting officer of personal insurance at Definity, where she leads corporate underwriting, pricing, portfolio management, and regulatory affairs across the company’s broker and direct digital channels. She had more than 25 years at RSA Insurance before joining Definity in 2021.

Over the course of her career, she has seen firsthand the importance of fostering a diverse talent pipeline. “Having large pools of diverse talent is critical to promoting greater gender equality at all levels of management,” she says. “Development of talent needs to start earlier, and identification of leadership talent shouldn’t be hindered by biases that could delay or sideline promotability, like motherhood.”

Flexibility is another important consideration for driving greater gender balance, she adds. “Hybrid work has changed the way we think about work and personal life balance,” she says. “Having more autonomy and a better work-life balance can significantly contribute to improved mental health and overall well-being.”

Changing Industry for Women

Despite recent setbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Ince remains optimistic about the Canadian industry’s commitment to inclusivity.

“The pushback against DEI in the U.S. is certainly a step backwards. But I’m encouraged companies in our industry will continue to support and pursue inclusivity as an important part of their culture,” she says. “At Definity, our thinking hasn’t changed: we’re committed to a barrier-free culture for our employees, our clients, and our communities.”

Definity takes a structured approach to inclusivity, by setting representation targets at the board, executive, and vice-president levels. The goal is for women to hold at least 30% of those positions by 2026.

“I’m also very proud to have played a role in Definity’s recent signing of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and to be the first Canadian P&C insurer to announce our support,” Ince adds.

She stresses organizations prioritizing inclusivity will ultimately attract the best talent. “Regardless of the current social climate, companies promoting inclusivity as a key part of their workplace culture will continue to outperform and be better-positioned for long-term success.”

Path to Leadership

Although women made up 66% of the P&C insurance workforce in 2022, only 25% to 30% held senior executive positions. Ince believes this gap is due to a combination of factors, including biases that hinder early career promotions.

“The data confirms women are not promoted at the same rate as men right from their first opportunity for leadership,” she explains. “This initial delay in promotion can have a ripple effect through an individual’s career.”

She believes one of the most significant challenges is the bias associated with motherhood.

“Unintentional biases towards women of child-bearing age can impede promotability,” Ince says. “A 2019 report by RBC Economics Research found the motherhood earnings gap persists for at least five years after women return to work following the birth of a child, whereas men do not face similar penalties after becoming fathers. In fact, they tend to see an increase in earnings.”

Ince says organizations must be more proactive in identifying and developing female talent. “One way to encourage more women to take on senior roles is to identify young female talent early and provide them with leadership development tools and opportunities to progress,” she says.

“We need to ensure we aren’t letting our decisions be clouded by gender biases, like motherhood. We also need to encourage our strong female talent to take on career risks, step outside their comfort zones, and build confidence in their leadership potential.”

As a mentor to the chair of Definity’s women’s empowerment employee group, Ince is dedicated to supporting the next generation of women in insurance. “Women belong in senior leadership, and with the right support systems in place, we can close the gap,” she says.