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We #ChoosetoChallenge on this International Women’s Day

By Cassie Masone
Vice President, Flood Operations

International Women’s Day (IWD) is today, March 8, and I am very excited to be a part of the Women at Work subcommittee at Selective that elevates this important day.

IWD has long been a significant observance day for me. As a young girl with three older brothers to emulate, I never felt restricted in what I could do. They fixed a lawnmower, so I learned how, too. They went fishing and took the fish off the hook with bare hands, so I followed suit. It was only after I graduated from college and took my first corporate job that I realized how differently women were treated. Although the ensuing years have seen significant progress, more work to advance gender equality remains.

Women make up a considerable percentage of the workforce in America. It is crucial that all women stand up and “Choose to Challenge” gender inequality, gender bias, and discrimination in any form. This IWD, I #ChosetoChallenge the status quo and invite you to read about how our partners in the Women’s Agency Leadership Initiative also #ChoosetoChallenge. I hope that you are inspired to #ChoosetoChallenge, as well.

Jane D. Koppenheffer

President, The Insurance Alliance Network

One challenge that I have had to overcome is thinking about leadership only in terms of sports analogies. All the male motivational speakers at carrier meetings for agency executives always seem to use them. Through the years, I have become so much more comfortable with my own voice and analogies and have even done a few “Oma (Grandmother) in the Boardroom” talks to share what I have learned about leadership from being a grandmother.

Women's Agency Leadership Initiative has been extremely important to me – Selective was our first super-regional carrier that made a concerted effort to connect with its female agency executives, and it has been terrific to see the networking and impact that it has with the women involved!

Kacy Campion Renna

President, Connelly-Campion-Wright

Over twenty years ago, I “chose to challenge” norms of workplace culture by committing to creating an environment for our team that supports an integrated work-life balance. The majority of our employees are women,and over the years, we have embraced all cutting-edge remote work technology and provided flexible hours to give our team choices to best navigate their work and personal lives. It has been a personal mission of mine to provide a workplace that recognizes the challenges of working and living a full life, contributing to our business success.

I appreciate Selective’s powerful commitment to women’s leadership. Women's Agency Leadership Initiative has been a practical and supportive forum for industry colleagues to gather, to share ideas and to build a more inclusive workplace.

Charlotte P. Law

Commercial Lines Manager, Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort

Juggling being a working mother, particularly during a pandemic, has been downright challenging over the past year. Finding new childcare abruptly, managing a team of 11 across three offices within the organization, opening a new office in a new city, all while finding time to do something for me every once in a while, proved to be intense, frustrating, and exhausting. Through these challenges, I learned how important it is to lean on others – those that encourage you, motivate you, listen to you, inspire you, and know you as well as you know yourself.

Thanks to the Selective Women’s Agency Leadership Initiative, I now have a network of women in the industry who “get it.” Most of the posts on my LinkedIn feed are from these inspiring, encouraging, and positive women that remind me that you can have a fulfilling career while raising a family. I find my drive from deep within, but my tribe of women in the industry and beyond has helped mold and lead me to where I am today. If you find yourself longing for a crowd to cheer you on, let me encourage you to take one small step.

Women's Agency Leadership Initiative was created for community and we must stand together and #ChoosetoChallenge to be strong, bold women. Our voices are worth being heard and we are better together.

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