A new insurance industry initiative has launched to expand leadership development for Black professionals.

The focus of the Black Insurance Industry Collective (BIIC) is to accelerate the advancement of Black professionals with the end goal of increasing the representation of Black leaders at the mid-to-executive level in the insurance industry. The BIIC will emphasize mentorship and sponsorship, providing educational, networking and training opportunities for Black professionals in the industry.

The initiative, affiliated with The Institutes and created under the leadership of four insurance industry diversity and human capital leaders, has been two years in the making and included input from over 50 participants from insurance, talent development and academia.

BIIC’s Leadership Council consists of:

• Susan Johnson, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, The Hartford
• Ivy Kusinga, SVP, Chief Culture Officer, Chubb
• Ronald Reeves, Chief Diversity Officer, AIG
• Tony Steadman, Managing Director, Global Client Leader, Accenture

The initiative will partner with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business to create a specialized leadership development program focused on developing skills necessary for career progression.

BIIC invites organizations to join as Founding Year Sponsors.