Every International Women’s Day, GB recognises and celebrates the accomplishments of the inspiring women we work with. This year, we asked our people to nominate an inspiring female leader that they work with, and we were overwhelmed with dozens of very worthy nominations. After a tough process, eight women were selected to be profiled for 2019, based on their amazing accomplishments over the past 12 months.

All of the women featured in these interviews will represent GB at the Women in Insurance Leadership summit in August. Click here to read interviews from last year's inductees.

Meet Heather Sippel, a hardworking, dedicated, and talent member of the Gallagher Bassett family.

Originally joining GB in 2010, Heather left for a few years, to then return as Operations Manager in July 2015.

Heather oversees GB's Catastrophe Response Team; managing client relationships, the performance of the team, recruitment, staff engagement and development, and is also responsible for internal and external stakeholder management.

Heather was nominated by a number of colleagues who see how Heather is an inspiring female leader in a variety of different ways; the way that she takes initiative, and never shies away from any challenge, freely offers her time and assistance to anyone that may need it - whether it’s for a simple chat or to help them to develop skills.

Heather is well regarded by all who work with her, including clients. She gets things to move forward through her personable approach, and is not afraid to hold difficult conversations when required, to re-focus the direction of the team.

We recently sat down with Heather to find out more about her:

What has been your journey to get to your current position?

I left school at 16 years of age, and fell into an insurance role. I have always worked in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, always in roles responding to events, ramping up staff and juggling a lot of things. The EQC team within GB gave me my first opportunity to lead leaders, as a Branch Manager.

Was it hard to break into the male-dominated industry of insurance?

I think the industry has changed and evolved a lot. Traditionally it was seen as a bit of a “boys club”, but I don’t think this is the case anymore. I think in today’s environment it is not hard to break into the industry, but it can be hard to progress to the next level.

Were there any challenges you have had to confront in your career?

Being a female, I always feel the need to prove myself and go above and beyond. The challenge is to smash through the glass ceiling. You just have to face any challenges head-on, take them in your stride.

How has GB supported you and your career?

GB paid for the first formal training I ever completed – my Cert IV in Frontline Management. Prior to this I had no qualifications. The Cert IV planted the seed in my head, and I really enjoyed it, and I’ve since gone on to complete two diplomas - one in Management and the other in HR.

Another way I have been supported is through my manager - Damien Gilhooley. He has supported me throughout my whole career at GB, he is a big part of where I am today, and he is absolutely an advocate for me.

What is the driving force behind everything you do? What keeps you motivated?

In my first job, when I was only 16, a supervisor role came up. I’d only been in my role for 4 weeks but this really caught my attention. I mentioned it to my manager, flagging it for the future when I was more experienced, that this would be something I would be interested in. He told me to calm down, I hadn’t even passed my probation!

But I saw the impact that supervisor role had on people’s lives – customers and staff, I saw that the role was helping to shape their future in some way. I knew then that was what I wanted to do. Having a positive impact on people’s lives motivates me.

Who has been the biggest influence of your success?

My dad has an insane work ethic. I think that’s definitely where I get my drive and ambition.
From a GB perspective, Damien constantly pushes and challenges me. He’s a huge support for me, and always encourages me to think outside the square and is a big influence on my success.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

I think it’s amazing that we can celebrate women in the workplace. As a (relatively) new mum, I understand the juggling act that we have to do. If you look back 20+ years, women were mostly stay at home mums. Now we can do these roles, we can make a difference, and we’re showing that we can be reliable and committed. It’s amazing to have a day dedicated to celebrating this success.

IWD theme for 2019 is #BalanceforBetter. What does this mean for you?

Coming back from maternity leave, I thought I would need to prove my worth. But GB has been so supportive and flexible and they’ve helped me make it work.

Balance is really important for me, and it’s something I try to provide to my staff too. We need to recognise that whilst we have a workforce, we also have outside factors that the business needs to consider.

I think this a good theme, it sets up businesses to really focus on that balance and it’s something that within my team internally, we’re really trying to achieve.

Who is a woman that inspires you the most and why?

I think Stacey Williams (Executive General Manager of Sales and Engagement at GB) is pretty phenomenal, and someone I aspire to be like. She is young, she has worked her way up in the business, and she has confidence, knowledge, and experience. I would love to be like that one day.

What advice would you give to women who are considering pursuing a career within the insurance industry?

Come in, get involved! Be open and honest about your challenges – you need to be heard and understood. Don’t be scared to let people know what you need.

GB have been very considerate of those things in my experience. Depending on where you want your career to go, the opportunities are there, and the support is there. Have belief in yourself and drive to succeed.

What advice would you give others on how they can best support women in their careers?

Recognise us as equals. Value our opinions and suggestions as highly as you would do a male co-worker.

Have confidence in us that we know what we’re doing - and know that we can multi-task better than anyone!