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.

A steadfast rock at GB for over 10 years, Karen has gone above and beyond what her job requirements are. She is a vital and important key figure in leading and managing teams. A colleague felt that she was the perfect person to nominate as an influential and inspiring female leader, due to her knowledge, experience, and leadership capabilities that empower those she works with.

As a Branch Manager, she works with her teams, giving them the support and tools they require to be successful. She has done incredible work in minimizing the complaints from the eligibility team, by training her staff to be more confident when communicating with clients.

She has instilled belief and confidence in her people and has created a branch that encourages and supports teamwork.

We sat down with Karen to talk about her career, her motivation, and why she believes International Women’s Day is important.

When did you join GB and in what role?

I joined in March 2009 as a Policy and Procedure Writer.

What does your current role involve?

I’m currently on a secondment to the role of Branch Manager – Specialist Claims Services. In this role, I provide support and leadership to the Eligibility team, Dispute Resolution Officers and Senior Technical teams to empower them with the tools and support they need to do their roles well.

My substantive role is Branch Manager – Claims Support Services

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

I fell into the industry, like a lot of us. When I finished year 12 in 1992, a friend had a vacancy at her work, so I went along and started as a Clerk.

From there, I learned and was exposed to different parts of the industry and I worked my way up through ranks, earning stripes each step of the way. I’ve had varied roles in case management, technical management and dispute resolution.

When I joined GB it was as a Policy and Procedure Writer, I then went on to manage a team of new claims officers and claims assistants. I was then promoted to Branch Manager, which involved oversight of a branch of over 40 staff across six departments. I went straight into the deep end here, with no handover from my predecessor so it was a case of hitting the ground running. And I was doing it part-time, and the role had always been full time!

In July 2018 I was seconded into this role, covering a maternity leave vacancy.

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

No, definitely not for me. I come from a very male-dominated environment, I am one of 5 children, and the only girl. My parents were also foster carers, and as a result of that, I also gained two permanent foster brothers. Gender never mattered in our house. We never bought into the male v female thing. I have never felt disadvantaged because of gender.

Were there any challenges you have had to confront? How did you overcome these challenges?

Raising a family and managing that alongside having a career.

I have 4 children. The challenge is trying to be the best version of myself at work and at home, I want the best of everything. I want to be a good mum, but develop myself professionally.

How has GB supported you and your career?

Really, really well. When I first came into GB, they accommodated my need to work part-time. As my capacity grew and opportunities changed, they supported me and allowed me to develop, but it was at my pace.

What I could offer was always satisfactory for GB. They have always trusted and supported me. They respect that family is important to me.

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

The future - my future, the future of my children. I want to raise independent strong women and I want to show my daughters that they need to be the best version of themselves. It’s important to set an example, they don’t just need to be a wife or partner. They can choose that path if they want to, but they do have a choice.

I also want to show my boys that women can be mothers and also be successful in their careers. I would expect that they support that in their future relationships. We promote equality in our house.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It’s a good opportunity to recognise all the wonderful things that we do as women. We are remarkable individuals. We balance a lot in our lives, and by doing that we are leaders of the future.

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

It’s an exciting opportunity, for all women who are planning a family or have competing priorities, to strike a balance. We can be effective without necessarily being stuck in the office Monday to Friday.

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

It may sound cheesy – but Oprah does! I think Oprah tackles difficult circumstances and issues, she challenge things.

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

Something I wish I had done better is explaining what I did for work. I used to be almost embarrassed to tell people. I’d tell them I was in Workers’ Comp and they’d usually have some story about someone they knew who didn’t have a great experience. We should be proud of what we do, sell what we do. I now say ‘I help people who have been injured to return to work, and make sure they’re ok’.

I think when we’re proud of what we do, it makes a difference. Learn a way to talk about what you do in a positive way. Unfortunately, ‘insurance’ is not a positive word for a lot of people. Think about what we do, not what we don’t do.

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

Honest, open, transparent communication.

Create an environment that promotes conversations. Promote a culture that allows women to support each other, share experiences that make us feel good about ourselves and not judging and making assumptions. Connect more personally, removing taboos and barriers.