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, nine women were selected to be profiled for 2020, 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.

Meet Nadia Forlani, a passionate, creative member of the Gallagher Bassett family.

Nadia was nominated by colleagues for the inspiring leadership she demonstrates both in her role as National Tender Manager, and in her work as chair of GB’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

In both of these roles, Nadia always brings an energy and creativity that inspires the people she's working with. Nadia never settles for just doing things the way they've been done in the past; she looks for ways to improve and re-invent things.

In her role as National Tender Manager, Nadia has evolved GB’s tender capability, introducing creative new ways of connecting with clients and prospects. Nadia delivers tender responses, video content, and directs photo shoots that all add incredible value to the GB brand.

Nadia jumped into the Diversity and Inclusion Committee with both feet, as it’s something she is so passionate about. As a D&I Committee chair Nadia has taken responsibility for many key initiatives over the last 12 months, coordinating our Pride, World Mental Health Day and Harmony Day events. Nadia always throws herself into these initiatives with great enthusiasm, and compassion for the vulnerable groups they support. She has given up a lot of her personal time to organise speakers, decorations and materials that help make each of these events special.

Nadia has demonstrated inspiring leadership, as a new GB family member, having the confidence and ability to organise D&I Committee events and bring people out of their shell, making them feel safe and able to tell their story. That is a unique and special contribution to GB that shows strength and leadership.

In the past 12 months, Nadia has helped GB win more business and be a more diverse and inclusive company.

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

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

I’ve worked in marketing within a number of industries throughout my career such as banking, licensing and the arts before joining Gallagher Bassett in 2018.

Do you have a standout career highlight?

I’ve had the opportunity to achieve many things that I’m proud of, but the top 3 at GB are contributing to our success in winning key new accounts, being recognised for the work I’ve done elevating the GB brand in the market place, and becoming a chair of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Why do you recommend our industry for the next generation of women entering the workforce?

I’d recommend the Insurance industry to the next generation of women entering the workforce because it’s one of the formerly male-dominated industries that has made significant strides in terms of gender diversity. It also has robust incentives in place (such as development programs) to keep promoting these efforts.

As the industry continues to evolve and promote more women to executive positions, these leaders will also help strengthen their companies’ succession pipelines, demonstrating to women who are new to the industry that there is a bright future for them, especially in companies like GB, which actively creates the opportunity for invaluable mentoring.

What do you like most about Gallagher Bassett in five words or less?

Pride in all we do.

How is Gallagher Bassett is helping you face your future with confidence?

Gallagher Bassett is helping me face my future with confidence through inspiring leaders who provide genuine mentorship and development opportunities. They invest in strengthening who I am and who I aspire to be both personally and professionally.

Who is your inspiration or role model?

I consider myself most fortunate that the two people who inspire me most within our industry are also executives that I have the honour of working with, Stacey Williams- GB Australia’s Chief Client Officer and Andrew ‘Drew’ Spilsbury- GB’s Global Vice President Brand Strategy, Management & Growth. They have many qualities that make them incredible leaders and are both at the vanguard of innovation within the Insurance industry.

Stacey encourages me to always look at the big picture, to be bold and to question the status quo. Drew challenges me to go beyond in every facet of my role, emboldening me to take risks and to think both strategically and creatively.

Stacey and Drew have achieved so much in their careers at GB and are invested not just in the success of our business, but in creating a culture that allows each of us to be our best so that we can deliver for our clients each and every day.

What is your commitment to helping forge women’s equality?

I’m committed to helping forge gender equality at Gallagher Bassett through my work on our Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I’ll continue to deliver initiatives with my colleagues that are imbued by the values that guide us in The Gallagher Way, so that everyone we work with feels safe, respected, recognised and celebrated.