NAAIA and Diversifying the Insurance Industry with Omari Aarons-Martin

02/21/24 • 33 min

Omari Aarons-Martin is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National African American Insurance Association, a 2,100-member 501c6 organization that works to diversify the insurance industry and provides professional development programming to its members. A champion of workplace inclusion and equity, Aarons-Martin has received recognition from Insurance Business America, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Business Equality Magazine for his leadership and volunteerism. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts and common cathedral, an outdoor congregational community for the unhoused, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Roxbury Community College. Aarons-Martin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and Master of Divinity cum laude in Global and Community Engagement from Boston University School of Theology where he was a Howard Thurman Fellow and served as President of the Association of Black Seminarians. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Omari discuss the current and possible future state of DEI in the insurance workplace, the role that NAAIA is playing in training and connecting African American members of the industry, and the need for increased collaboration and connection across all facets of the insurance industry.

These onsite episodes of the In The Know podcast are brought to you by Gallagher Bassett.

Key Takeaways

Omari recalls his personal invitation into the insurance industry.
The most appealing aspect of the industry was his transferable skills.
The role that seminary theology training has played in Omari’s career.
Inclusion in the insurance industry is increasing at a promising rate.
DEI at the C-suite level is still a work in progress.
At NAAIA, members have access to extensive training and development.
Attracting new talent through professional development offerings for African Americans.
Tactics for better supporting and fostering professional DEI relationships.
Benefits of the accessibility of in-person versus virtual meetings.
The importance of collaborating and sharing ideas with your professional circles.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
Omari shares a few of the many things he would have liked to know at the onset of his career.

Quotes

“I now understand central motivation, what brings people to the table and what they really care about.”
“We’ve seen a lot of activity around diversity, equity, and inclusion — more conversations and more transparency.”
“There is still much more [DEI] work that we need to do as we look at CEOs, C-suite, senior manager roles to see inclusion really take hold.”
“We know that the way people move through the industry is in relationships.”
“Starting with an audit and assessment of the [DEI] environment where you are is key.”
“Finding the right solutions to close the [DEI] gap is really important.”

These onsite episodes of the In The Know podcast are brought to you by Gallagher Bassett.

Key Takeaways

Omari recalls his personal invitation into the insurance industry.
The most appealing aspect of the industry was his transferable skills.
The role that seminary theology training has played in Omari’s career.
Inclusion in the insurance industry is increasing at a promising rate.
DEI at the C-suite level is still a work in progress.
At NAAIA, members have access to extensive training and development.
Attracting new talent through professional development offerings for African Americans.
Tactics for better supporting and fostering professional DEI relationships.
Benefits of the accessibility of in-person versus virtual meetings.
The importance of collaborating and sharing ideas with your professional circles.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
Omari shares a few of the many things he would have liked to know at the onset of his career.

Quotes

“I now understand central motivation, what brings people to the table and what they really care about.”
“We’ve seen a lot of activity around diversity, equity, and inclusion — more conversations and more transparency.”
“There is still much more [DEI] work that we need to do as we look at CEOs, C-suite, senior manager roles to see inclusion really take hold.”
“We know that the way people move through the industry is in relationships.”
“Starting with an audit and assessment of the [DEI] environment where you are is key.”
“Finding the right solutions to close the [DEI] gap is really important.”

Previous Episode

The Transformative Retail and Wholesale Market with John Howard

John M. Howard is chairman and CEO of Truist Insurance Holdings where he oversees the retail and wholesale insurance businesses. He has three decades in financial services and currently serves as executive sponsor of the SERVE (Supporting Emergency Responders & Veterans Engagement) Business Resource Group at Truist. He is chairman of the board of both The American College of Financial Services and The Institutes, board officer secretary for the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, an overseer of the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science at St. John’s University, and a member of the Insurance Policy Committee of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Additionally, he is a prior chairman of the board of trustees of Gill St. Bernard’s School, and recipient of the Hall of Fame Award from the Tri-County Scholarship Fund. Howard earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University and an MBA from Duke University and is a U.S. Navy veteran. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and John discuss the transformative retail and wholesale market, the changes that have impacted the insurance industry, and how an unconventional path has benefitted his career, from his days in the Navy to his current role as CEO.

These onsite episodes of the In The Know podcast are brought to you by Gallagher Bassett.

Key Takeaways

John shares the unconventional career path that led him to his current position.
Doing deals was initially more interesting to John than insurance itself.
John’s approach to transitioning from carrier to broker.
A CEO’s perspective on effectively building company culture.
Evaluating whether an insurance brokerage company is a good cultural fit.
Characteristics for new hires don’t have to follow a conventional path.
The CEO role has not always been what John initially anticipated.
Key communication and education skills that apply to a wide variety of constituencies.
John’s involvement at the Institute professional organization at the volunteer level.
“Never stop learning” – John’s advice about continued education.
Attracting new talent to the industry starts with embracing diversity and highlighting opportunities.
The value of mentors in crafting a successful career.
John’s view on the transformative advent of technology in the insurance industry.
The impact of technology on the brokerage community.
Insights into current and future changes in the wholesale space.
A five-year look at the future of the insurance industry.
The advice that John would have benefited from in his early career.

Next Episode

Insurance as a Public Service with Rosa Royo

Rosa Royo is the Director of Worker’s Compensation and Loss Prevention at Miami-Dade County Public Schools. A graduate of Barry University, Ms. Royo has been a Risk Manager for over 30 years and has specialized in Worker’s Compensation for the last 20 years. She is employed by Miami-Dade County Public Schools and supervises a high-volume customer-service-driven worker’s compensation program. In 2016, she relaunched the Rebuilding Me program to include providing athletic trainers, meditation, and cooking demonstrations to the district’s transportation yards, resulting in a reduction in claims of 61% over three years. In 2018 and 2022, Ms. Royo was recognized by Risk and Insurance magazine as a Risk All-Star. In 2019 she was a Comp Laude honorable mention and a Business Insurance Woman To Watch. She was awarded the Rosa Royo Legacy Award in 2023 by Bloom magazine. Under her leadership, the program was honored with its second Theodore Roosevelt (Teddy) award in 2023. In today’s episode of the In The Know podcast, Chris Hampshire and Rosa discuss the role that effective risk management plays in one of the nation’s largest school systems, the importance of incentives and education in employee engagement, and key components of the bright future of the insurance industry.