Gunjali Rana (pictured, far right) knows a thing or two about the importance of inclusivity. As Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CNA – as well as chair of IB’s upcoming Women in Insurance Summit – Rana’s lived experiences have shaped her personal and professional growth.

Born in India and raised in the Philippines, Rana moved through the British and American educational systems – eventually landing her current role at CNA, where she thrives on her passion for creating an inclusive culture.

“At CNA, we have spent a number of years focused on DE&I, and every day we pursue a culture of inclusion that attracts and celebrates all dimensions of diversity,” she told Insurance Business. “That’s the ultimate goal. We’ve made sure we have a full range of learning and development experiences in every modality – providing opportunities for all our colleagues, individually and within their teams, to engage in DEI.”

And this commitment to diversity begins long before the employee life cycle – and in fact has roots in CNA’s hiring strategy. The company’s strategic approach to recruitment and retention is pivotal in building a diverse workforce, which, as Rana noted, is crucial to fostering innovation and driving business success.

“In terms of recruitment, we have been really purposeful in ensuring equal access to opportunities wherever possible,” she told IB. “We have eight Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and each one of them goes into a strategy on how to (improve) DE&I, providing our employees with opportunities to engage in this work.”

Misconceptions about DE&I

Rana is also well aware of the plethora of challenges in the DE&I field, particularly the misconception that DE&I efforts only benefit minority groups.

“DE&I — whose ultimate goal is a culture of inclusion — benefits everyone,” she said. “It’s about ensuring equal opportunity and accessibility for people of all backgrounds.”

But these DE&I initiatives are only successful if you can measure, analyze, and improve the outputs. At CNA, Rana said this is a complex but crucial aspect of their strategy.

“There is some work you do today, the results will come out tomorrow,” she said. “Then there are some businesses that you do today, where you won’t see results for months or even years. It’s a long-term play. So, how do you know you’re making an impact? I think I can look at overall company results.”

At CNA, Rana believes that last year at DE&I was one of their best yet – in large part because her CNA colleagues, around the world, have an unquenchable passion for progress.

“When you have a diverse team at your table, and that diverse team feels included, that’s when you get innovative solutions to your challenges,” she said. “And for us, we see that every day.”

And this diversity is something Rana is excited to discuss at the upcoming Women in Insurance Summit – where she believes it is important to support, support and uplift her female colleagues.

“I think the future for women in the insurance industry is bright,” she said. “I look at CNA and I look at its leaders, and I see so many women among them – which gives me hope. I look around in financial services and I also see women climbing the ladder and taking others up with them.

Want to learn more from industry leaders on how to advance your career in 2024? Register for IB’s upcoming Women in Insurance Summit here.