Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, a JV between Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd and Japan’s Tokio Marine Holdings, has appointed Anup Seth as its first chief diversity & inclusion officer. He will carry out these new responsibilities in addition to his role as the chief distribution officer.
Seth, along with a council of senior leaders, is expected to drive the conversation of a progressive work culture based on meritocracy and wellbeing.
Commenting on this appointment, Vikas Bansal, Chief Human Resource Officer, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance said, “This marks the beginning of our journey towards an inclusive workplace that can facilitate professional growth without compromising on the individuality and aspirations of our employees.” The aim here is to create a workplace that is attuned to the realities of today, Bansal added.
The life insurer intends to improve its gender ratio through the ranks and nurture leadership potential among its female employees. Currently, 27% of the workforce accounts for female employees and the organisation aims to bring this number to 35% in the next 3 years.
Anup Seth, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance said, “As a life insurer, we cater to a diverse set of customers who have varied needs. Aside from building an equitable workplace, we believe that Diversity and Inclusion can also help us gain meaningful insight into the challenges our customers face and the solutions they seek from us.”
The insurance company also focused on creating employment opportunities for those with disabilities (mental and physical). The company has identified roles across functions that can be effectively carried out by differently-abled individuals and expects a 5% annual incremental growth in this cohort over the next 5 years.
“Diversity and Inclusion is a slow journey; it will require a constant and consistent effort over the years. While women and differently-abled individuals form the focus in the first 12-18 months, we will expand the scope to include LGBTQ and ageism in the medium-term,” Bansal added.
Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance also intends on instituting an audit mechanism called Bias Interrupters. The company will use this mechanism to objectively identify and correct biases that threaten to imbalance employee well being.
