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First Step To Developing a Successful Corporate Diversity Program? Lead By Example

Running a successful corporate diversity program is about more than just “doing the right thing”

By: ELLEN J. MOORE, Chairman, President and CEO, Chubb Insurance Company of Canada


As a CEO of a top performing company, I recognize diversity is imperative to a successful business. Any organization that can recruit, develop and retain a disproportionate share of the most talented people available will achieve a distinct competitive advantage. At Chubb we believe the payback of embracing diversity and moving qualified women into senior management positions is substantial and proven.

Unfortunately, recent research suggests that not enough progress has been made for women to advance to top officer roles, C-Suite positions or to Boards of Directors. The stats are not changing and women are still not advancing at numbers anywhere close to those of men, leaving us with a diversity gap across many sectors of academia, business and government. It appears we may have stalled or reached a plateau. It is particularly acute in industry where for over a decade women have been graduating in equal percentages from commerce and MBA programs at university. While there are a number of contributing factors, it is now believed not to be a pipeline problem but likely an execution issue. Most medium-sized and larger companies have strong performance management processes that identify and develop talent and succession – in men and women – alongside their business strategy and priorities.

I am fortunate to have worked for a company that was an early adopter that business results improve through a diverse workforce. I began working with Chubb while I was still in university. At that time there were few options for women to pursue a business career. When I joined my management training program only 10% of my training classes were women. Three decades later, as the leader of our Canadian business unit, I am proud to report women make up 49% of non-executive officers and 53% of our executives.

One of the things of which I am most proud to be a part of in my long career at Chubb are the policies and practices that have helped to shape our culture of inclusion. I was a founding member, and continue as a sponsor, of our corporate Women’s Development Council, which is now over 25 years old. It was established to ensure that the women at Chubb were receiving the developmental opportunities and support to advance into senior positions, and continues to have a substantial role as the need remains. The WDC sponsors a global mentoring program, a bi-annual conference, and a skill and career development curriculum. While the program has adapted over time, it is still hugely relevant, working to ensure the readiness of women to enter into management and senior leadership ranks. The Chubb Corporation was honoured to receive the prestigious Catalyst Award in 2006, supported by our many diversity global initiatives.

We all know diversity is both the right and smart thing to do in today’s competitive landscape. Creating a culture of collaboration and excellence is good for business and can only be done by using all available talent. Learning and development is a big part of the Chubb career experience. We believe that our specific programming to help develop female talent has helped us to keep them advancing at the same rate as their male counterparts.


Ellen J. Moore is the Chairman, President and CEO of Chubb Insurance Company of Canada. During her career with Chubb, Moore has held several leadership positions, including Managing Director and Senior Vice President, for regional operations in the mid-Atlantic states of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia; Vice President, Hartford, Connecticut Branch Operations; Vice President, Personal Insurance Canadian and Eastern U.S. territories and Assistant Vice President, National Automobile Product Manager. In 2011 Moore was recognized as one of the insurance industry’s top women executives by Canadian Insurance Top Broker magazine.

Currently on the Board of Governors for Junior Achievement in Toronto, she is a Board member of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and sits on the Advisory Boards of Catalyst and Sick Kids Hospital. She is Co-Chair on the Executive Committee of the Toronto affiliate of the International Women’s Forum and is Co-Chair of Women In Insurance Cancer Crusade, the Canadian Cancer Society’s largest independent fundraising organization.