PBN Diversity Equity & Inclusion 2023 Awards
Insurance: Amica Mutual Insurance Co.
WHEN SHAMEEM AWAN began a position with Amica Mutual Insurance Co.’s claims division mere months after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Providence College in 1996, she might not have envisioned making the company her professional home for nearly 30 years.
However, at Amica, founded in 1907, long tenure for talented team members is a point of pride for the Lincoln-based insurer, which is the oldest mutual insurer of automobiles in the U.S. and also offers other personal insurance policies.
Awan, who rose to an executive level in claims before being named senior associate vice president of talent management and diversity, equity and inclusion two years ago, and Sam Palmisano, senior vice president and director of human resources who has been with the company for 23 years, say the secret to Amica’s strong retention is its workplace environment and culture that focuses on inclusivity, talent development and connection.
“When we ask people [why they stay at Amica], it’s typically the same answer. It’s their co-workers. We have genuine kindness and a collegial environment,” Palmisano said. “We’re trying to create an environment of a sense of belonging, a sense of inclusion, and we want to make sure that everyone is being fairly positioned for advancement.”
Talent development efforts, which include Awan’s boots-on-the-ground work with higher education institutions and other talent pipelines, within the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategies have paid off.
In 2018, Amica reported that 23% of its workforce identified as a member of a minority population. In 2023, that rose to 27%.
A cross-divisional diversity committee and an inclusion committee comprised of team members of underrepresented groups help Awan and Amica’s leadership team develop programs and initiatives that bolster DEI at the company. Amica also offers mentorship programs for employees looking to advance their competencies by getting paired with senior leadership to work collaboratively.
“Employees from around the organization bring to us ideas on how we can move DEI forward, on how we can do better, and from those committees have come some of the more significant initiatives we’ve moved over the last couple of years,” Awan said, pointing to the Impact, Excel and Elevate mentorship program.
Awan and Palmisano both served as mentors in the program’s first year that paired seven higher-level team members with mentees. This year, the program had 17 pairs.
“If we have employees who can connect with executives and they feel at ease, they are more likely to stay and often their careers advance a little more quickly,” Palmisano said. “One of the things that I love is that I learn more from my mentee than he learns from me. I can’t walk in his shoes, but I can hear more directly what it’s like to see the world from his standpoint and through his lens.”
Professional development also includes annual unconscious bias training, and monthly panels and discussions on a wide range of topics that are chosen based on team member feedback.
“We’re always looking for great ideas,” Awan said. “I make sure that I’m accessible to all employees, that they are free to reach out. I want to make sure that people feel comfortable and that they have that psychological safety to come to me.”
Additional practices include sponsorships and support of multicultural groups and community programs, the launch of a Women in Leadership WAVE group and the use of employee surveys to inform all aspects of DEI work.
Palmisano began his current role at Amica around the same time that Edmund “Ted” Shallcross III took the reins as CEO and president in October 2022. During his time at Amica, Palmisano spent six years in claims. He’s been in the human resources department for 17 years and has had oversight of DEI work for the last 10 years.
“In very early conversations, Ted emphasized the importance of being supportive and he has been every step of the way,” Palmisano said. “All of [our] work is a collective effort that’s understood and embraced, and I think it comes from his leading by example.”
