Lloyd’s first brazenly trans lady shares her story

Picture credit score: Franklin Rodgers

Rebecca Mason (pictured) nonetheless clearly remembers the day she gave formal discover of her transition at Aon Underwriting Managers greater than 20 years in the past.

“We began having preliminary discussions a 12 months earlier than the precise transition day,” she recalled. “For essentially the most half, the world stored on turning. I might flip up and do my work.

“When the day got here, all the feminine employees and I had a espresso earlier than I walked into the workplace. I had an entourage of women coming in with me on that first day.”

It was a pivotal second that will mark a brand new section in Rebecca’s journey, in addition to within the insurance coverage trade’s journey towards range, fairness, and inclusion (DEI). Rebecca is the primary brazenly trans lady in Lloyd’s of London.

When requested how she felt the day her feminine colleagues walked in along with her, Rebecca paused earlier than answering, her voice emotional.

“I felt protected throughout that point,” she stated. “My ally took lots of the warmth for me. She answered all of the questions folks didn’t really feel comfy approaching me about straight.”

“The truth that I am nonetheless on this trade 22 years later signifies how profitable that course of was.”

The significance of allyship and office help

Rebecca, who started in insurance coverage within the late Nineteen Eighties, stated her profession is break up into two halves on both facet of the millennium.

“Earlier than I transitioned, across the millennium, I moved from the broking fraternity to the underwriting fraternity, the place I’ve just about remained ever since,” she stated.

Probably the most putting facet of Rebecca’s story is the way it reveals what a supportive office appears to be like like for a person affirming their gender. One of many important components in her profitable transition was having a robust ally who helped interact with HR and administration.

“She introduced different folks on board and fashioned a protecting shell round me,” Rebecca stated. “Together with her assist, I engaged with HR, who stated, ‘OK, we’ll make it easier to on this journey.’

“There was no pushback. I could not ask for a extra supportive surroundings, and this was 22 years in the past, so to be in that point and be supported in that manner was superb.”

Is insurance coverage making progress in DEI?

Although her transition proved no main hindrance to her insurance coverage profession, Rebecca admitted there have been nonetheless bumps within the highway.

“There have been individuals who demonstrated behaviours that I do not assume this point in time can be thought-about acceptable,” she stated.

“I believe that is a part of the trade’s progress insofar as behaviours like that will not be accepted. Now they are going to be handled, and people perpetuating such issues can be handled accordingly.”

Whereas the insurance coverage trade has come a great distance in fostering numerous, inclusive areas, Rebecca stated there are nonetheless some ways organizations can help trans people.

“I believe quite a bit will depend on the dimensions of the group concerned. I transitioned in a big group, and the bigger firms are extra equipped and have the processes and procedures to handle it,” Rebecca stated.

“In a smaller entity, it could be more difficult as a result of there might not be as many processes and assets in place.”

For Rebecca, having the right infrastructure can assist make transitioning extra seamless within the day-to-day workings of a corporation, setting trans folks up for fulfillment.

“It’s not about making an enormous fuss about it,” she stated. “It’s getting little issues achieved. I took a few week off once I transitioned, and in that week, my e-mail tackle was modified to my identify and all of the correspondence from my previous e-mail tackle was routed to my new e-mail tackle. All the suitable communications had gone out.

“That’s what attractiveness like. It’s doing what you want to do and letting that individual keep on and do their job.”

What do you make of Rebecca Mason’s journey as the primary brazenly trans lady within the Lloyd’s market? Share your ideas about this story beneath.