Less than a week after Lloyd’s announced it is to undertake an investigation into the behaviour of its former CEO in the wake of media reports, it has hosted a conference  to understand why there is a lack of female underwriters.

The Underwriting Talent Summit was attended by 175 CEOs, CUOs and senior female underwriters from managing agents, around the theme of “Ring the Bell” – setting out to increase the pipeline of female underwriters in the market overall.

The event is being hosted by Lloyd’s and the Lloyd’s market Association (LMA) comes after the 2025 Lloyd’s Market Policies and Practices survey found  continued progress towards a more diverse workforce overall.  However, the picture in underwriting is different.

• Of a population of just over 7,500 in Underwriting, 38% are women and 11% are ethnically diverse, demonstrating progress at junior levels.
• Of the CUO (or equivalent) roles however, just 18% are female, and only 19% hold “head of” or senior line underwriter roles compared to 36% female leadership across the market as a whole.
• The talent pipeline also shows backwards steps, with only 15% of women expected to be ready to take on leadership roles in 0-2 years (a drop of three percentage points from last year) and just 25% in the 3-5 year range (down four percentage points from last year).

In advance of summit, the LMA conducted a snapshot survey of 128 female underwriters, CEOs and CUOs to learn what the barriers to achieving senior underwriting roles are.

The top three barriers identified were:

• 52% of respondents cited a “male-dominated leadership environment leading to a lack of inclusivity” as the primary root cause of why our female underwriting pipeline is decreasing
• Challenges with work-life balance given requirements for in office presence and demanding travel and social expectations was raised by 42% of respondents.
• The financial burden of caring costs, both of children and parents, was raised by 27% of respondents.

Sheila Cameron, CEO of the Lloyd’s Market Association said: “The themes from the survey respondents show that the decline in our female underwriting pipeline reflects intertwined structural and cultural barriers.”

“A male-dominated leadership environment has embedded norms that undervalue flexibility and reward visibility / long hours.  While flexible working and return-to-work programmes exist, they often lack the cultural backing needed to ensure equal access to advancement. Limited childcare and financial support can further constrain progression.

“Men face similar pressures, often avoiding full paternity leave for fear of career impact. Together, these dynamics undermine inclusivity and weaken the sustainability of our talent pipeline.  It is time to change all of this, and today’s conference is the first step towards a new start for women in underwriting.”

Rachel Turk, chief of markets performance at Lloyd’s, added:  “As leaders, we have a responsibility to take bold, decisive action to embed inclusivity into every aspect of our practices. This is not optional – it’s a collective call to action. This conference was designed to celebrate the remarkable women who hold senior underwriting positions today and to recognize organizations that are setting the standard for retaining female talent at the top. Yet, we cannot ignore a stark reality: the pipeline of senior women in underwriting is shrinking. Without urgent and sustained action, this challenge will only deepen in the years ahead.”