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 probably 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 ladies coming in with me on that first day.”

It was a pivotal second that might mark a brand new part in Rebecca’s journey, in addition to within the insurance coverage business’s journey towards variety, 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 together with her, Rebecca paused earlier than answering, her voice emotional.

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

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

The significance of allyship and office assist

Rebecca, who started in insurance coverage within the late Eighties, stated her profession is cut 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 side 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 essential components in her profitable transition was having a powerful ally who helped have interaction with HR and administration.

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

“There was no pushback. I could not ask for a extra supportive setting, and this was 22 years in the past, so to be in that point and be supported in that approach 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 suppose this point in time could be thought of acceptable,” she stated.

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

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

“I feel so much relies on the scale 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 may be more difficult as a result of there might not be as many processes and sources in place.”

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

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

“That’s what attractiveness like. It’s doing what that you must do and letting that individual keep it up 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 under.