#WomensMonth: It is up to us to affirm our place in the boardroom, says Alicia Narainsamy

Alicia Narainsamy, head of digital distribution; PR & marketing, SHA Risk Specialist Underwriters

"As women, we have the innate ability to create a collaborative environment. This is essential for driving high performance teams and ensures an inclusive decision making process critical for dealing with the intricacies of liability risks. Empathy is another trait that is imperative for leaders to have, as women this comes naturally to us," says Alicia Narainsamy, head of digital distribution; PR & marketing at SHA Risk Specialist Underwriters.

She believes that there is much more that businesses can do to grow their percentage of female leaders within their ranks. “I truly believe that providing a platform for women in every organisation is incredibly important as it motivates young females to reach high.

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“I also believe that the legacy corporate ladder theory is built on the rungs of unique views and differentiating perspectives, which don’t necessarily enable nor support a new generation of leaders in their journey to attaining senior positions. We must allow for an inclusive growth journey to senior positions in order to heed better results.”

She adds that this responsibility also goes the other way, and that women should be unafraid to take action and elevate themselves in their careers.

Narainsamy began her insurance career over a decade ago, at the tender age of 21, and now occupies a senior position at SHA. “The turning point in my own career came from entering the Insurance Apprentice in 2015. I believe this platform propelled my career to the next level. With the exposure I received as a finalist, I went on to develop myself in multiple areas of the business such as compliance, marketing and PR among others. I have since gained considerable experience and have occupied various strategic positions whilst achieving academic success.”

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“My current role has afforded me a great opportunity, it allows me to strategically align the company’s objectives with a digital outlook. I am incredibly proud to be a young female leading a digital distribution team - a milestone I will carry with me for a long time.”

“To all the women at the start of their careers, I encourage them to always be on the lookout for opportunities – the opportunities are there for us, we just need to reach out and grab them with both hands. Remove fear from your vocabulary and reject the imposter syndrome mentality. The company can only do so much for us, it is up to us to change the course of history and affirm our place in the boardroom. Invest in yourself and in your education and make sure that you constantly build on your existing skillset – this sends a powerful message. If more women do this, there is nothing that stops them from becoming leaders in their field,” Narainsamy says.