Women returners are welcome at WTW

WTW actively supports its career returners and has offered paid placements at mid to senior level. Hear from Caroline Barber for example. She's WTW's Inclusive Recruitment Program Manager and shares her experience returning to work after taking a career break and joining WTW.

Participants receive internal mentoring to help transition successfully back into the workplace.

The program is targeted at individuals with relevant professional backgrounds who have taken a career break for 18 months or more.

Some examples of opportunities have included:

Investment Research

As a Senior Associate in the Investment Manager Research team, this role conducts research to identify best-in-class managers and ideas. The team is responsible for facilitating better outcomes for their clients through a combination of great ideas, continual innovation and ensuring that the best ideas get into many of their client portfolios, working in collaboration with Portfolio Managers, Retirement and Investment Consultants. Investment experience is sought for this role (fund of funds, consulting, portfolio management or security analysis) or wider experience and a genuine interest in investment.
Investment Consultant

The investments business exists to deliver better outcomes for savers, and to achieve this over the long term, their objective is to deliver sustainable results for their clients and other stakeholders. Investment Consultants are responsible for developing long term trusted relationships with clients and leveraging WTW's best in class strategies and solutions to achieve clients’ investment objectives. This role is part of a collaborative team including specialist teams and a global manager research function. Actuarial, investment and/or distribution experience is sought, along with a proven track record in managing client relationships opportunities within the Defined Benefit Investment industry, plus a proven track record of building strong relationships internally and collaborating effectively on cross-functional teams.

Forging a cross-sector returners program

WTW has partnered with further financial services companies to create a cross-sector returners' program to help women get back into the insurance industry after a career break. The program, delivered by Inclusivity Partners, sees opportunities open across various disciplines including underwriting, broking, claims, actuarial, exposure management, risk and some corporate functions.

The program enables participating companies to tap into the 'forgotten army' of experienced women who are ready to return to work after a career break. Returners will be given the tools and confidence they need to step back into their careers and connect with organizations which recognize their value.

Sian Fisher, chief executive of the Chartered Insurance Institute, described the program as a practical solution to a real and pressing problem. “Finding women who trained and worked in insurance, left but are now ready to return, is a huge untapped opportunity. This initiative takes a practical and incredibly thoughtful approach to address this problem directly – by giving women the full support they need to return to work successfully and giving insurers a path to recruit from and integrate this incredible senior talent pool."