The team headed into sunny central London to attend the iCAN: The Insurance Cultural Awareness Network and Aon : Unity in Diversity – South Asian Heritage Month 2026 event!
This special event brought together professionals from across the insurance industry to explore themes including authentic leadership, cultural identity, representation and belonging within the workplace.
South Asian professionals represent a significant and growing presence across the insurance sector, yet senior representation remains disproportionately low. Throughout the evening, attendees heard personal stories and perspectives exploring topics including cultural wellness, visibility and the realities of navigating professional environments whilst remaining authentic to your identity.
The event featured keynote and panel discussions with senior South Asian leaders from across and beyond the insurance market, alongside opportunities for networking, audience interaction and open conversation in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Conversations around authentic leadership, culture in financial services and representation resonated deeply with us. While South Asian professionals have presence across the financial services and insurance sectors, senior-level representation remains disproportionately low. The panel wasn’t just about celebrating progress – it was about addressing real issues, learning to speak up respectfully when needed, being your own advocate and being honest about the barriers faced.
A really great panel of speakers: Moderated by Kishan Mangat of iCAN, Ashish Dafria of Aviva, Bushra Raja of Aon, Vinay Mistry of Apollo and Nazaneen C-Hatimi of AXA XL.
iCAN: The Insurance Cultural Awareness Network
iCAN is an influential network which advises and supports multicultural inclusion and diversity within the insurance sector. Our goal is to promote multicultural awareness and drive engagement within the insurance industry to help the sector employ the best and brightest people from all walks of life and backgrounds and to promote a culture of inclusion. Find out more
here
