DIVE IN FESTIVAL OPENS ITS 12TH YEAR, REFLECTING ON OVER A DECADE OF IMPACT AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The global insurance industry will draw on conversations that helped reshape workplace culture and consider how those lessons can inform its future

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, September 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Thousands of insurance professionals from across the world are coming together as this year’s Dive In Festival begins, bringing 12 years of conversations around culture, talent and inclusion into a three-day programme focused on the workplace challenges shaping the industry’s future.

This year’s programme brings that same spirit of collaboration to one of the defining workplace challenges of today. Under the theme “The Human gAIn: Powering Culture & Connection,” discussions over the next three days will explore how organisations can embrace artificial intelligence while continuing to strengthen the culture, trust and human relationships that underpin long-term success.

Sessions in Argentina, Italy and the USA will explore topics including caregiving and neurodiversity, while Mexico will host a session on transforming uncertainty into connection and collective courage. The festival will also host a range of prominent experts and industry leaders including former England rugby world cup winner Will Greenwood and comedian and TV executive Cally Beaton in the UK, and renowned artist Sarah Rowan in Australia. In Canada, Paralympian, Jessica Lewis will explore discussions around accessibility and in Singapore Matthew Tan, Chief Architect at Microsoft Singapore, will examine how AI can enhance productivity, support better decision-making and unlock new ways of work. In Spain, IBM Chief Operating Officer Ignacio Del Pozo will lead a hands-on workshop to explore how to build trust, bridge generational gaps, and share practical insights on AI adoption with similar topics being explored by AI experts Toju Duke, Founder & CEO of Bedrock AI and Sue Turner, Founding Director of AI Governance Ltd, speaking at the UK opening and closing events, respectively.

Since its launch in 2015, Dive In has grown into the world’s largest festival for culture and talent, delivering more than 1,000 events across 40+ countries and engaging nearly 200,000 people.

But while the numbers tell one story, organisers say the festival’s real success has been measured by the conversations it started and the lasting changes those conversations inspired across workplaces around the world. Many of those discussions extended far beyond the festival itself. Many discussions have extended beyond the festival to shape new policies, launch employee initiatives and change leadership approaches across the insurance industry. Those changes also offer a blueprint for how the industry can continue tackling emerging workplace challenges.

Some of these include:
– A Dive In event on managing menopause in the workplace took place in 2022, bringing greater attention to a topic that had rarely been discussed on a corporate or global stage. The industry has since seen the introduction of a number of workplace menopause policies with 70% of firms in the Lloyd’s Market now having menopause policies.
– In 2017, Dive In brought two men to the stage to share their moving story of mental health and prevented suicide. Their stories helped spark widespread and deeply personal conversations around mental health that continued for years afterwards.
– In 2019, Dive In featured events exploring domestic abuse and its impact in the workplace, helping to bring an often-hidden issue into industry conversation and contributing to a number 40% of firms in the Lloyd’s Market implementing domestic abuse policies.
– The same year, neurodiversity was introduced as a topic to the festival, leading to the widespread adoption of workplace adjustments that cater for different neurodivergent needs, such as skills-based assessments in job applications, noise-cancelling headphones in open-plan offices, and establishing quiet sensory rooms.
– The festival also helped create opportunities for conversations in countries where those discussions had not previously taken place within the insurance profession such as female empowerment in Saudi Arabia, and paternity leave in Japan, demonstrating how a global platform could support meaningful local change.

The impact can also be seen in market data. The Lloyd’s Markets Policies and Practices Return (MP&P) showed that ethnic diversity in the Market has improved considerably and is now representative of UK working age populations. Diversity monitoring has also improved significantly, alongside Culture Survey results with 87% of employees now agreeing their organisation is genuinely committed to a fair, diverse and inclusive culture which compares favourably with financial services benchmarks.

Nick Line, Chief Underwriting Officer at CFC and Chair of Dive In, said: “What has always made Dive In unique is its ability to bring the industry together. Organisations that compete every day have put those differences aside to tackle shared cultural challenges at a market-wide and global level – achieving far more collectively than any one organisation could alone.

As we look to the future, that spirit of collaboration is something we must carry forward. The workplace will continue to evolve, but our ability to come together, share ideas and learn from one another will remain essential to building stronger cultures across our industry.”

Dom Christian, Chairman AON UK: “When Dive In began, many of these conversations simply weren’t happening in our industry. Today, they are part of everyday business discussion. Its impact can be seen in the organisations that changed policies, the leaders who thought differently and, importantly, the conversations that continued long after each festival ended. That progress is something everyone involved in Dive In can be incredibly proud of – and it gives us a strong foundation to keep building on.”

After 12 years, Dive In’s impact can be seen in the people it has brought together and the conversations, policies and workplace practices that have become embedded across the global insurance industry. Organisers hope the momentum built through the festival will continue to guide the industry’s approach to culture and talent in the future.

Dive In 2026 is supported by leading organisations from across the insurance industry, including AIG, Antares, Aon, Arch, Asta, Aviva, AXA XL, Clyde & Co, Gallagher, Guidewire, Liberty Mutual, Lloyd’s, Markel, Marsh, Moody’s, Pelagos Insurance Capital, RenaissanceRe and WTW. Supporter Partners confirmed for 2026 include Alliant, AXIS, Everest, GP Strategies, KPMG, Lockton Re, RGA and Swiss Re, reflecting a strong collaborative commitment to carving out the direction of the industry.

You can sign up for events throughout the festival at www.diveinfestival.com

Caroline Emberlin
The Wilful Group
divein@thewilful.com

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