LA-based insurance professional recognized as a Leader of Change

DENVER - Sept. 25, 2020 - PRLog -- Crawford & Company's Marc Cunningham has been included in Insurance Business magazine's Leading the Change report, spotlighting the individuals that are working to ensure that the doors at all levels of the insurance industry are opened wide for people of all races, ethnicities, genders, nationalities, orientations, and ages, in the face of persistent discrimination, underrepresentation, bias, racial injustice, and inequality.

The eldest child of immigrants, Cunningham faced unique challenges and opportunities when choosing a career path, but he ultimately selected the insurance industry for its maturity and stability, as well as its attention to technology and innovation. Over the years, Cunningham says he's witnessed apathy and indifference toward racial inequity within the industry. "There may be less of the malicious and overt bias tendencies that you find in many other professions, but the lack of recognition and thoughtful action has been just as harmful in many ways," he says. "The prioritization of diversity and inclusion in recruiting, development and promotion proves that there are great intentions within the industry; however, to achieve the necessary results, we have to be honest about our current shortcomings and explicit in what we want to achieve."

Currently, Cunningham's efforts are focused on RISE – Elevating Diversity, Crawford & Company's employee resource group for people of color. The group's purpose is to "activate, engage and connect a racially diverse and multi-ethnic workforce by driving initiatives that maximize the professional development and advancement of RISE." Cunningham is also an ally within the company's Women and Allies employee resource group. "It's been critically important for me to ensure Crawford & Company is representative of the gender, racial, ethnic and cultural diversity that we aspire to find throughout the insurance industry at all professional levels," he says.

"Diversity. Inclusion. Equal opportunity. These words and phrases are nothing new in the conversations surrounding hiring practices across all industries. But without action, that's all they are: Words. Ideas. Good intentions. And that's not enough," says the Insurance Business team. "The individuals featured in this report are not just seeking to break down the racial barriers that have been in place for generations – they're fighting to rewrite the rules. From industry newcomers to those with decades-long careers, these men and women who are leading the change were all nominated by their industry peers and selected by an independent advisory panel of industry insiders, who assessed each candidate's achievements and contributions within their companies, as members and leaders of diversity-focused organizations, as mentors, and in their communities."

For the full report see issue 8.09 of Insurance Business America magazine out now. To view the list and to find out more about Cunningham, click HERE (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https...).