The Voices of Risk Management Shaping a New Era of Diversity and Opportunity in Insurance With Christopher Holmes
Christopher Holmes, co-founder of RiskVersity, brings over 15 years of risk management expertise to the forefront of the insurance industry. In this episode, Christopher shares his journey from being an intern at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. to becoming the CEO of RiskVersity, a company dedicated to changing the insurance landscape by creating opportunities for minorities. He discusses the unique challenges and progress in diversity within the industry, his commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, and his vision for the future.
Key Takeaways:
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A little bit about Chris and his role at RiskVersity.
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How did Chris come up with the name RiskVersity?
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How did Chris get into insurance? It certainly wasn’t on his vision board!
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Chris recently went through a physical transformation and shares some of his secrets to keeping fit.
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Chris’s motivation to stay healthy stems from his son as well as his father, whom he lost when he was 13.
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When Chris got his start as an intern at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., what was that experience like?
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Chris didn’t want to make a bunch of money and just be miserable in his position. He needed joy and passion in whatever career field he was in.
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How did Chris transition to Wells Fargo?
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Chris was the Vice President of the Corporate Diversity board at Wells Fargo. Chris shares the type of conversations they were having back then.
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There’s been a lot of progress that’s been made in the last 15 years, and Chris educates his son on how much work and how far so many minorities have come.
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Chris gives an example that he heard about a lynching in 2002 near his hometown in South Carolina. There’s progress, but there’s still deep racism and we can’t forget that.
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Have things gotten better in the insurance industry when it comes to diversity and making it more friendly for future generations?
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It’s so hard to be yourself when you’re the only one in the room. You are very conscious about avoiding becoming a “beacon” of a certain stereotype.
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Chris is also a marriage counselor, what made him pursue this certification?
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If you really love your partner, you have to go to the gym to maintain a happy and healthy relationship. So many of us, though, don’t even know what types of weights to lift to achieve that.
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Chris talks about Legacy Investment Funds, an initiative that helps African Americans discover and pool their capital to reach better investment opportunities.
Mentioned in This Episode: