Historically, risk managers, brokers and insurers have found the insurance market to be pretty much a man’s world, but gradually the number and involvement of women have increased. The FERMA Forum Ladies in Risk Management Lunch, which takes place on 1 October, is an opportunity for women involved in the market place to talk through the challenges and opportunities in their work.

Patricia Goudarzi, Director of Sales and Distribution for Continental Europe at ACE, will be the host for the lunch which is sponsored by ACE.

Sanna Suvanto Harsaae

The first speaker this year will provide an insight from what is considered the most advanced region in Europe in terms of women in top management: Scandinavia. Sanna Suvanto-Harsaa is Finnish and the chairman or a board member of more than 10 Nordic businesses, including SAS AB and the multi-national retailer Clas Ohlson. She has wide ownership experience, including listed companies, private equity, family companies and government owned.

Sanna will discuss whether Scandinavia deserves its reputation with an overview of the existing models in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. She will illustrate with her own experience and describe the challenges still faced by women and boards.

Janet Legrand

The second speaker, Janet Legrand, is Senior Partner and Chairman of the Board of the law firm DLA Piper International, where she is a senior commercial litigator. Janet will discuss finding the right balance between drive for fair representation of women on boards and the need for competence. She will give her thoughts on current legislative developments in Europe and the issue of quotas.