Lesley Townsend | Tokio Marine Kiln
I was one of the first group of women to work in the Lloyd’s Market, having started in the 1980s at the age of 18. It was not easy to be taken seriously in those days but I managed to work my way up in what was then very much a man’s world. I decided to take some time out of the workplace to bring up my five children and used that time to study law. When I did return to work, although the technology had changed, the universal principles of underwriting and insurance had not, although it was hard starting at the bottom again.
I work for an excellent company that appreciates and respects older women and the skills they add to a workplace.
Although I have seen many positive changes for women in Lloyd’s over the past few decades, there is still some way to go and I welcome initiatives such as 50 Over Fifty to highlight this. I am lucky in that I work for an excellent company that appreciates and respects older women and the skills they add to a workplace. I hope that eventually parity in opportunities and pay will become the norm. I have recently been appointed Head of Compliance at TMK and use my experiences to mentor others trying to combine career and family.
