Caroline Bedford | EDII
My journey into Insurance started in the late 80s, when technology was still telex and the fax was a revelation. As PCs & email took over from typewriters and memos, what it meant to the way people worked intrigued me. It was an opportunity – the chance to help people adapt to technology. My ambition stems from my early life in the Wirral, near Liverpool. When we moved to the South East I was a teen, I stood out, spoke differently, and quickly realised that to get on, I needed to adapt fast. I worked out that in the face of change, resilience was power! Now 52, I’ve never steered far from that teen realisation.
I stood out, spoke differently, and quickly realised that to get on I needed to adapt fast.
The older I get, the more strongly I believe in it, along with the advice I was once given: if someone offers you an opportunity you want, say yes. It seems obvious but, as women, our focus can be on why we cannot do something, rather than why we can. Building EDII – to Educate, Develop, Innovate, and Inspire, and seeing so many people thrive through its programmes, has been the icing on the cake. As a woman in insurance, this, along with the mantra: ‘progress, not perfection,’ has stood me in good stead. Here’s to another 50 years!
