w
s
o
'
)
r
l
n
d
e
WORKING IN A MALE DOMINATED INDUSTRY HAS
ITS MOMENTS – MISOGYNY REIGNS AND YOU
FEEL LIKE YOU’RE INVISIBLE. JODY WILLIAMS,
ONE OF THE FEW WOMEN IN INSURANCE
BROKING, TAKES IT ALL IN HER STRIDE.
This former country girl has paved her
way in the insurance industry, making
a difference with her desire to get the
best deal for everyone she works with.
“When I first started out, back in the
90s, there were not many women in
the insurance business; there are still
not,” she said. “It does mean no toilet
queues at insurance conferences.
“I got into insurance accidentally.
I was working for Elders and an
opportunity came up to learn how
to write policies. I grabbed it.”
At the time, she was a “general
office body doing everything” when
insurance companies pulled out of
doing insurance from the 25th parallel
and above (imagine Western Australian
cut in almost half from Carnarvon).
12
Women’s Network Magazine
This left businesses and residences
without insurance coverage.
“An insurance agent drove up
and gave me a 30-minute crash
course on how to quote on home
and contents …and I ended up
with one of the largest branched
in Western Australia,” she said.
And the rest, as they say, is
history. But her journey through
the insurance ranks were not
without its challenges.
“It was a very male dominated
industry, dealing with stockies,
real estate guys, and farmers,
many who were of the belief that
the best place for a girl was at the
reception desk,” she said.