Ep. 263: Brett Ashley McKenzie: Opening the C-Suite to Women

Brett Ashley McKenzie is the Senior Communications Manager at Foresight Commercial Insurance, the first InsurTech company specializing in commercial coverage with a focus on the middle market. Before signing with Foresight in 2021, Brett worked for John Kerry during his presidential run in 2004, as a contributing blogger to The Huffington Post, and managed Zurich North America’s Marketing, Social Media, and Media Relations. Brett is also the host of the High Tea with Monsters, Rebel Scum, and Vigilantes podcast, where she talks about her favorite TV shows. Brett joins us to discuss the gender disparity in executive positions across the industry and the shift towards women in C-Suite positions. She describes her role at Foresight, her writing passion, and what it was like being John Kerry’s media booker. She explains how the term “InsurTech” will one day become an industry of its own and the importance of empowering women to step into leadership roles. Brett also shares the mental effects of being in an unhealthy work environment and how to tell if it’s time to resign. "Tech itself is not a female-dominated space." - Brett Ashley McKenzie Today on Spot On Insurance: Where Brett grew up, her writing passion, and her favorite pizza Brett's experience working on John Kerry's campaign How Brett transitioned to working in insurance What it's like going to an all-girl school growing up Brett's role as Senior Communications Manager at Foresight Differentiating InsurTech from the rest of the industry Empowering women into more leadership roles Instilling confidence in women to go for positions where they don't check all the boxes Fighting gender discrimination and other forms of minority stereotypes When you should consider resigning  Brett's toy hobby, her collection, and her favorite shows Key Takeaways: Female-founded tech startups get less investments than male-founded startups. Women should not expect themselves to act as men. Mentorship is important in your career. Resources Mentioned: Ep. 193: Eric Ummel: Insurance Just When You Need It Ep. 213: From Legacy Carrier to Insurtech Insurance Conversations in Black & White: Mother & Daughter Perspectives On The Industry Connect with Brett Ashley McKenzie: Foresight Commercial Insurance Foresight Commercial Insurance on LinkedIn Brett Ashley McKenzie on LinkedIn High Tea with Monsters, Rebel Scum, and Vigilantes podcast This episode was brought to you by….. Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com. Connect, Learn, Share Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on Apple Podcasts Rate and Review For SpotOn and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!