Protesters interrupt closing events of Dive In Festival

The session at Howden’s City of London offices, titled Beyond numbers: Understanding people through data, began at 3.30pm with Robin Christopherson, head of digital inclusion at Ability Net and founder of Clear Talents, urging insurers to rethink how they collect diversity data.

Christopherson, who is blind and serves as a government adviser, told attendees at the event  – as well as those watching via livestream – that the wrong approach is to pressure employees into singling themselves out.

Instead, he said, the right way is to regularly ask all employees about their needs, use inclusive statements about challenges or priorities, and adopt an “inclusive passport” approach.

When Christopherson’s talk concluded at 3.50pm, a panel debate was due to begin featuring Mark Cummings, chief financial officer of Axa XL, and Rowan Douglas, CEO of Howden Climate Risk & Resilience.

Some said they were sympathetic to the protesters’ cause but questioned why the activists had targeted a diversity and inclusion event.

As debate moderator Katie Talbot, senior marketing manager at Axa XL, introduced herself as a neurodivergent individual and parent of a disabled child, a climate activist took to the stage and unfurled a banner reading: “Insure our future not fossil fuels.”

Speaking directly to Talbot, who leads Axa XL’s neurodiversity and disability employee resource group, the protester (pictured) said: “I represent a movement of students and young people that are terrified for their future, for their safety. Your company is insuring new fossil fuel projects.”

Talbot responded: “People here [are] all trying to make very positive changes in the industry.”

She informed the activist – who was joined by a young woman on stage with another woman recording the protest in the audience – that security would escort them out and asked the audience to exit while the situation was addressed.

Around 4pm, the panel was moved to another room and attendees were told the debate had been cancelled.

An hour later, further disruption occurred at the Dive In Festival’s Closing Event inside the Lloyd’s building.

Delegates at the event in Howden’s offices expressed disappointment that the debate didn’t take place.

Some said they were sympathetic to the protesters’ cause but questioned why the activists had targeted a diversity and inclusion event and had entered Howden’s Creechurch Place offices.

Dive In targeted

The incidents on the final day of Dive In came after the start of this year’s Festival was disrupted by six protesters.

Their protest came just after Lloyd’s CEO Patrick Tiernan had finished his opening remarks – in which he argued diversity and inclusion are “not political ideals but an economic imperative” –and as he introduced the festival’s first panel debate.

An audience of more than 100 people, including BBC chief news presenter Maryam Moshiri, leadership expert Rene Carayol, former rugby international Sam Warburton, disability campaigner Shani Dhanda, and Lloyd’s graduate Oliver Jackson, watched as Tiernan remained on stage with the activists for several minutes.

Lloyd’s security approached the stage at 8.50am with the activists escorted out of the building around 8.55am.

Returning to the stage, Tiernan explained: “We have a long-standing policy here at Lloyd’s that when people do have a view they want to express, that it’s better to let it be expressed calmly and then we sort of deal with it in a considerate and respectful way.”