Inspirational. Powerful. Celebrated: the women of Brokerslink
An interview with… Ágnes Bara, Hungary
The march towards gender parity in the insurance industry has been a slow one.
Though modern insurance as we know it began in the 17th century, it took two centuries for the first woman to be officially recognised as an "insurance agent." In 1822, Ms. Barnes broke ground by taking over her late husband's business with Norwich Union Life Insurance Society in the UK.
However, progress remained slow, with Lloyd's only employing its first female underwriting member in 1970 - Countess Inchcape - who was still barred from entering the underwriting Room and had to conduct business through a male agent.
Fast-forward to 2025, and while we've witnessed the rise of many women to senior positions in insurance companies worldwide, true gender parity remains elusive.
This year's International Women's Day theme, "Accelerate Action," underscores the urgent need to break down barriers and create an environment where women can thrive in the industry.
To commemorate this day and gain insights into the challenges women face globally, as well as explore how the insurance industry can #AccelerateAction, we've interviewed five inspiring female leaders from each of the Brokerslink regions.
First up, we talk to Ágnes Bara, Strategic and International Director for Hungarikum Insurance Brokers, our affiliate in Hungary.
Ágnes, in your experience, what are the greatest challenges women in Europe face in the insurance industry today?
The way I see it, even today, women need to make greater efforts to show that their work and skills are worthy of recognition, and that they can hold their own just as well as their male counterparts. However, I am pleased to see that over the years more and more women are taking on leadership roles in positions that men previously held.
How do you feel being a woman enhances your skills as a leader?
Women, particularly those juggling motherhood and family responsibilities often have even more extensive and analytical thinking, a systematic approach, attention and empathy due to the diversity of their daily tasks, these are characteristics of a good leadership attitude.
You’ve had an incredibly successful career to date, how have you been able to break down those barriers and what advice would you give to other women looking at an insurance career?
Learning and humbleness have always been important to me in building a career.
I believe you need to work hard for success and recognition, never demand it for yourself. Those who are conscientious, interested and passionate about their work will sooner or later be noticed and, more importantly, followed. I believe that enthusiasm for our work can move mountains!
In every day life, I believe the colleagues who work with me, and draw strength from this attitude will most certainly follow these values and do their best, and do so with similar motivation and dedication to achieve common goals.
My advice to my fellow women is to use your empathic skills, feminine attitude, and kindness to inspire confidence in people. After all, trust is the main pillar of our work in the insurance sector.
Finally, what one thing do you think our industry needs to do to accelerate change?
As I see it, a change in attitude has already started, but time will be decisive, as it has been so far, in terms of allowing as many of my female colleagues to prove themselves as leaders in high positions.
A corporate culture, such as ours here at Hungarikum, where the ratio of female to male managers and directors is 54-46%, and where the company has well-functioning processes and successful operations can accelerate the process and set an example in this respect, thus serving as a representative example for society and other companies.
Stay tuned this week to learn insights from Nigeria, the United States, India and the UAE as we count down to IWD2025!
