{"id":27749,"date":"2025-10-23T14:06:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T18:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.resourcepro.com\/?p=27749"},"modified":"2025-11-05T11:46:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T16:46:09","slug":"deb-smallwood-on-redefining-power-confidence-and-leadership-for-women-in-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.resourcepro.com\/blogs\/deb-smallwood-on-redefining-power-confidence-and-leadership-for-women-in-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Deb Smallwood on Redefining Power, Confidence, and Leadership for Women in Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"
Women make up nearly 60% of the insurance workforce,<\/strong> yet only 23% of carrier executives and just 11% of technology leaders. For Deb Smallwood<\/strong>, these aren\u2019t just statistics. They\u2019re proof that meaningful change in insurance leadership still has far to go.<\/div>\n

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After 46 years in the industry – from COBOL programmer to CIO, Big Four consulting partner, and Founder\/CEO of Strategy Meets Action<\/strong> (acquired by ReSource Pro<\/strong> in 2021) – Smallwood has shifted her focus from personal achievement to collective empowerment.<\/div>\n
Her new mission begins with one powerful shift in mindset: from \u201cWhy not me?\u201d<\/em> to \u201cWhy not us?\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

Turning Experience into Empowerment<\/h3>\n
Smallwood\u2019s latest initiative, SelfPowerment<\/strong>, is both a book and a movement; a call for women to embrace confidence, clarity, and community<\/strong> in their careers.<\/div>\n
\u201cSelfPowerment is about guiding high-achieving women to believe in themselves, tap into their inner power, and step boldly into the career and life they desire,\u201d she explains.<\/div>\n
Her four-decade journey embodies that philosophy. From her start as a trainee programmer to leading consulting practices and founding a respected research firm, Smallwood\u2019s success was built on curiosity, courage, and possibility.<\/div>\n
\u201cThis is an industry where you can pivot, stretch forward, and advance \u2014 with the support of leaders across the industry,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are incredible opportunities for those willing to see them, and with confidence, reach for them.\u201d<\/div>\n

What the Research Revealed<\/h3>\n
True to her analytical roots, Smallwood approached SelfPowerment<\/strong> as both a researcher and a leader. She interviewed more than 50 senior women<\/strong> and 10 male executives<\/strong>, gathering over 300 hours of conversations<\/strong> to uncover the root causes behind the persistent leadership gap in insurance. The findings revealed familiar \u2014 and still stubborn \u2014 patterns:<\/div>\n