Embracing Allyship at Generali

Allies act as up-standers rather than bystanders when they witness bias and discrimination. This principle aligns with Generali Group’s mission to cultivate an inclusive corporate culture by engaging all organizational levels in embracing diverse identities, while nurturing safe spaces for people to be free to speak up and express their full potential. At Generali, these principles are best embodied by our global Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): WeProud and Together. With a presence in over 50 countries and the potential to engage over 83,000 colleagues through a global platform, these groups are essential in promoting allyship.

WeProud: Championing LGBTQI+ Inclusion
WeProud was born from the passion and courage of employees within the LGBTQIA+ community, determined to support their peers and raise awareness about workplace challenges. With the support of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team, they developed a solid business case and concrete initiatives focused on LGBTQIA+ issues, gaining enthusiastic support from Generali leadership. The journey began in early 2020 with the launch of the WeProud community, followed by global and local awareness activities and partnerships in 2021. Initially, the focus was internal, engaging employees to raise awareness of challenges and biases through seminars and an impactful internal campaign featuring the faces and voices of our LGBTQIA+ community. In the pandemic context, WeProud became a catalyst for many people wanting to break free of biases and the feeling of exclusion, offering a safe place for exchanging views, sharing authentic stories, and supporting each other. In 2022, WeProud expanded its efforts by contributing to the creation of the rainbow logo and an external communication campaign. The momentum continued in 2023 with Generali’s first participation in Milan Pride, where around 300 colleagues from various European countries joined in celebration.
This year, Generali participated in Pride events across Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Prague, Bratislava, Hong Kong, and India with hundreds of people involved. The ERG has 1,000 members, almost equally divided between LGBTQI+ individuals and allies, highlighting the crucial role of allies in this journey.

TOGETHER: Driving Gender Equality Forward
TOGETHER, the Group Women and Allies Network, has a different genesis. It leveraged best practices from Generali France, where “Les Elles de Generali” was established in 2011 to promote gender equality through innovative business and social initiatives led by women. TOGETHER, the first Global Women and Allies Network was established in 2022 and its founding members worked on its governance and a yearly action plan from the early start, leveraging on the experience of the other ERGs. 
The name “Together” emphasizes inclusivity, reflecting the belief that meaningful cultural change requires collective effort from everyone, regardless of their gender. Together represents a concrete step in Generali’s commitment to improving gender representation in leadership roles, closing the pay gap, and creating a more equitable and inclusive environment. In its first year, over 3,000 participants joined meetings and events across the Group. Male leaders and managers have strongly supported the network, sharing their views on themes such as gender biases, limiting beliefs, allyship, and inclusive leadership through constructive exchanges of perspectives, tips, and inspiring personal stories.

Lessons from Our Allyship Journey
While allyship is personal, it can become embedded in organizational culture if nurtured. Our ERGs have significantly contributed to this goal. The relentless work of volunteers globally demonstrates this commitment. Allyship can spring from any identity and is not limited to those with privileged backgrounds. The inspiring personal stories shared in ERG meetings and events have created a ripple effect, continually growing the number of allies. There is no single way to act as an ally. Our experience with global ERGs has shown that allyship is flexible and takes various forms:

• The Guardian: Stands up for others, even when it is difficult, and challenges offensive behavior.
• The Explorer: Continuously educates themselves on key issues and seeks to understand the lived experiences of those they support.
• The Champion: Is a visible and vocal supporter.
• The Voice: Ensures that marginalized voices are heard and respected.
• The Supporter: Acts as a trusted confidant and uses their position to help others.

Allyship behaviors are broad, meaning there is always an opportunity to take action. True allies have one thing in common: they recognize that their reality is not necessarily true for others and take time to consider alternative perspectives and uncover blind spots. Key characteristics of being an ally include:

1. Empathy: Listening with an open mind to understand experiences from different perspectives.
2. Curiosity: Having an open mindset, seeing other perspectives as opportunities, not obstacles.
3. Humility: Being open to feedback on personal impact and areas for growth.

Conclusion: Building an Inclusive Future Together
Allyship at Generali is nurtured through a series of activities, including a recent one co-designed with ERG members themselves. “Overcoming biases to shape an inclusive culture”, a journey that has seen thousands of volunteers join across the Group to work proactively on recognizing and addressing biases in order to find strategies to mitigate, call them in and call them out, thus shaping the inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. ERGs are key in fostering allyship and driving us towards a more equitable future.