Shannon Millar | Gallagher

Shannon Millar, Vice President, Strategy, People and Culture, Gallagher

“I don’t tend to just stick to my swim lane,” says Shannon Millar, vice president of strategy, people and culture at Gallagher. Millar, a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), likes to be a thought contributor in all areas of the business.

Having spent 13 years with GE Canada before joining Gallagher almost six years ago, Millar reflected for quite some time on what she wanted and needed, and what she was ready for, before making the move. Her time at GE had been hugely transformational, but she said she wanted to get back to the business side and away from a role that was, for her, too specialized.

She also had to be sure she could hold onto three important things: balance, integrity, and continuous learning.

“I am fiercely protective and unapologetic about my work-life balance,” she explains. “I also need to work for companies with strong ethics and great values. And I want to know I am supported when it comes to continuous learning. Those three things are non-negotiable.”

After a few months of interviewing and sourcing new opportunities, she realized there was a fourth must-have to be added to her list: a sense of purpose. That’s what led her to the P&C industry.

“We help people who are recovering from catastrophic loss, and that was a huge draw,” she says. “We have incredibly strong values and ethics here. Trust, and our ability to advise clients — that’s our product. And that presented something uniquely challenging for me as an HR professional.”

Looking at the industry from an HR perspective gives Millar some unique insights about what it takes to achieve success.

“When our service and relationships are the product, it comes down to talent and skill,” she says. “People come to us because we can help them.”

Beyond that talent and skill, for anyone who wants to grow in their career, Millar advises they have what she calls their own personal ‘Board of Directors.’

“Not just your cheerleaders,” she explains, “but people who know your [personal and professional] priorities and aren’t afraid to call you out when you lose sight of them.”

For women specifically, Millar adds, “if anyone out there is like me, they tend to overthink things. They wonder if they should ask a question. They wonder if it’s a good question. They wonder if they should speak up. They wonder if they spoke too much.

“Just ask. Just be that thought contributor. Don’t be afraid to make a decision, to be creative, to re-engineer something, to just say, ‘No.’”

That said, the road to leadership is not quite that simple, nor should it be in Millar’s mind.

“Leadership is tough,” she says. “It’s a massive responsibility and I don’t think it should be easy for anyone. The concept we can have it all is a myth in some ways. We can, just not all at the same time.”

Of course, this does not mean the goal is impossible. Each year is different, circumstances change, and women should be ready when their time comes.

In terms of how the industry can help make that happen, Millar says, collectively, the industry needs to talk more about the fact that insurance is there to pick up the pieces, in order to draw even more interested, skilled and talented women into the field. It also needs to showcase more examples of female industry leaders so more women will want to move up and know it is possible.

“The industry still needs to attract more diversity overall,” explains Millar, “and that includes women in leadership roles.”