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“Kunik makes my small team feel like we’re not in this alone. Their experts help us navigate the DEI landscape and get us where we want to go.”
Amy Bayer, Global Director of DEI, Engagement & Culture at Duck Creek
Learn how Duck Creek Technologies – an insurtech leader in the property and casualty (P&C) space – leans on Kunik to grow their DEI programming.
A leader in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry, Duck Creek Technologies empowers insurance carriers to adapt to the evolving demands of the digital age. By leveraging advanced tech, data analytics, and automation, Duck Creek helps companies like Allstate, The Hartford, and Chubb improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide exceptional services to their customers.
Duck Creek has 1,500+ employees spread across six countries. But it was up to two team members – Global Director of DEI, Engagement & Culture Amy Bayer and Social Impact & DEI Manager Sage Milton – to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for everyone at the mid-sized insurtech company.
Undeterred by the team’s size, the duo aimed to make a massive positive impact. However, limited bandwidth and closed idea loops often created barriers to building the programming Duck Creek needed. At times, this made the job feel "overwhelming," Amy admits.
Then, late one work day, Amy stumbled upon Kunik's company newsletter. Its contents spoke to her team's experience and offered tactical strategies that Duck Creek could implement immediately. Before Amy finished reading, she knew Kunik was the programming partner Duck Creek had been missing.
“Whenever I need help with a program or initiative, I reach out to the Kunik team, and they're always like, ‘we hear you. We've got you.’ And they’ve never let me down.”
As Amy puts it, Kunik has grown "into an extension of Duck Creek's DEI team" – doubling as an empathetic ear and a helping hand.
Empowered by the newfound resources and support, the small team has implemented three high-impact employee engagement programs: their annual DEI Summit, Courageous Conversations, an ERG Academy, and ongoing intersectional DEI/ERG programming. Both programs focus on bringing together Duck Creek leaders to amplify the company's ongoing DEI initiatives.
Duck Creek's first DEI Summit took place in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. Amy saw this Summit as an opportunity to spotlight societal issues, showcase the company's response, and build a stronger sense of community. However, the event needed external voices to break up the day and keep attendees engaged.
Finding and preparing just one engaging keynote speaker – someone within budget who brings the right expertise to the conversation – easily takes 20+ hours.
Fortunately, the Kunik team knew several experts matching Duck Creek's needs. Our team invited, vetted, and prepared these industry leaders on Amy's behalf so she could focus on the logistics of the big day. And all of the experts we found – Amy’s team says – “were a big hit.”
During the pandemic, Duck Creek had team members living in communities impacted by social unrest:
Duck Creek wanted to support these individuals and provide an outlet for what they were feeling, so Amy asked Kunik to help.
This time, Kunik facilitated sessions that invited these team members to speak openly and discreetly about their profound experiences. Listening from the sidelines, Amy noticed an opportunity to deepen internal systems of support and enable more leadership development opportunities.
That’s when Duck Creek launched its first employee resource group (ERG). The Kunik team supports their ERGs by organizing and bringing to life team programming in the form of Courageous Conversations. These Conversations empower team members to speak candidly and listen openly about topics many people typically deem ‘undiscussable.’ Together, they have discussed:
In 2020, Duck Creek launched its first employee research group. Looking to continue scaling this programming, the team spun up an ERG Academy to arm group members and prospective leaders with best practices for hosting impactful sessions and nurturing productive conversations.
Once again, the Duck Creek DEI team found themselves looking for external voices – this time, to talk at the Academy. So, Amy once again leaned on Kunik to provide vetted subject matter experts to lead round tables and host one-off learning sessions.
As Sage puts it: "These ERG Academy sessions have been incredibly helpful, not only for our ERG leads but for our company's DEI sector as a whole." The team sees the DEI programming's rapid growth as proof that what they've learned in these sessions works.
“Our employees always come back more energized and confident after Kunik sessions.”
Since partnering with Kunik, Duck Creek has hosted two in-person DEI summits, which have become an employee-favorite annual event. The insurtech company has also hosted 19 Courageous Conversations over a two year period, and launched six more employee resource groups (and counting) with ERG Academy sessions offered monthly.
The results?
Looking forward, the Duck Creek team continues to lean on the Kunik team with many more programs currently in the pipeline. Finally, Amy feels confident her team can make a meaningful impact that touches every corner of the company.
“The Kunik team really has our best interest in mind. It’s a true partnership. Their opinions and advice have proven invaluable in growing our DEI initiatives.”