Global Chief Diversity Officer

Aon Corp.

Chicago

Age: 50

Corbette S. Doyle began her insurance industry career in 1979. Among other things, she worked in planning and underwriting functions at Utica, N.Y.-based Utica National Insurance Group, and in the research department of Willis Group Holdings Ltd., where she eventually went on to co-chair Willis’ health care industry practice. In 1993, she joined Aon Corp. to launch a companywide health care practice, and in 2004 she was promoted to executive vp of Aon Risk Services with responsibility for a dozen industry practice groups. Earlier this year, she became Aon’s first-ever chief diversity officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. Ms. Doyle was the recipient of the 2006 Assn. of Professional Insurance Women Inc.’s Woman of the Year award.

Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be?

A: "I would change the perception of the senior management of our clients, relative to the importance of risk management to their company. I would love to have CEOs, in particular, and CFOs on a secondary level, rank risk management as a more important function within their organizations."

Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today?

A: "Raise your hand and seek opportunities. Don’t wait for the opportunities to find you."

Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why?

A: "The person that’s influenced me the most in my career is Mike Rice Sr. (chairman of Aon Risk Services Americas). He is the individual who recruited me from Willis, where I was very happy and had a very successful career. Mike has been the most influential for two different reasons. He has an ideal blend of micro- and macro-management skills. He will be hands-off and allow you the flexibility to run things your own way, yet he’s there for advice and support when you need it. My experience is most managers are good at one or the other and not both. The other reason I think Mike has been so influential in my career is he has taken a very strong interest in both creating opportunities for me, or advising me when he thinks an opportunity would not be in my best interest. I think it’s rare to find a mentor that can help steer you towards things and away from things."

2006 Women to Watch Home