09-02-2021 Diversity and inclusion is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’—it can give insurance industry firms a competitive edge and is expected to become an ever-greater differentiator for customers and clients, CII HR director Caren Thomas tells Intelligent Insurer. When Intelligent Insurer spoke to the new human resources (HR) director of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), she had just moved house. Given that the UK was in the middle of another pandemic lockdown and Caren Thomas was still relatively fresh in post, she was remarkably calm and collected, despite having spent much of the day before the house move in virtual work meetings.