Women in Protection Network

What Women in Protection Network does

Women in Protection Network is a UK-based, volunteer-run non-profit professional network founded in 2017 by Emma Thomson, Catherine Trimble, and a group of female financial professionals. It operates as a community-led organization addressing the underrepresentation of women in the UK protection insurance industry, both as consumers of protection products and as professionals working in the sector. The network's mission centers on closing the UK protection gap through gender equity, diversity advocacy, and improved financial resilience for women and underrepresented groups.

The organization offers free membership with access to a quarterly newsletter, mentoring, quarterly meetings, an ambassador program, and an annual flagship conference (WIP Conference 2026). It does not employ any proprietary technology platform; its core technology is a standard WordPress website with MailChimp-based email sign-up and a LinkedIn presence. Its product portfolio consists of community engagement and advocacy services rather than software or technology products. The network is governed by an executive team of 11 senior women from major UK and global protection insurers (including Swiss Re, Aviva, Legal & General, MetLife, Royal London, Söderberg & Partners, The Exeter, Beagle Street, and L&C Mortgages), all operating on a voluntary basis in their spare time.

The business model is non-commercial: membership is free, no products or services are paid, and no revenue model is disclosed. The network operates with no funding rounds, no parent company, and no disclosed institutional backing. Its growth is driven entirely through community-led GTM mechanics — ambassador advocacy, social media engagement, quarterly meetings, and the annual conference — rather than commercial sales or marketing. The geographic scope is the United Kingdom only.

Name

Women in Protection Network

Legal name

Women in Protection Network

Website

https://womeninprotection.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in Protection Network is a UK-based, volunteer-run non-profit founded in 2017 that promotes gender equity in the protection insurance industry through free membership, mentoring, an annual conference, and an ambassador program, serving female professionals and consumers across the UK protection sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Protection insurance network
• Gender equity advocacy
• Industry mentoring programs
• Professional networking community
• Insurance diversity initiatives

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership: The network operates as a volunteer-run organization with free membership. No revenue generation model was disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Women in Protection Network is a volunteer-run, free membership community that supports women in the UK protection insurance industry through mentoring, role models, a quarterly newsletter, quarterly meetings, an annual conference, and ambassador-led advocacy. The network brings together female financial professionals and industry allies to champion gender equity, close the UK protection gap, and broaden the distribution of protection products. It also raises awareness of protection insurance among female consumers.

Product overview

The Women in Protection Network is a volunteer-run networking organization, not a traditional software product. It operates as a single unified network offering membership, an annual conference, ambassador program, quarterly meetings, newsletter, and mentoring services. The portfolio consists of community engagement and advocacy services designed to promote gender equity and inclusivity in the UK protection insurance industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women in Protection Network Membership Free membership program providing individuals working in the UK protection insurance industry with access to a quarterly newsletter, mentoring, role models, quarterly meetings, and annual conference invitations, supporting gender equity and career development.
• WIP Annual Conference Annual flagship conference held for professionals across the UK protection insurance sector, providing networking, learning, panel sessions, and celebration of inclusion and gender equity achievements.
• WIP Ambassador Program Volunteer ambassador initiative through which industry professionals champion gender equity across the protection and health industry by raising awareness, amplifying diverse voices, recruiting new members, and supporting initiatives that improve financial outcomes for women.
• Quarterly Meetings Regular in-person and/or virtual meetings held quarterly for members to engage, collaborate, network, and contribute to shaping network events, campaigns, and advocacy priorities.
• Quarterly Newsletter Newsletter distributed on a quarterly cadence to members, delivering insights, industry news, and updates to support personal and professional growth in the protection insurance sector.
• Mentoring Program Mentoring and role model initiative providing community members with access to senior industry guidance and support for career development within the UK protection insurance industry.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Protection Distributors GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmma Thomson, Founder and Chair, serves as a board member of the Protection Distributors Group, a well-respected industry lobby group she helped establish as inaugural Chair. The PDG focuses on protection industry advocacy and policy.
• Income Protection Taskforce (IPTF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmma Thomson contributes to the Income Protection Taskforce, an industry body focused on income protection advocacy and awareness.
• Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmma Thomson contributes to the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries as part of her industry advocacy work.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chartered Insurance Institute: UK's leading professional body for the insurance and financial planning sector, running membership, education and diversity initiatives — a broader incumbent in the same UK protection ecosystem with overlapping DEI programming.

Direct peers

• Women on Boards UK: UK organisation working to increase female representation on corporate boards, including in financial services — comparable to the Women in Protection Network as a UK gender-equity focused professional advocacy organisation.
• 100 Women in Finance: Global membership organization advancing women in the finance and alternative investment industries through networking, education and mentorship — directly comparable to the Women in Protection Network as a gender-equity focused professional network in financial services.
• Everywoman: UK-based organisation running events, awards and programmes to advance women in business, including financial services — a directly comparable UK gender-equity focused professional network with similar member events and recognition programmes.
• Women in ETFs (WIE): Global not-for-profit membership organisation supporting women in the ETF industry through events, mentoring and education — directly comparable as a gender-equity focused professional network within a financial-services sub-sector.
• European Women in Insurance (EWin): European organisation dedicated to advancing women in the insurance industry — a directly comparable gender-equity focused insurance-industry professional network with overlapping event and mentoring offerings.

Others

• Fawcett Society: UK's leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women's rights across public policy and the workplace — thematically related as a UK gender-equity advocacy organisation, though not industry-specific to insurance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-protection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Protection Network