The report defines allyship as “the practice of supporting and advocating for individuals and groups who face discrimination or marginalization and is a powerful tool for driving positive change.” It is emerging as an important cornerstone of well-rounded programs to identify and amplify talent, as research shows that stronger organizational performance is linked to companies that build and maintain a strong allyship culture.

“Allyship: A Commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Opportunity” was recently introduced by IRI Chief Operating Officer Shani Armon, and Andrew Farrell, Symetra SVP, Retirement Sales, Distribution, & Marketing, at the Symetra Women’s Action Group’s (SWAG) annual conference held at Symetra’s Bellevue, Wash. headquarters. SWAG is a coalition that includes male allies and promotes collaboration and allyship among women leaders in financial services.

“Collaborating with Symetra to create a framework for the research and resulting best practices guide represented a unique opportunity to foster growth in allyship across the industry,” said Ms. Armon. “The insights gained through the survey and interviews will prove invaluable to organizations seeking new approaches to building diverse talent and helping individuals grow to their fullest potential.”

Conducted in spring 2025, the allyship survey was fielded to 106 annuity industry professionals representing insurance companies, asset managers, and distributors. The survey was designed to measure employee awareness of allyship and allyship programs and experiences with allyship. The report also offers respondent verbatims.

Among the key takeaways that emerged from the survey:

• Most companies have programs related to allyship, even if they do not have a comprehensive approach.
• Until it is defined, both men and women tend to think they have experienced allyship far more often.
• Fewer than half of respondents believe they have HAD an ally during their careers, at times when they have needed one.
• Women are far more likely than men to say they have had an ally.

“Fostering greater diversity and allyship across our workforce, distribution network and industry aligns with our Symetra Empowers vision, and we were pleased to partner with IRI on this initiative to identify and catalog best practices that can be widely shared,” said Andrew Farrell. “An important aspiration of SWAG is the growth of allyship in men for the women we work with. We’re optimistic that this research will help expand our industry allyship lens and scope even further.”

Symetra and IRI will host a webinar on the survey results in Q1 2026. To access a digital version of the guide, click here.

About Symetra

Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent financial professionals and insurance producers. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.

About IRI

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is the leading association for the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies, including life insurers, asset managers, broker dealers, banks, marketing organizations, law firms, and solution providers. IRI members account for 90 percent of annuity assets in the U.S., include the foremost distributors of protected lifetime income solutions, and are represented by financial professionals serving millions of Americans. IRI champions retirement security for all through leadership in advocacy, awareness, research, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the advancement of digital solutions within a collaborative industry community.