By Business & Finance 
Barbara Owen leads the HR function for Ecclesiastical, a specialist insurer operating in sectors such as charity, heritage, education, faith, and real estate. She plays a key role in shaping the company’s people strategy, culture, and talent development. She’s passionate about diversity and inclusion, and about ensuring its purpose-led ethos is reflected across all aspects of the employee experience.
What was your first job?
A Saturday job while I was still at school in a shoe shop in Belfast.
What are your main priorities and goals in your current role?
My main priority is to ensure we attract, develop, engage and retain great people to help deliver our business goals. It’s about driving the people agenda to ensure we continue to be a brilliant place to work with an inclusive culture where everyone belongs and where everyone contributes to our business success.
What pushed you to pursue a career in this field?
I went to university to study history – I even knew what my PhD area of interest would be (the life and times of Constance Markievicz), but during my first year at university, I got the opportunity to study a module on Organisational Development. This was in the early 90s when we were moving away from the concept of ‘personnel’ to understanding how the right people, strategies, and culture can really contribute to business success. I was fascinated by this, so I changed my degree and went on to a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK.
How do you motivate yourself and your team?
Our unique purpose here at Ecclesiastical / Benefact Group – to give all available profits to charitable causes – really inspires me to give my best every day. We cannot deliver on this if we don’t have great people doing great work to deliver business success, so I am very much motivated by the contribution we make to delivering business success and through our goal to offer our people life-changing careers that change lives. That statement, “life-changing careers that change lives”, is my north star.
In one sentence, how would you define success?
Making a positive difference.
How do you relax?
I’m not great at doing nothing and do various things to relax – Pilates, Zumba, walking, a bit of running, and always finish the day with 10 minutes of reading a book before switching the lights off.
What is your favourite (non-business) book?
I love historical fiction and enjoy Kristin Hannah’s books. My favourite is The Nightingale, about the resilience of two sisters during World War II in France.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My French A-level teacher gave me a little postcard which said “Ne croyez pas trop à la chance, croyez en vous même” – don’t believe in luck, believe in yourself.
How do you handle adversity?
I try not to waste energy on panicking or worrying about things that may never happen. I try to look ahead and think about what’s the worst that could happen, and then work out how best to avoid that scenario. Of course, life throws us curve balls, so when that happens, it’s about not jumping to respond immediately, but taking a breath, taking time to think about it, staying calm, being measured and balanced, and of course, talking it through with someone. And taking the learning from it.
What are your aspirations for the future of the business?
I’m really proud to be part of a successful business that has seen significant growth year on year. We’ve got really ambitious growth plans for the future – to be the insurer of choice in our specialist sectors. The more we grow, the money we can give to good causes. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.
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