Erin Gattoni: Turning Opportunity into Action

Congratulations to Erin Gattoni, SVP, HR and Operations, on being recognized as an Elite Woman Award recipient. Erin’s career spans underwriting, HR, and enterprise operations, and her perspective reflects a deep commitment to building opportunity through action, not optics.

We sat down with Erin to talk about how she uses her platform to create real pathways for women to advance, how she sees the role of HR evolving from advocacy to accountability, and the advice she offers emerging leaders navigating growth, ambition, and balance. Here’s what she shared:

As an Elite Woman in your field, how do you use your platform or influence to support and uplift other women?

I try to stay focused on outcomes, not optics. In practice, that means creating clear, real pathways for women to move forward: internal mobility, leadership readiness, and sponsorship for high potential talent across both corporate and underwriting teams.
 

I’m also intentional about using my voice where it carries weight. That’s in succession planning, talent reviews, and enterprise level conversations, when decisions are being made about roles, scope, and where the organization invests.

Another way I try to support women is by what I model. I moved from underwriting into HR, and now I oversee Operations, Underwriting Governance, STO, Marketing & Communications. I want that to be visible proof that women can, and should, hold broad, P&L adjacent mandates. There isn’t one “right” career path, but you do have to stay curious, work hard, and go after experience and exposure. It won’t just land in your lap.

How do you see the role of HR evolving when it comes to championing equity, diversity, and belonging in the years ahead?
 

I see HR moving from advocacy to accountability. The role isn’t to “own” equity as a separate initiative, but to embed it into how organizations operate, how roles are designed, how performance is measured, how leaders are rewarded, and how opportunities are allocated. That shift requires a focus on data and outcomes, not just intent.

Equity is also becoming a business issue, not only a values conversation. Engagement, skills, and culture directly affect operational resilience and long term performance, which makes inclusion essential rather than optional. To influence decisions at that level, HR leaders need strong commercial fluency and a clear understanding of operations, underwriting, and strategy. That’s why I see HR continuing to evolve into a true enterprise partner.

As technology and AI reshape work, HR will play a critical role in ensuring access to reskilling, leadership development, and opportunity isn’t unintentionally biased. And ultimately, belonging will be measured by experience, not programs—by leadership behavior, everyday decision making, and how commitments show up in practice. HR will be central in closing that gap.

What advice would you give to emerging female talent who want to grow their careers while navigating competing priorities at work and home?

First, think about scope as much as progression. Early on, roles that expand your exposure—clients, operations, decision-making—often do more for your long-term career than chasing the next title. That optionality builds over time.

Second, advocate for yourself with demonstrated results. Be clear about the impact you’ve had and connect your ambition to outcomes the business cares about. Leaders respond to clarity and credibility.

Also: accept that balance isn’t a fixed state. It’s seasonal. There will be years when work demands more of your time and energy, and years when home will rightly come first.  The goal isn’t perfection every year, it’s making intentional trade offs over a long career.

I try to normalize both ambition and balance. I’m candid about what excelling in senior leadership really takes, including the trade offs, so people can make informed choices, instead of feeling like they have to fit one mold to succeed.

Explore more Elite Women leaders

This interview is part of our Elite Women blog series. Discover insights from Jacqueline Detablan and Lynn Lafortune to learn how each leader is helping shape the future of the insurance industry.