A Commercial Manager working for Norfolk developer Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia has highlighted her experiences of diversity for International Women’s Day (8th March).
This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme, #InspireInclusion, envisions a world where gender equality flourishes, free from bias, stereotypes, or discrimination. It’s a vision of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive society where differences are not only accepted, but celebrated.
Sian Tinkler (36), who joined the developer’s team as a Senior Surveyor in June 2022 and swiftly climbed to the role of Commercial Manager, reflects on her experience with diversity in the industry.
Based at the developer’s regional office in Norwich, Sian’s role as a Commercial Manager involves overseeing her team’s operations, collaborating with other departments to meet objectives, and proactively addressing challenges.
Drawn to the dynamic and rewarding nature of the housebuilding industry, Sian notes a positive shift in diversity during her tenure and acknowledges that progress continues to unfold.
She said: “While historically the construction industry has been perceived as male-dominated, I believe that there has been a positive shift over time.
“A greater effort is being made to encourage diversity and gender equality, although there is still progress to be made. It’s important for the industry to continue to promote inclusivity and break down gender stereotypes.”
Sian believes there are many ways for employers to create a diverse workspace and #InspireInclusion amongst employees.
She added: “The best ways for an employer to inspire inclusion are by fostering a culture of diversity, providing training on unconscious bias, promoting open communication, and actively encouraging diversity in leadership roles. Establishing mentorship programs and creating a supportive work environment are also effective measures.
“When it comes to Barratt and David Wilson Homes, our team is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. This includes initiatives such as diversity training, mentorship programs, and actively encouraging a culture of openness and respect.
“I believe this contributes to creating an environment where differences are valued and celebrated.”
Recognising the significance of encouraging more women to enter traditionally male-dominated sectors, Sian underscores the invaluable contributions that women bring to the construction industry.
She said: “It’s important to provide and promote opportunities for women, as women bring unique perspectives and skills that contribute to the industry’s success.
“I believe that Barratt and David Wilson Homes offers excellent support and opportunities for women in the construction industry. The team really values diversity and actively works towards creating an inclusive workplace.”
When asked for her advice to give to women who are considering a career within the construction industry, Sian said: “My advice is to embrace the challenges, be confident in your abilities, and seek out mentorship opportunities. Don’t be afraid to voice your ideas and contribute to the team. The construction industry is evolving, and your unique perspective is a valuable asset.”
For more information about the career opportunities available at Barratt and David Wilson Homes, visit the website at Barratt Careers.
At Meet and Potato, we have several leading ladies working for the business so for this year’s IWD we asked them (and some of the men!) for their thoughts on IWD and what needs to be done to drive forward the theme of Inspiring Inclusion.
CEO, Jon Kelly is a huge supporter of the females in the business.
“What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than spotlighting the female talent within our agency? Women make up 62% of M&P and 2 of our 3 directors are women. I’m proud of our small team, we’re an interesting mix, diverse in age, sex, nationality, and background. We know our differences are our strengths, and we bring it all together to drive the business forward. It’s great to raise awareness of inequality and to inspire inclusion with IWD but for me, it’s not just for a day, it’s every day.”
Karen Clarkson, MD of Meet and Potato shares her thoughts.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day means a day to take stock of how far we’ve come, but more importantly how far we’ve got to go. There are a lot of people making empty promises for lengthy LinkedIn statuses, but what we should be doing is using the day to pledge how we’re going to actively make a difference to the year ahead and holding our business community accountable for this throughout the year.
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
It’s important to shine a light on inequality and biases of any sort, whether that be gender, race, sexuality, age or people with disabilities for example. Inclusion in the workplace is paramount to this and will inspire the next generation.
I urge businesses to take a look at their teams including leadership teams and ask if their businesses are representative. This is from all communities and diversities, but for the theme of IWD, do women in your business have a voice and are they in an environment where they feel they can use it? And if not, then why?
Jo Prosser, Creative Director at Meet and Potato, added:
We need to create psychologically safe spaces where everyone feels comfortable and confident to speak up and speak out. Women in senior roles have an important responsibility to nurture younger generations rising through the ranks. We need to celebrate their talents and build their confidence by giving them opportunities to succeed. It’s important to foster diversity, including multi-generational teams, we have so much to learn from each other. Youth and wisdom together will conquer all.
Over to Sophie Greatbanks, Senior Event Producer.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
IWD for me is an opportunity to reflect and appreciate, not only the women who make strides and influence you in your day-to-day life but also an occasion to remember those women throughout history who have managed to create the opportunities now readily available to modern women. That’s not to say that there still aren’t areas for improvement or that we shouldn’t be appreciated every day, but it’s a moment in our busy lives to reflect. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by strong women who have constantly pushed the realms of what I’ve deemed possible and achievable in both a personal and professional capacity. Helping to guide and teach rather than hinder with old school connotations of what should be “pink jobs”, the women I have surrounded myself with have helped shape, but also celebrated, my achievements. With women like that in your life, anything is possible!
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
It’s important to inspire inclusion to those around you, but also to future generations to make sure women’s momentum in society doesn’t stagnate. Women have already broken the glass ceiling that tried to determine what their traditional roles and responsibilities were (and continue to do so). It’s important to make sure the future is surrounded by allies saying “why shouldn’t you?!” rather than trying to stifle what women bring to the table.
Now to Niki Toth, Content Coordinator:
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
To me, IWD is about celebrating women not only historically and globally, but also those women close to me. I am surrounded by a network of strong, empowering women within my family, among my friends, and in my workplace. I look to them for guidance when facing challenges. To me, these women are the embodiments of resilience, determination, and strength.
IWD also means we can put extra emphasis on raising awareness about gender-based issues, such as violence and (even verbal) harassment, discrimination, or unequal pay. It’s a day to shine a spotlight on the challenges that women face worldwide simply because of their gender.
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
Inspiring inclusion can lead to a more equal society, where there are no gender-related roles and discrepancies in pay, education or workplace. Where men are not considered the superior/stronger gender and where all women are acknowledged and valued based on their abilities.
Women are a force to be reckoned with, and when united, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Without recognising our complexity, mind-blowing ways of logical thinking and incredible strength, the world would not be the same, so inclusion is not only inspired, but indispensable.
Who runs the world? GIRLS!
Mark Jones, Production Coordinator, added:
“Representation is everything. People will never aspire to be what they do not see. IWD is about celebrating and recognising inspiring women.”
Today is International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
Laura Evans-Fisk is Head of Digital & Engagement at leading foreign currency brand, eurochange. Here she shares her thoughts on what IWD 24 means to her as a younger leader in the male dominated world of finance.
It will be 50 years next year since the very first official UN International Women’s Day was established in 1975. At 34 years-old, I wasn’t even born then but even five decades on, the importance of focusing on the rights, opportunities and the future ambitions of women, especially in the workplace, is as vital as ever.
The United Nations has designated this year’s theme as ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ and it is a topic that really resonates for me as a woman in business, working in the fast-moving area of digital and engagement.
Working in the very competitive and male dominated finance sector and in a leadership role, at a relatively young age, I have personally seen and experienced many positive developments when companies invest and nurture their female staff.
Not only does it accelerate individual progress, but the whole dynamic of the workplace and wider success of the business.
Companies with more women in leadership roles are more profitable. A Pepperdine University study showed that twenty-five Fortune 500 firms with the best record of promoting women into high positions were 18 to 69 percent more profitable than the median firms in their industries.
I am especially proud that as Head of Digital and Engagement, at leading foreign currency specialists, eurochange, I have been given the opportunity to flourish in my role and for my ideas to become a significant element of the wider business strategy.
Fortunately, the company culture at eurochange is very inclusive and all ideas and suggestions from staff at every level are welcomed and embraced.
For me, stepping into a role on the Execo, is where I have personally been able to shine and accelerate my own progress; thanks to the insights gleaned in being part of a decision-making process and of course, being surrounded by a host of accomplished business minds.
So, this year’s IWD, is not just an opportunity for me to reflect on how I can grow professionally but also how I support the other women in the business and future ones by setting a precedent: that at any age, young or senior, anything is possible!
On a final note, championing more women in the workplace should not just be a numbers game but a positive process of celebrating and nurturing their skills and qualities. That way, in another 50 years, we will have an even bigger host of inspiring female leaders across even more industries making a difference.
In celebration of International Women’s Month and the theme #InspireInclusion for International Women’s Day, Paradigm Norton, a leading financial planning firm, is proud to highlight its commitment to empowering women in financial planning.
Farida Hassanali, Client Relationship Manager at Paradigm Norton, emphasises the transformative impact of encouraging women to embrace their role as investors. “With the right education resources, women can use that knowledge to be just as confident as men, and once encouraged, they are significantly more likely to invest. And they are likely to be successful,” states Hassanali. Research by Fidelity Investments shows that women consistently achieve better investment returns than men, by an average margin of 0.4% source.
Recognising the pivotal role women often play as the ‘CEO of the household,’ making daily financial decisions, Paradigm Norton understands the importance of building confidence in long-term wealth planning. Advisers at Paradigm Norton proactively engage with women, acknowledging their unique financial perspectives and goals.
Farida Hassanali shares insights into their approach, stating, “We always default to speaking with couples together, but setting up separate meetings with both parties early in the relationship can really make a difference in helping both partners feel more engaged and comfortable in the process that follows.”
Paradigm Norton’s commitment to #InspireInclusion goes beyond traditional financial planning. The firm is dedicated to fostering an environment where women feel empowered, informed, and confident in their financial decisions. By acknowledging and addressing the distinct financial roles women often hold, Paradigm Norton aims to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable financial landscape.
“At Paradigm Norton, we adopt a unique approach to financial planning. We coach our clients to consider the broader perspective of their life goals and the significant impacts they can make with their wealth. We take pride in the fact that our team is made up of 56% females, and a third of our financial planners are women. This is a significant shift in an industry where the norm is 84% male financial advisors”Barry Horner, CEO of Paradigm Norton, an award-winning financial planning firm (Source: Personal Finance Society)
As International Women’s Day approaches, Paradigm Norton reaffirms its dedication to empowering women in financial planning and looks forward to continuing to champion inclusion in the years to come.
Please note investing places your capital at risk and the value of investments may fall or rise. You should seek competent advice before taking any action.
Paradigm Norton Financial Planning Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
As the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day, UnderOne Festival, proudly supported by Warner Bros. Discovery, has announced a dynamic lineup of female speakers who will take the stage at the University of Northampton, 24th – 25th July 2024. From visionary entrepreneurs to global leaders and change-makers, these women represent a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives, united by their commitment to driving positive change and empowering others.
“To coincide with International Womens’ Day, we are thrilled to announce our lineup of global speakers for the UnderOne Festival,” said Dr Asif Sadiq MBE, Chief DEI Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery and Advisory Board member at UnderOne Festival. “These remarkable women are leaders in their fields, trailblazers in their communities, and champions of diversity and inclusion. We are honoured to have them join us and share their insights, experiences, and visions for a more equitable and inclusive world.”
Among the highlights of the festival’s lineup are:
Professor Anne-Marie Kilday: Professor Anne-Marie Kilday is Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Criminal History at the University of Northampton. As Vice-Chancellor, she brings visionary leadership and a commitment to excellence in education, research, and community engagement. Professor Kilday’s passion for advancing knowledge and fostering innovation has made her a respected figure in higher education, inspiring students, faculty, and stakeholders alike. Her dedication to academic excellence and inclusive leadership continues to drive positive change and shape the future of the University of Northampton and beyond.
María del Mar Galcerán Gadea: María del Mar Galcerán Gadea made history as the first politician with Down syndrome to secure a seat in the Corts Valencianes. Her groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone in the realm of political inclusivity and representation. María brings a unique perspective and unwavering determination to her role, advocating for the rights and inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Her historic election serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for marginalised communities worldwide, showcasing the power of perseverance and breaking barriers in pursuit of equality and representation. Highlighting her inspiration for participating in this global event, Maria said, “My interest in participating in this event is to be able to transmit my personal experience and send encouragement and strength to families with children with disabilities and to people with disabilities themselves so that they fight to achieve their challenges, their goals because having a disability does not mean that we do not have abilities.”
Sanchia Alasia: Sanchia Alasia is a multi-award-winning and distinguished global Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practitioner, public speaker, and community change-maker with a reputation for driving systematic and sustainable change towards fostering inclusive environments. Currently Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at London South Bank University, Sanchia said, “I was inspired to speak at the UnderOne Festival as I want to motivate others to innovate and develop their business values, into a healthy inclusive culture.”
Lucile Kamar: As former Head of Diversity and Inclusion at ITN, Lucile is a forward-thinking and award-winning Diversity & Inclusion leader, Keynote Speaker and Leadership Coach, with over a decade of experience leading diversity and inclusion in male-dominated industries.
Lucile commented: “In a world where there’s information overload, the UnderOne Festival’s carefully curated agenda as well as the diverse range of expert speaker in their field promises a meaningful and uplifting event”
Samantha Owo: Samantha is a Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead at Lloyds Banking Group, the first FTSE company to establish gender and ethnicity goals to improve the representation of women, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic colleagues in senior positions, also the first UK Bank committed to double colleagues with disabilities in senior roles by 2025, to reflect the society we serve.
Sybil Taunton: Sybil is a former U.S. Air Force Veteran and the current Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), where she is responsible for the development and delivery of the RICS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for roughly 700 employees and more than 135,000 surveying professionals globally. Commenting on the importance of the festival, Sybil said, “It’s inspiring to see more and more organisations recognising the power of collective and collaborative action when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. Together we are so much stronger and can achieve much more meaningful, impactful and lasting change.”
The UnderOne Festival is a premier gathering of thought leaders, innovators, and influencers, focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. With a theme of “Unity Unleashed: Creating a Global Culture of Inclusivity,” the festival aims to spark meaningful conversations, inspire action, and foster connections worldwide.
“We believe in the power of diverse voices and perspectives to drive positive change and create a more inclusive world,” added Dr Sadiq. “As we celebrate International Women’s Day and honour the achievements of women everywhere, we invite everyone to join us at the UnderOne Festival in July, where we will come together to learn, connect, and inspire each other.”
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s an ideal opportunity to reflect on the progress made in women’s careers but also to shine a light on the work still needed.
When my mother went out to work and my father raised my sister and me, at that time she couldn’t even get a bank account on her own so it clear that the world of work and women’s rights have dramatically changed for the better and there are more women in leadership positions than ever before.
However, when you look at most executive boards today across all industry sectors it’s still a sea of white male faces.
I was disappointed yet reinvigorated to act when I read the findings of a new report The Outsiders Perspective which focused on diversity in the UK fashion industry and how it can unlock business growth, published by the British Fashion Council, The Outsiders Perspective and the (Fashion) Minority Report, with the support of knowledge partner McKinsey & Company.
The report highlighted several diversity and inclusion gaps that exist particularly in the fact that just 9% of executives and boards in the UK fashion industry are held by people of colour, and 39% by women. Just 11% of executive team and board “Power Roles” (being namely CEO, CFO, Chair and Creative Director) are held by people of colour, and 24% by women. Interestingly despite this, 86% of white men in the industry believe the industry is diverse and 46% of women of colour believe the industry is diverse.
Also, while it has been positive to see in recent years that catwalks and campaigns showcase diversity, this diversity isn’t being mirrored in executive teams and that really needs to change.
The report highlighted the undeniable link between leadership diversity and business success and outlined some key actions needed to achieve industry-wide improvements and enhance talent retention.
As fashion thrives on diverse perspectives, it stands to reason that having a diverse team and broad range of thoughts and ideas is needed at the highest levels of decision-making and creativity.
As our industry is ever more global and the need for cultural interconnectedness is essential, the lack of diversity in leadership will alienate new markets and future customers and suppress innovation.
It’s time to for companies to move beyond lip service and take urgent strategic and tactical steps. One solution is to rethink the entire recruitment and talent management processes and design it for inclusion at every level, taking positive action to promote women and particularly women of colour, to leadership roles and not just at Chief Marketing Officer, Chief People Offer roles but across the board in CEO and CFO roles.
In my view, the Outsiders report serves as a catalyst for change – the opportunity for brands to create more inclusive culture where every voice is heard and valued.
Change won’t happen overnight but if it is driven and advocated for by the leaders, sponsored from the very top of organisations, and operationalised effectively, it will come.
It is good to see some fantastic initiatives from the likes of the British Fashion Council who offers a range of education initiatives including scholarships to widen access and opportunities into fashion and The Fashion Minority Report, who offer mentoring and paid internships to help diverse talent to access careers in the fashion industry and creative sector.
As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of diversity in fashion cannot be overstated. It’s not just about reflecting the world we live in; it’s about shaping the future we aspire to create.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it is an opportunity to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in fashion and beyond.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s day, Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress establishes a poignant tone for fostering authentic change. It mirrors the dynamic landscape of today’s data-driven environment where change is the only constant. The last third-party cookie has finally crumbled, privacy laws are tightening and now, Generative AI is quickly ushering in a new era of innovation and adaptation.
With mounting research demonstrating that gender diverse teams outperform their peers time and time again, we turned the conversation over to the exceptional women thought leaders who are at the forefront of shaping the narrative surrounding Gen AI and marketing.
Gately has 20 years of experience in B2B technology content, communications, events, and services marketing. She helps Forrester clients build and optimise their B2B content engines and transform them into competitive differentiators. Lisa is an evangelist for audience-centric content strategy, content marketing, and content operations.
“During the past year, we’ve seen Gen AI capabilities appear in the martech stack along with a rise of multimodal capabilities, where AI models can understand, interpret, and generate content across multiple formats like text, images, audio, and video. It can be overwhelming to understand which systems do what tasks and to determine which ones to embrace. However, making time to learn about these capabilities is important. Gen AI brings more power to content creation, audience engagement, and personalisation. Content use cases aren’t only a practical entry point for scaling Gen AI adoption; they also represent a large part of an organisations’ activities and offer enormous potential for enhancing the customer experience and speeding time to market. Acting now is essential because the pace of change for Gen AI will only accelerate.”
Shainock is responsible for developing Microsoft’s point of view and future strategy for our WW Travel and Transport Industry. She is focused on leading the airlines, hospitality companies, cruise and freight logistics and rail companies to driving innovation that will enhance the customer and employee journey, while driving increased productivity and cost reduction with the use of Microsoft’s technology and its ecosystem of solution partners.
“Generative AI is set to revolutionise the Travel, Transport, and Logistics industries by delivering unprecedented levels of personalisation, efficiency, and innovation. It’s not just about automation; it’s about creating intuitive, seamless customer experiences and unlocking new levels of operational efficiency. For organisations to tackle the full potential of Gen AI effectively, establishing a clean data foundation and a clear strategic vision for desired outcomes is critical.”
Aviram is an award-winning digital marketer and a Senior Manager in Deloitte Digital’s Advertising, Marketing and E-Commerce offering. Beyond her career, she is a dedicated Fellow at The Black Wealth Club (BWC), actively contributing to the group’s mission of wealth generation and community reinvestment.
“The only thing constant in marketing, much like in every field, is change. Reflecting on one of my initial roles as a search marketer, I can draw some parallels. I had no formal training in search marketing, and the idea of learning an entire system to advertise on search engines seemed bizarre. Now, much of that same field is supported by generative AI. I’m excited for all the things Gen AI will enable for marketers. It will allow us to focus on more strategic, less repetitive, and energizing areas of our work. However, marketing will always need the human element. Customer experience, by its very nature, is human, and Gen AI will not stand in the way of that.”
Gordon leads Amperity’s generative AI product development and strategy. She’s also worked on the product development for many investments across the ML and ML Ops spaces, including launching Amperity’s predictive models and infrastructure used by many of the world’s top brands.
“Gen AI is only as good as the data that powers it. And since customer data is notoriously complex, it takes a different AI process to unify it into accurate, comprehensive profiles that can feed your Generative AI tools to get the best results.
Customer data tools can use AI to power critical processes behind the scenes, including data unification, insights, and predictions, so you have the answers to the questions “Who are my customers? What did they do? And what should I do next?”
In a world where the same Generative AI tools for activation are available to everyone, the data you feed into your Gen AI systems will be a key competitive differentiator, since it determines the quality of the output. In short, it’s not enough to have AI tools at the last mile — it needs to be part of your approach from the first step.”
Sperti is a highly seasoned and regarded digital and eCommerce leader with over 20 years’ experience working with and for leading brands including Coles, Officeworks and World Vision among others. Since establishing Arktic Fox four years ago, Teresa and her team have been partnering with leading brands and scale up retailers and CPG | FMCG brands to drive eCommerce adoption and capability build, to enable better utilisation of data to enhance experience and deliver better omnichannel experiences and supported brands to utilise and invest in tech to underpin their strategy.
“There are pivotal moments in the digital era that fundamentally alter the trajectory of the industry – the birth of social media and the launch of the iPhone were some of those moments. And I believe the launch of ChatGPT is another one that really lit a match to the adoption of Gen AI.
“In the tech world, we are already seeing strong adoption of Gen AI within marketing platform interfaces to automate creative development and support and enable smarter decision making. However, it is still very much the early days for Gen AI , and I think we’re just scratching the surface. Brace yourself for a whirlwind of change in this space over the next 12 to 24 months.”
The Future of Gen AI in Marketing
The female leaders in marketing have spoken, and their insights demonstrate the importance of embracing Gen AI not only as a tool for innovation but as a fundamental pillar for cultivating growth and establishing meaningful relationships within the rapidly transforming marketing landscape. Let’s make 2024 the year we harness Gen AI to its fullest potential and unleash lasting, genuine change for the better.
About Amperity
Amperity delivers the data confidence brands need to unlock growth by truly knowing their customers. With Amperity, brands can build a unified customer profile foundation powered by first-party data to fuel customer acquisition and retention, personalize experiences that build loyalty, and manage privacy compliance. Using patented AI and machine learning methods, Amperity stitches together all customer interactions to build a unified view that seamlessly connects to marketing and technology tools. More than 400 brands worldwide rely on Amperity to turn data into business value, including Alaska Airlines, Brooks Running, Endeavour Drinks, Planet Fitness, Seattle Sounders FC, Under Armour and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. For more information, please visit www.amperity.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
As employers around the world today mark International Women’s Day, ACCA is emphasising the importance of flexible working and training in accelerating diversity.
Remote and hybrid work, education and training are proving invaluable in extending access to opportunity and ACCA is calling on employers to maintain the momentum.
Following the completion of a major piece of research surveying 8,000 finance professionals around the world, ACCA has found most people want hybrid working, believing it makes them more productive, with additional benefits reported by women.
ACCA’s 2023 Global Talent Trends report found that while men and women valued hybrid working almost equally (at 88% and 86% respectively), women felt the benefits of remote working more significantly, with 73% of women saying they felt they were more productive when they worked remotely, in comparison to 66% of male respondents.
Findings of the research suggest hybrid working also leads to better outcomes overall in terms of mental health and retention, with hybrid workers less likely to leave their organisations. But employers are still working through the potential impact on teamwork and collaboration.
Women felt better able to manage the impact of remote working on collaboration and engagement, with a lower percentage reporting they found collaboration harder when working remotely (43% in comparison to 52% of male respondents), or that they felt more disengaged.
ACCA Chief Executive, Helen Brand OBE, said: “Flexible approaches to working are bringing significant benefits to all, but can be particularly helpful to those where geographical, financial or additional commitments create restrictions that can impact on working location or hours.
“The cultural changes brought about by the pandemic, along with evolving technology, mean remote work and study is now an option for a greater diversity of people. As employers consider the culture of their organisations, it’s important this inclusivity benefit is kept front of mind.”
While not all work and study can be undertaken remotely, such as in the healthcare and construction sectors, increasing flexibility and access where it is an option can increase diversity. ACCA is committed to enhancing inclusivity for its members, and future members, and remote learning and exams also plays a part in extending the opportunity of professional careers to many more people.
Lloyd Powell, Head of ACCA Wales, said: “E-learning has brought extra flexibility to study, giving people who live in more remote areas, or with challenging commitments outside of study, the scope to build education into their lives. It opens up the promise of a profession to many who might have been excluded until now.”
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, motorsport isn’t traditionally known for it’s diversity. However, Formula E is keen to change that and is showcasing its newly released sustainability report, which highlights all the work they are doing around e-mobility and equity in sport and STEM.
Aligned to the FIA Girls on Track initiative that Formula E has been delivering alongside the FIA, Formula E is dedicated to raising not only the profile of female roles within motor sport, but their diversity and routes of entry. Formula E employs a diverse number of women in various technical roles from across the all-electric championship, from General Counsel and Engineers to Tyre and Logistics Specialists. Also, the FIA Girls on Track programme has hosted nearly 2,000 girls at track, with further Season 9 activations at Formula E races in São Paulo and Jakarta
Here, for IWD 2023, Formula E are highlighting the achievements of women already playing a key role in the success of the sport:
Leading Women in ABB FIA Formula E Racing Teams
Maserati MSG Racing – Anastasia Fowle, General Counsel
For over four years, Anastasia Fowle has been Maserati MSG Racing’s General Counsel, heading up all things legal for the Monegasque vice-world Champions including; driver contracts, complex partnership agreements and intellectual and property rights. In addition to her role with the team, and her partnership role at Shoosmiths LLP, Anastasia is also a director of the Formula 1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (“GPDA”). A true female trailblazer in motorsport, not only is Anastasia the first female director of the GPDA, she’s also the first non-F1 driver to hold this crucial role providing business, legal and strategic advice for the organisation.
DS Penske – Juliana Neto, Physiotherapist
Juliana is the physiotherapist to the DS PENSKE Formula E Team, having started her career in motor sport back in 2017. With experience in Formula E, Formula 3, DTM, WTCR, GT Championships and many 24-Hour endurance races, she’s responsible for ensuring the drivers can perform at their optimum levels when racing and training. Juliana first began working in sport back in 2010 with the Portuguese Athletic Federation and the Portuguese Olympic Committee, with further experience in environments like the UEFA Champions League and many international athletics championships. Since 2018, she’s also been responsible for the Bioperformance Center in the High Performance Center for Motor Sport in Madrid.
Jaguar TCS Racing – Lais Campelo S. F. Lima, Software and Data Engineer
Growing up in Brazil, Lais had a curiosity for the world of motorsport, inspired by drivers such as Senna, Barrichello, Massa and Fittipaldi, but never thought she would go on to have a career in the industry. Lais pursued her interests in technology and science, achieving a Masters in Physics and joining the Jaguar Land Rover graduate scheme. Now, in a role described as challenging and rewarding, Lais is immersed in motorsport as a Software and Data Engineer at Jaguar TCS Racing, delivering software applications, processing and analysing data, and extracting the best from the drivers and the cars.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team – Georgina Yeomans, Communications Executive
Georgina Yeomans is the Communications Executive for NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, which spans both its Formula E and Extreme E teams. Her role spans a variety of responsibilities, including writing press releases, managing driver media and marking interviews and filming. Georgina has been gaining experience in the motorsport industry since the age of 16, with a background in journalism and communications. She first got experience in the industry through Girls on Track UK (previously Dare to be Different), which gave her the contacts and confidence to follow her passion. This began with work experience at Autosport, which led to communications work with Torque PR.
Envision Racing – Michelle Creighton, Composite Technician
Michelle has a critical role within the team, as she ensures all the bodywork on both chassis’ is as pristine as possible. Whenever there is any damage to the floors or bodywork, it is her responsibility to fix the damaged area as neatly and as lightly as possible, keeping the car always looking perfect! Despite not studying motorsport whilst at college, Michelle enjoyed the sport as a hobby with her Dad before going on to have a vast career in motorsport, working in WRC Mini, LMP, GT series and Formula One in the Composites Department. Michelle joined the team last November, which means there is now a female in every department at Envision Racing!
NIO 333 Racing – Marta de Pfaff Ganduxer, Tyre Performance Engineer
Marta studied MSc Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes University, where she had the opportunity to work with the PBM Ducati Racing Team in the British Superbikes Championship. She has worked with various racing teams, including NIO 333 FE Team, playing a vital role in optimizing tyre performance. Marta is a strong advocate for gender equality in motorsports and encourages young girls interested in the industry to work hard and stay motivated. Marta’s expertise extends beyond motorsports, also having worked as an EV Powertrain Expert Engineer and has provided support for the development of electric vehicles for companies such as Honda, Toyota, and BMW.
Mahindra Racing – Andrea Ackroyd, Lead Performance Engineer
Andrea, the team’s Lead Performance Engineer, joined Mahindra Racing alongside Alexander Sims in Season 7. For two years she was his Performance Engineer, before she was promoted to her current role at the start of Season 9. With a love of physics and maths, Andrea studied engineering at university and was quickly attracted to the motorsport-related modules. She was fascinated by the hard work that goes on within a race team to achieve a competitive edge, and decided to pursue it as her career. To young women wanting a career in motorsport, she says: Don’t listen to the naysayers, keep your head held high, and stay curious.
Avalanche Andretti Formula E – Marissa Andretti, Vice President, Andretti Autosport and Managing Director, Andretti technologies
Marissa Andretti grew up around the sport, spending time and learning from her second family – a racing team. Andretti officially joined the family business in 2015 as a Client Relations Representative in Andretti Autosport’s INDYCAR program. With an interest in racing operations, Andretti assists in project management for the team’s branding-related operations whilst also serving as a Vice President within Andretti Autosport, overseeing the team’s philanthropic initiatives via The Michael Andretti Foundation. Additionally, Andretti has taken on the role of Managing Director for Andretti Technologies [ATEC], where she assists in developing strategy and project fruition, centralising departments across the team.
Leading Women in ABB FIA Formula E Partners
It isn’t only teams where women are carving out a successful career in Motorsport – Formula E also highlights some of the women playing a key role within partnerships of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship:
Allianz – Claudia Spagl, Global Partnerships Manager
Claudia Spagl is the Global Partnerships Manager at Allianz, and responsible for its Formula E partnership. Having started her career at the company’s communications agency where she was already workings on different motorsports topics and being responsible for the Extreme E partnership of Allianz,
she was really proud to then lead the Formula E account. Besides her passion for motorsports, the synergies between Allianz and Formula E is what makes her so excited about the partnership. As one of the world’s largest automotive insurers with a strong sustainability agenda, driving the transformation to e-mobility and supporting the dream of “clean air” is at the centre of her work.
ABB – Stephanie Wyss, Supplier Governance & Communication for ABB Formula E Partnership
Stefanie started her career at ABB as an assistant in the branding team in 2017. She always had a passion for cars and motorsport, and therefore leapt at the opportunity to be part of the ABB Formula E Partnership team, taking on the role of Supplier Governance & Communication in October 2019. Her dedication, attitude and organisational skills meant she soon took on responsibility of managing all merchandise, teamwear and logistics, playing a vital role in the success of the customer engagement program which is central to ABB’s title partnership with the Championship.
DHL – Manuela Gianni, Head of DHL Motorsport
Manuela Gianni’s experience in logistics has been driven by her passion for foreign languages and travel. She fluently speaks four languages and has been driven to the international atmosphere and opportunities that only a multinational company like DHL can offer. In her current role as Head of DHL Motorsport Italy she oversees the local Motorsport Team and manages the contract with Formula E Operations, for which DHL is founding and logistics partner since the launch of the Formula E Championship, heading a Team of professionals which are instrumental for delivering the Championship with strategic targets towards a sustainable logistics module.
Julius Baer – Selin Jost, Project Manager
Selin joined Julius Baer’s sponsorship team as a project manager in 2022, where she supports and focuses on sustainability and innovation-related partnerships, including Formula E, of which Julius Baer is the Global Founding Partner. Selin’s passion for sustainability began when working for the company’s sustainability team for three years where she co-led the development of the group’s climate strategy, before joining the partnerships teams. After graduating from the University of St. Gallen in 2017 with a degree in Management, Organization Studies, and Cultural Theory she enrolled on Julius Baer’s ‘graduate programme’, working on various assignments in Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Hankook – Sujin Jang, Chief Engineer of Formula E Tire Development Project
As a dynamic individual who thrives on challenges and pushing boundaries, Sujin was always there whenever Hankook needed breakthroughs throughout her 18 years with the company. From new product launches, OE tires for high-end carmakers, to the start of motorsports, Sujin was there taking Hankook tires to a new level. Sujin was put in charge of compound development for Formula E tires and was the first female compound developer in the Hankook Tire Research & Development Center. Seeing the compounds Sujin developed in action and earning results through race performance always keeps her striving for more.
Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues to champion diversity and equality in motorsport – and we hope next year’s list of women leading the field off track will be even longer!
About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship:
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified Net Zero Carbon since inception (achieved in line with the 2020 definition), the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation
The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet.
On International Women’s Day (March 8th), Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing (Howden) is calling on businesses to “normalise” conversations about women’s health issues and to involve men in the discussions.
Emma Capper, the UK Wellbeing Leader at Howden highlights that as more employers seek to differentiate themselves from their competitors by providing personalised benefits, including gender-specific healthcare benefits, it is vital to create an environment that encourages open communication and support for women’s health.
Research by Reba and Howden published last year found that 85% of employers will be focused on personalisation of benefits by 2024 and 88% offer or plan to offer menopause support.
Emma said: “Adopting a proactive approach tailored to the needs of female employees can lead to improved performance, talent attraction and retention, and reduced sickness absence rates. On International Women’s Day, we encourage employers to assess what they can do to better support their female workforce.
Leo Savage, Global Wellbeing Consultant, emphasises the significance of involving men in conversations about women’s health. He says, “Every female employee will experience periods and menopause, which can have a more significant impact on the workplace than people may realise, with a range of possible symptoms and associated health conditions.
However, men are unlikely to be aware of women’s monthly cycles or the symptoms they experience during menopause. They may not automatically know what can make life easier, such as providing sanitary products in toilets and sanitary bins in every cubicle or having cooler offices for women experiencing hot flushes.
To establish a workplace that values diversity, inclusivity, and empathy, involving men in conversations and making them aware of the challenges their female colleagues may face is essential. This promotes understanding and support among male colleagues, empowering women to speak out and ask for assistance when needed.”
In the UK, research by the UCL Social Research Institute[i] found that women who are going through the menopause between the ages of 50 and 55 take an average of two months off work because of their symptoms, while women who experience early menopause (before they reach 45) take four months off.
Leo emphasises that while the stigma surrounding women’s health conditions like menopause is slowly breaking down, employers should still be mindful that not everyone wants to share their personal health challenges. To ensure that women feel comfortable seeking help, employers should carefully consider their communications and create accessible opportunities for engagement. Leo also stresses the importance of understanding women’s health needs and tailoring wellbeing programmes accordingly for maximum effectiveness.
Emma adds: “We recommend businesses review their leave policies around specific areas such as fertility and menopause, and ensure it is part of the culture and people are aware of it. It’s no use having a policy hidden on the intranet, it needs to be front and centre so that women feel supported.
“We recommend that businesses consider offering wellbeing days as a tool to provide women with flexibility to take time off without disclosing personal details, enabling them to deal with their challenges privately. However, regardless of the support provided, normalising conversations and creating awareness and opportunities for open dialogue are crucial.”
Emma Capper and Leo Savage recently discussed women’s health issues in a podcast called, “Are you supporting women’s health in your business?” They covered some common health conditions specific to women and offered advice on how employers can improve support. To listen, click here.
Additionally, Howden offers a free guide titled “Supporting women’s health in the workplace: from periods to menopause and everything in between.” You can download the guide here.
