Lack of role models discourages and limits the entrance of female professionals into critical fields such as IT, law or engineering. This prevents many women from reaching their full potential in their preferred career paths, but the repercussions go much further. Companies miss out on valuable talent, families see reduced incomes, and society sees how women’s valuable contributions are limited at a time in which ageing populations require that every member performs at their best.
We can't single-handedly solve this. But we can help by giving exposure to female role models that helped inspire us and acted as examples of outstanding human talent, glowing examples of women's ability to contribute to society and achieve great things. Due to this, we have launched the #SheShowsTheWay campaign.
Who are your role models and what did you learn from them?
Ursula Burns, the former Xerox CEO has inspired me in several ways as a female American business executive and the first African American woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Her leadership style and virtues give every aspiring woman some sense of a bright future.
Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) is a Harvard-trained consultant and is multi-skilled, with experience in Strategy, Digital Marketing, Sales, Brand Management and Business Development. She has dedicated her career to supporting underprivileged widows and children, creating the Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) foundation. The foundation ensures support for disadvantaged women who have expressed the willingness, passion and desire for support.
These two women, among many others, have inspired me to positively impact the lives of those in need. They have encouraged me to build my self-confidence, strength and doggedness when I examine their journey as leading women in their fields.
Do you think the environment in your area of work is welcoming to new women professionals?
My area of work is very welcoming to new women professionals but the demands of my field are significant and can be discouraging to anyone seeking a position in it.
What do you think could be done to encourage more women professionals to join your area of work?
I believe this starts with women personally determining to be in engineering.
Then, the engineering field as a whole should simplify job descriptions and should use gender-neutral language in job descriptions. The engineering field should prioritize and promote benefits that appeal to women.
Furthermore, the industry should encourage gender diversity, listen more to, engage with, and encourage women as much as possible.
Who are your professional role models?
I can’t point at a specific person. I respect the dynamics and organization of legal systems as a whole. Hong Kong, where I grew up, has a sophisticated and comprehensive legal system, and society respects and sees lawyers as the representatives of justice. My father strongly encouraged me to become a liberal professional.
Do you think the environment in your area of work is welcoming to new women professionals?
Corporate law in the IT industry has changed over the years. The focus used to be on intellectual property protection, which required an engineering background. The situation has changed, and solving complex problems in cross-functional and multi-cultural departments is nowadays the core competence a corporate lawyer needs. Apart from thinking outside the box, it is essential to develop business management skills. These needs give a competitive edge to many women professionals, who bring with them assets such as attention to detail, patience and communication skills.
What do you think could be done to encourage more women professionals to join your area of work?
Companies must put a stronger emphasis on how corporate law’s broader experiences enrich one’s career portfolio in the way to becoming a senior manager. While law firm lawyers tend to specialize and have a narrow focus, corporate lawyers get the chance to learn about and explore a much broader range of areas. Corporate law is an exciting career without a single dull moment. Companies are not only looking for profit maximization, but also risk management. working in this area allows one to interact with peers from diverse cultures and professions and develop a holistic view of businesses.
Who are your professional role models?
There are three women during different stages of my life/career that each taught me something I still carry with me today. These are women who really influenced me and, while not what most would consider “high profile” professionals, were fantastic role models.
Karen, my manager early on in my high school job at Taco Bell (which turned into an early career), taught me that hard work required an equal amount of fun and reward. When I think back on jobs I’ve had, it was the early days there that really showed me what a team could accomplish and what it meant to be able to work hard, have fun doing it and that rewards didn’t have to be extravagant to be effective.
Marti was my first manager once I joined the corporate world. She taught me how to multi-task effectively and focus on the “how it works” processes to see where it can be improved. I learned how to get to the core of an issue and work with others to improve it.
Finally, Corinne really influenced how I looked at hiring…while the skill was important; the personality and “fit” was even more so. Skills can be taught, but attitude and willingness to learn aren’t as easy to teach. She also encouraged me to learn more of the financial processes and reconciliations so I could apply that to a more well-rounded understanding of the “after the sales order” process. All of these things they taught me to put me on the path to working in the operations side of each company I’ve been in since entering the corporate world. And, finally, they all taught me that it wasn’t gender, title, role or responsibility that built a team, it was the respect for the persons and their contributions that made it all worthwhile.
Do you think the environment in your area of work is welcoming to new women professionals?
Surprisingly, Operations seems to do very well in attracting and keeping women professionals; it seems to be a natural fit for the women I interact with across the industry. Even better would be to see is more of those women in senior roles and executive management.
What do you think could be done to encourage more women professionals to join your area of work?
Professional growth and career paths focusing on advancing women to senior/executive management roles. It’s discouraging to see so few women at that level, and it drives women to seek other areas with faster/better career paths.
Who are your professional role models?
I like to think that I am a pretty good judge of character. I find strength and great things to learn from many people that I meet. It can be one’s leadership capability, personal style, communication skills, or sometimes just the way people handle their daily responsibilities. People whom I have learned a great deal from are not only public figures.
Do you think the environment in your area of work is welcoming to new women professionals?
The IT industry in Taiwan is the trend leader, not just because of the technology itself, but also because of the kind of people that are building the industry. We adopt and learn from the advantages of both business and people management from western corporations and exceed in promoting women. Compared to other business sectors, women who are self-driven and motivated are often encouraged to take on a leadership role. Management here at Getac is open to all professionals who show their passion and willingness to drive results.
What do you think can be done to encourage more women professionals to join your area of work?
Recognize and utilize strengths in soft skills. In addition to self-driven motivation, management roles require social skills and the ability to communicate and build relationships with others. Women are excellent listeners who can accommodate different opinions. Successful managers many times lead teams with different skill sets and from different backgrounds. Being able to find the right people, communicate with them, and help them to understand expectations while building trust is essential in management.
Who are your professional role models?
There are a few individuals that have taught me great things. If I had to choose a female in business that I aspire to be, it would be Safra Catz; she is a confident, strong female in business with complete depth of knowledge.
Do you think the environment in your area of work is welcoming to new women professionals?
I think the technology sector is typically a key choice for males, particularly when considering new technology or engineering-based roles. When engaging with customers, it is very common to see women in Project Management or Operational roles, later transitioning to more leadership-focused roles. When considering more creative roles (such as marketing), these tend to be more female-dominated.
What do you think can be done to encourage more women professionals to join your area of work?
We should educate the younger generations of women about career options and paths available within the tech sector. I think the current generation is much more exposed to technology these days. However, more communication is needed to market the true benefits and rewards that can be reaped from a career in the tech sector for young females just starting their careers.
Starting on March 8th 2020, the #SheShowsTheWay campaign will continue as a platform for everybody to share their female role models. To participate, send an email to Getac-eMKTG-Global@getac.com or post on social media with the hashtag #SheShowsTheWay and share your story!
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