Category: Community

Engaging Session with Velesto Energy 

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

Recently Velesto Energy Berhad had an engaging session with the 30% Club Malaysia.

Its President, Megat Zariman Abdul Rahim, an advocate of the 30% Club Malaysia, strongly advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and has actively contributed to a diverse range of 30% Club Malaysia initiatives.

“These endeavors highlight our unwavering commitment to promoting greater participation of women in senior positions within Corporate Malaysia and the oil and gas sector,” he said.

He added that this invaluable visit has further solidified its dedication to championing gender diversity and empowering women leaders. By collaborating closely with the 30% Club Malaysia and aligning its efforts, the company firmly believes that it can drive meaningful change and cultivate a more inclusive and diverse business environment.

Get Together Session with Mentees and Mentors

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

Networking is one of the three ways board-ready candidates can gain visibility in the Board mentoring journey.

With this in mind, the 30% Club Malaysia Board Mentoring Manager Norlela Baharudin recently organised an afternoon tea in Kuala Lumpur. The event saw the participation of some ten mentees – sharing and learning from our invited guest mentors of the Board Mentoring Scheme.

Reza Ghazali and Christina Foo were the guest mentors that were sharing some of the key competencies essential for boards namely strategic decision making, analytical skills and business acumen.

The mentors reminded the candidates to take a careful look at the industry and companies that they are interested to serve on boards before deciding on taking an appointment.

While sharing their experiences and learning from the guests, the mentees had the opportunity to meet fellow mentees and, some for the first time.

Oh yes! If you are wondering what is the other two ways to broaden ones reach and opportunities for board roles, they are:

– To learn from the experienced board members and
– To increase one’s visibility through platforms available on social
  media.

How to Address the Underrepresentation of Women in Leadership

Posted on by 30club-Canada

While progress has been made, women continue to face stereotypes, discrimination and bias at work that contribute to gaps in employment, wages and leadership positions

 

Experts on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace highlighted the barriers and opportunities facing women in the workplace for governance professionals across the country during a webinar hosted by the Diversity Institute (DI) and the Governance Professionals of Canada on Mar. 7, 2023 in celebration of International Women’s Day.

 

“Every International Women’s Day we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go,” said Wendy Cukier, founder and academic director of the Diversity Institute (DI), who led with a recap of DI research. While the wage gap is narrowing, women earn, on average, 87% of what men earn, Cukier said. That gap increases for racialized women (67%), Indigenous women (65%) and women with disabilities (54%).

 

Research conducted by DI shows that women remain underrepresented in board positions and in senior leadership—particularly in the corporate sector. The underrepresentation is even greater for racialized women. In the GTA, where one-half of the population is racialized, Cukier said white women outnumber racialized women 12:1 on corporate boards.

 

Cukier emphasized the importance of closing these gaps as a way to address some of the other barriers facing women at work, including gender-based discrimination, stereotyping and microaggressions.

 

‘When we think about boards, when we think about leadership, it signals who belongs,” Cukier said. “It shapes aspirations as well as stereotypes.”

 

Organizations can play a significant role in advancing a more diverse and inclusive workforce while breaking down the barriers facing women at work, Cukier said. One way to do that is by joining the 50 – 30 Challenge, external link and striving towards gender parity (50% women and non-binary people) and increased diversity (30% other equity-deserving groups) on boards and/or in senior leadership roles. As an ecosystem partner in the 50 – 30 Challenge, DI has developed a host of tools and resources to help organizations along their EDI journey, including The Micropedia of Microaggressions, external link (external link)  and the What Works Toolkit, external link.

 

“We really need to recognize that organizations are part of an ecosystem. They are affected by societal forces but they could also change them,” Cukier said.

 

Jennifer Laidlaw, country head of the 30% Club Canada, led panelists in a discussion that delved further into the barriers facing women at work and strategies to address them. The discussion included Julie Cafley, executive director of Catalyst Canada; Rumeet Billan, CEO and owner of Women of Influence+; and Nadine Spencer, CEO of BrandEQ and the Black Business and Professional Association. Cukier outlined the status of women in the workplace and how organizations can address the underrepresentation of women—particularly those from other equity-deserving groups—in leadership.

 

“Good intentions are no longer enough.” – Julie Cafley, Executive Director of Catalyst Canada

 

As part of her work with Catalyst, Cafley has seen organizations placing EDI efforts at the center of their strategy. Yet research shows that 51% of racialized women have experienced racism at work, Cafley said. That number increases for women with darker skin tones, she added.

 

“If you want to see change, good intentions are no longer enough. You really need to drive change at a strategic level with metrics,” Cafley said. 

 

Women who succeed in the workforce in spite of the barriers can still be attacked, resented, criticized or cut down for their achievements, Billan said. This is what her research defines as Tall Poppy Syndrome.

 

A worldwide study found nearly 87% of respondents experienced Tall Poppy Syndrome at work, Billan said. This has a considerable impact on how women show up at work and how they celebrate their successes, Billan said. It also affects the bottom line, with 75% of respondents agreeing that being “tall poppied” had an impact on their productivity at work.

 

Spencer underlined the need to understand how barriers and challenges can grow and compound for women of multiple marginalized identities.

 

“An intersectional lens is so important because it recognizes that individuals experience multiple forms of discrimination or disadvantage based on their intersecting identities—such as race, gender or economic status,” Spencer said.

 

Billan pointed out that while a particular board might be diverse, it might not be equitable or inclusive. “Yes, we want to invite everyone to the table but the question is, ‘What happens when they get there?’”

 

For Spencer, ongoing training and learning is key. We all have biases that perpetuate stereotypes and barriers facing women and other equity-deserving groups at work, Cafley said, so it is important to consistently try to identify and address them. 

 

Panelists also agreed that women can benefit from sponsors who can vouch for them, celebrate their accomplishments and usher them into new networks.

„Thought Leadership” wydarzenie ACCA Poland i 30% Club Poland

Posted on by 30club-Poland

16 marca 2023 roku jako 30% Club Poland mieliśmy wielką przyjemność współtworzyć wydarzenie „Thought Leadership” wraz z ACCA Polska, których celem było przedstawianie inspirujących liderów i liderek członkom i członkiniom ACCA Polska.

ACCA Polska jest instytucją wspierającą 30% Club Poland od startu kampanii w czerwcu 2021 roku. Członkinie ACCA Polska brały również udział w badaniu 30% Club Poland i UN Global Compact Network Poland „Niech nas usłyszą! Głos kobiet w korporacjach”, za co podczas wydarzenia serdecznie podziękowała im Agnieszka Jarosz, Dyrektor Zarządzająca ACCA Polska, Ukraina i kraje bałtyckie, która zainaugurowała wydarzenie.

 

Wydarzenie było również okazją do przedstawienia członkom i członkiniom ACCA Polska wyników raportu „Niech nas usłyszą! Głos kobiet w korporacjach” przez Milenę Olszewską-Miszuris, Co-Chair 30% Club Poland, która współtworzyła raport wraz z Aleksandrą Włodarczyk, Koordynatorką Kampanii oraz dr Anną Golec, Ambasadorką 30% Club Poland.

Kluczowym elementem spotkania była rozmowa Joanny Zakrzewskiej, szefowej Rady ACCA Polska z Dominiką Bettman, członkinią 30% Club Poland i Dyrektorką Generalną Microsoft Poland, znaną specjalistka ds. nowych technologii, autorką książki “Technologiczne Magnolie”, która:
 – podzieliła się swoją wiedzą dotyczącą transformacji cyfrowej,
 – opowiedziała jakie kompetencji będą istotne w przyszłości,
 – przedstawiła swoje spostrzeżenia na temat włączającego przywództwa.

Dodatkowo, każda osoba uczestnicząca w wydarzeniu stacjonarnie otrzymała książkę Prelegentki wraz z dedykacją. 

 

Wydarzenie odbyło się w formie hybrydowej. Część stacjonarna miała miejsce w WP Klubie w WP.PL, która od początku wspiera kampanię 30% Club Poland. Dodatkowo, wydarzenie było transmitowane na żywo i można je obejrzeć po rejestracji pod linkiem: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4119626/2F06FA835AED8A289DAD419BC38D47F6

 

Bardzo dziękujemy Damianowi Dembowczyk z ACCA Polska oraz Małgorzacie Żelazko, Iwecie Opolskiej i Renacie Neidrowskiej z 30% Club Poland za organizację tego inspirującego spotkania jak również wszystkim uczestnikom za wysoką frekwencję.

Embrace Equity: Deepening DEI Conversation #5

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

Recently the 30% Club Malaysia celebrated the International Women’s Day by organising a panel discussion on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Conversation #5: Embrace Equity with speakers from Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Malaysian CSO-SDG Alliance, Khazanah Nasional, and Maybank Investment Banking Group. 

Here is the recording of Session 1 about the E in Equity with Dr. Kishore Ravuri Jia Yaw Kiu, moderated by Ami Moris and host Farah Jaafar.

Here is the recording of Session 2 of our DEI Conversation with Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir Hasnita Hashim moderated by Raj Kumar Paramanathan, and hosted by Farah Jaafar, on Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s DEI ambitions, and the leadership journey of Dr Hasnita, a nuclear physics PhD graduate from Oxford, and Chair of Maybank Investment Banking Group, on breaking the glass ceiling.

Mentees and Mentors Get Together for Tea

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

Recently the 30% Club Malaysia Board Mentoring organised a tea get-together with the mentees and mentors in Kuala Lumpur.

At the session the mentors – Renzo Viegas and Alan Hamzah Sendut shared their experiences and journey as board members in their respective companies. It was also a good platform for the eleven mentees to network, exchange information and share their know-hows and experiences between them.

Also present at the event was Dato’ Ami Moris, the chair of 30% Club Malaysia.  
At the event, the key-takeaways’ that were shared were board-ready candidates with domain knowledge tend to have more focused skills than those with more general knowledge, board-ready candidates need to share their point of views and need not worry about speaking-up at the board. To have a well-functioning Board that works together, chemistry amongst the board members is critical.

The other pointers that were shared in the session were:
–       Do your due intelligence
–       Do your “homework” to understand matters 

         related to management rather than drilling down 

         on details at the board meetings
–       Do know the differences between Executive and 

         Board roles
–       Do update your CVs
–       Do work with channels that increases your 

         visibility such as Institute of Corporate Directors 

         Malaysia (ICDM)

–       Do build your network

How equity, diversity, and inclusion can drive growth and innovation in businesses of all sizes

Posted on by 30club-Canada

The first webinar in a new series with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce spotlighted tools and initiatives to help organizations unlock the benefits of diverse workplaces

 

 

Dr. Wendy Cukier, founder and academic director of the Diversity Institute (DI), underlined the strategic importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace and how businesses can achieve it during an insightful presentation hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) on Feb. 1, 2023.

 

Moderated by Andrea Carmona, manager of public affairs at OCC, “What is diversity and why does it matter?” attracted almost 200 people from 100 businesses. The webinar is the first in a series designed to encourage more organizations to join the 50 – 30 Challenge and support them along their EDI journeys. 

 

The 50 – 30 Challenge calls on organizations to aspire to gender parity (50% women and non-binary people) and increased representation of other equity-deserving groups (30%) on boards and in senior leadership positions across sectors. For the purposes of the Challenge, equity-deserving groups include Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

 

“Who is at the top of the house really matters in terms of setting the tone, leading strategy and shaping organizational culture,” Dr. Cukier said. To date, more than 1,800 organizations have joined the Challenge. As an ecosystem partner, DI provides tools and training to help organizations, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), achieve their goals.

 

Research suggests that diverse and inclusive workplaces perform better. “Given current skills shortages, being able to attract the best and the brightest talent is critical for organizations across sectors, especially for SMEs. If you are not rethinking your recruitment strategies to reach more diverse job seekers, you are fishing in a pretty small pond,” Dr. Cukier said. 

 

Lower turnover and higher employee satisfaction are also associated with more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Not only does EDI help reach and serve increasingly diverse markets, but many customers in the public and private sectors are using a diversity lens in making procurement and funding decisions. There is also evidence that more diverse leadership helps drive innovation and avoid risk.

 

Dr. Cukier set the stage by defining key terms and concepts. Equality was the focus of the civil rights movement—where the struggle was for access to the vote, housing, jobs and facilities, and basic human dignity. In contrast, Canada’s 1986 employment equity legislation defined “designated groups” as “women,” “visible minorities,” “Aboriginal peoples” and “persons with disabilities” who face historic disadvantage and oppression. Increasingly there is recognition of the importance of addressing the needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as well. Rather than just treating them equally, they merit additional supports and consideration to “level the playing field,” Dr. Cukier said. While the language has evolved, the principle still applies. 

 

While diversity refers to demographic differences and the representation of these groups—for instance, the percentage of women on boards or racialized people in senior leadership—inclusion refers to a sense of belonging where employees feel valued, respected and that they are able to bring their whole selves into the workplace. 

 

More than ever, SMEs recognize the importance of EDI in the workplace, Dr. Cukier said. However, they often lack the human resources capabilities, training and networks to find, develop and retain diverse talent on their own. This is particularly pressing as organizations of all sizes struggle to recruit skilled employees.

 

Dr. Cukier highlighted resources designed to help SMEs meet their goals, and explained how leaders can use their influence to embed EDI within larger business strategies.

 

The What Works Toolkit  was developed to support signatories and is hosted online by DI. Organizations can use the toolkit to map their 50 – 30 Challenge journey and develop anti-racism, anti-harassment and inclusive workplace strategies—all at no cost. Research conducted by DI, the Environics Institute and the Future Skills Centre on discrimination in the workplace emphasizes the importance of such strategies. For instance, two in five racialized employees experience race-based discrimination in the workplace. This increases to one in two for Black employees.

 

“Whether you are big or small, embedding equity, diversity and inclusion in your larger business strategy is the way to go,” Dr. Cukier said. She discussed how DI’s Diversity Assessment Tool (DAT) can help companies examine existing policies and practices, and develop their own strategies. The DAT is being piloted by more than 120 SMEs across Canada.

 

Many resources are available for organizations looking to recruit and retain diverse talent, Dr. Cukier said. The Discover Ability Network, for example, is a portal powered by Magnet that connects job seekers with disabilities with meaningful employment opportunities, and employers with resources that foster inclusive and accessible work environments

 

“Inclusion is not something that is being demanded just because of a current focus on social justice. It is something that will drive innovation and growth,” she said.

An Afternoon Tea with 8th Cohort

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

As the saying goes, “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher”- Oprah Winfrey

Recently, on a sunny afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, mentees of the 8th Cohort of the Board Mentoring Scheme had the opportunity to connect with two established corporate board members namely Datin Teh Ija Jalil and Chye Neo Chong, as special guests over tea and scones. 

 

The special guests shared views and experiences on both personal and professional basis.

The key messages to take away from Chye Neo are as follows:
1. Do your homework on the type of industry and 

   boards you wish to join.
2.Do enquire from others on the culture, level of 

   governance and the board members profiles.
3. Go in with the view that you are there to contribute 

    and to enjoy your boardroom experiences

The key messages to take away from Datin Teh Ija are as follows:
1.  Always be prepared for meetings
2. Continuous learning is key in today’s changing 

    environment
3. Acquire new knowledge on Sustainability topics, for 

    instance
4. Respect all views and ensure views are minuted; 

    be it consenting or dissenting

“Overall, you want to achieve a collegiate atmosphere with a consensus view after a full debate that prioritises the company and key stakeholders’ interests.”

Finally, Norlela Baharudin MIA,FCPA Aust,ICDM,TEFL, the Board Mentoring Manager, as well as Tian Pouw TP Pun Steering Committee member, thanked the two guests for their endless support, being both past and future mentors to the 30% Club Malaysia Board Mentoring Scheme and for being part of this first of such event.

The mentees had not only benefited valuable networking but also shared learnings and career path growth as part of their Mentoring journey. 

NEW: 30% Club Podcast – Episode 2 featuring Penny James & Nimesh Patel

Posted on by Aba Wilson-Sam

More episodes coming soon!
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Coming Soon: 30% Club Podcast

Stay tuned for the new 30% Club podcast, exclusively hosted by Ann Cairns, Chair of 30% Club and Executive Vice Chair of Mastercard. She’ll be meeting some of the leading women.

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October 11, 2021 No Comments

The Power Of Intention: Board Diversity Best Practices Realized

Posted on by 30club-Canada

Canadian Western Bank and the 30% Club recently hosted a session with the Diversity Institute focused on The Power Of Intention: Board Diversity Best Practices Realized.

 

The conversation featured a welcome and presentation from Wendy Cukier, who leads the Diversity Institute which is an ecosystem partner supporting implementation of the The 50 – 30 Challenge. The Challenge focuses on advancing gender parity (50%) and increased diversity in boards and/or senior leadership. DI research has underscored the importance of the Challenge in addressing the continued underrepresentation of women and non binary people, Indigenous peoples, racialized  people, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in Canada’s board rooms. 

 

Rahul Bhardwaj, Gay Mitchell, Dr. Marie Delorme, and Ian Reid.

 

The session highlighted the experience of Canadian Western Bank (CWB) which in early 200 made the decision to diversify their board representation. Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors, moderated a fireside chat with CWB Board Directors to dive into the processes that they employed, advice for other boards and companies looking to be more inclusive, and the power of intention when adding diverse Board representation.

 

Gay Mitchell joined the CWB Board in 2019. While the CWB Board had nearly reached gender parity by that time, Mitchell recognized that it did not sufficiently mirror Canadian society. To realize their goal of being the best bank for business customers in Canada, the Board determined it needed to better reflect the diversity of its customers. For the first time ever, it engaged an external search firm to recruit new members.

 

“We looked around the table and we said, “We don’t know who we don’t know,” CWB Board Director Ian Reid explained. “We recognized that we had to look outside of our comfort and outside of our network to find people that looked like our target customers.”

 

Mitchell stressed that it was important to be very clear, thoughtful, and deliberate when defining the mandate for the search firm. The Board had a number of subsequent conversations with the search firm to ensure that their initial findings were representative of that mandate, part of which was to drive greater diversity.

 

Dr. Marie Delorme was recruited for the CWB Board through this process. For Dr. Delorme, CWB’s use of a search firm was notable, as that is best practice when looking to cast a wider net during recruitment.

 

Dr. Delorme was clear that she did not want to be the “diversity candidate.” Their concerns were alleviated by a recruitment and onboarding process that they found to be comprehensive, professional, respectful, and candid. Dr. Delorme was invited to attend two board meetings throughout the recruitment process, which allowed them to get a sense of the culture and get to know the people. Their onboarding was thorough, consisting of over a dozen orientation sessions with other Board members and senior leadership.

 

From the start, Dr. Delorme felt welcome and included—not only invited to the party but also asked to dance.

 

Learn more

 

If you were unable to attend this discussion live, you can watch it now on demand to hear more about Canadian Western Bank’s efforts to create a more representative board.

 

To stay apprised of the latest research and programming out of the Diversity Institute, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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