Category: Community

Building and championing Canada’s diversity story in tech

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

Salim Teja’s long career in tech has touched every part of the ecosystem, from entrepreneur, to investor, to corporate innovator. In his current role of President, Venture Services, at MaRS, he’s not only championing Canada’s tech ecosystem, he’s helping to guide it towards greater diversity — with initiatives in research, representation, and funding.

By Hailey Eisen

 

 

For the past twenty years, Salim Teja has been fully embedded in the technology world, first as an entrepreneur, then a venture investor, then a corporate innovator, and finally as an ecosystem builder. His career began in the late 1990s when upon graduating from Western University, he moved to the Bay Area in California and launched an internet venture that brought him great success.  

 

Drawing upon his experience at the helm of a start-up and using it to launch a career in the tech sector, Salim says he’s been fortunate to touch so many aspects of the innovation space over the past few decades. In his role as President, Ventures Services with MaRS, he and his team’s work influences more than 1,000 start-ups.  

 

“One of our biggest areas of focus is getting Toronto on the map globally,” says Salim, who grew up in Edmonton. “We’re out there championing the Canadian story to investors and corporate talent, because Canada is starting to catch the attention of the world, and we have to capitalize on that for our entrepreneurs.” 

 

A big part of the Toronto story is diversity, something that’s top of mind for the past and present leadership at MaRS. “Putting aside the fact that focusing on diversity is morally the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense,” Salim says. For start-ups, he points to leveraging diversity internally as one of the best ways to ensure the products and services they’re producing are relevant to diverse markets. Diverse teams tend to bring about more diverse thoughts, ideas, and opinions, which means more informed decision-making. 

 

One of the areas in which MaRS is working to be an active community leader is around the stewardship of research. Salim says there’s great power in data to drive the diversity conversation forward. “I think one challenge we’ve seen is that much of the conversation still tends to be anecdotal, and it will take time to develop the strategies and solutions we need to move to an empirical discussion.” In order to obtain the data needed to drive action, MaRS has partnered with #movethedial, a global movement to increase the participation and leadership of all women in tech, to produce an annual, “Where’s The Dial Now?” report that examines the state of women in the tech and innovation community in Canada.

 

“We’re looking at how companies are thinking about diversity and the challenges that come with trying to implement change,” he says. “We want to know how big the problem is, and how we measure the solutions.”  To help support this, MaRS undertook a research project to work with companies across the Toronto tech sector to shed light on the challenges companies face in attracting, hiring and retaining diverse talent, and to provide data on how workers feel about the state of diversity, inclusion and belonging in their workplaces. The key insights of this research has been published publicly in the Tech For All: Breaking Barriers In Toronto’s Innovation Community  report.

 

 

 

“We’re looking at how companies are thinking about diversity and the challenges that come with trying to implement change. We want to know how big the problem is, and how we measure the solution.”

 

 

 

As a community hub that hosts hundreds of events, MaRS has also committed to the mandate that every single event have diverse representation, from the agenda to the tone of conversations. “Even the little things can be really important in setting the tone of diversity,” Salim says. MaRS also supports external events including Elevate and Collision, with a focus on D&I and how the MaRS community can contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way. 

 

Community-building is a big part of Salim’s mandate as well, including the work he does with the Tech and Innovation Advisory Council for Tech4SickKids. As Co-chair of the initiative, Salim says this is the perfect opportunity for technology and innovation to become part of the pediatric healthcare story. 

 

Innovation has historically been a male-dominated industry and the investors who fund innovative start-ups have also typically been male. “In the last five years I’ve seen a big shift in the innovation space, with a focus on the opportunities to get more women involved in these organizations at the team, leadership, board, and investor level.” The conversation has certainly begun to take shape, and the next step is walking the walk, he says. “This isn’t something we’ll solve in six months, but will require sustained conversation over the next five to 20 years, not just in the tech space, but in every industry.” 

 

MaRS has focused on this through the creation of StandUp Ventures, a venture capital fund for seed-stage technology companies with at least one woman in a C-level leadership position and an equitable amount of ownership, powered by the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund and led by Michelle McBane. 

 

Taking these conversations and putting them into action through meaningful programs is where MaRS’ focus lies. Take “The Women in Cleantech Challenge,” for example, jointly supported by MaRS and Natural Resources Canada. The program set out to find the country’s most promising cleantech entrepreneur, drawing attention to the women across the country taking a typically male-dominated industry by storm. The program received 150 applications for a chance to win a $1-million grand prize. 

 

Beyond all of these external programs supported by MaRS, Salim says that internally MaRS is on their own inclusion journey as well. “We’ve set up our own DIBs (diversity, inclusion and belonging) council and continue to challenge ourselves in terms of how we’re doing as an organization and as a leadership group, and what we can do to walk the walk in the way we run our organization. As one of the world’s largest innovation hubs helping entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses, we want to ensure that MaRS is setting a good example.” 

 

After 6 years at MaRS, Salim will be moving on to a new career opportunity this spring. “I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished at MaRS as a team and organization.  We have strong leadership — past and present — and a commitment to continue to build upon our momentum in the ecosystem. The world is watching us as our tech scene in Canada takes off and MaRS will play a big role in helping to show the world what an inclusive industry can look like.”

 

 

 

What is the role of men in gender equality? Over the next year, the 30% Club Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to explore this question. We’ll be sharing the stories of allies — men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we’re going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.

How a physics professor is helping to get more women’s voices into Canadian media

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

Having spent 16 years as a physics professor at Simon Fraser University, Dugan O’Neil was well aware of the underrepresentation of women in academia — and was working to change it. His recent involvement with Informed Opinions, an organization committed to amplifying women’s voices in the media, is helping to end underrepresentation on an even broader scale.

 

By Hailey Eisen

 

 

Women currently make up just 29% of all voices quoted in the media. These numbers reflect a mere 7% shift in the past two decades, and we still have a long way to go. Informed Opinions, a Canadian non-profit organization founded by Shari Graydon, is committed to amplifying the voices of women in the media — and they’re committed to achieving gender balance by 2025.

 

It’s a lofty goal, and one that has already taken the combined efforts of many. Including a physics professor from Simon Fraser University (SFU), Dugan O’Neil. 

 

His involvement began in 2017, shortly after leaving his post as Chief Science Officer with Compute Canada, an organization that accelerates research and innovation by providing advanced research computing (ARC) services and infrastructure for Canadian researchers and their collaborators. He had been named Associate Vice-President, Research at SFU, overseeing academic leadership in, and administration of, research and other scholarly activities for the university. 

 

“I had worked closely with Kelly Nolan at Compute Canada; she was now working with Informed Opinions, and she told me about their desire to track women’s voices in the media, in real-time,” he recalls. The project seemed doable from a high-performance computing perspective and peaked Dugan’s interest. “I’ve always lived my life with a firm belief of equality, and this would be an opportunity to actively support those beliefs.” 

 

He took the proposal back to SFU in search of a researcher who would champion the project and push it forward. “Maite Taboada, a professor in the Department of Linguistics and the Director of the Discourse Processing Lab, stepped forward with an interest in taking this on,” Dugan recalls. 

 

The project began in earnest in early 2018 and was officially launched in February 2019 at an Ottawa eventfeaturing The Honorable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, and Dr. Joy Johnson, Vice President, Research and International, Simon Fraser University, and sponsored by 30% Club Canada and 30% Club members, Osler and Teck. The resulting tool, The Informed Opinions’ Gender Gap Tracker, was developed by the university’s big data technical team, the Discourse Processing Lab, and is hosted by SFU’s Research Computing Group. It measures the ratio of female to male sources quoted in online news coverage across some of Canada’s most influential national news outlets, and provides the real-time results which are showcased on the website.

 

“I set things in motion and then stepped back — but in the meantime, I was asked to join the Informed Opinions board and I became the Gender Gap Tracker guy.” It’s an unofficial title Dugan wears with pride. “The tracker’s primary purpose is to measure what gender representation looks like in the media,” Dugan explains. “If you don’t know how you’re doing, you’ll never know if you’re improving.”  

 

Along with tracking data, Informed Opinions works to motivate and train women experts to make their ideas more accessible to a broader audience, offering dynamic and interactive workshops, presentations, and professional editing support. They’ve also developed adatabaseof expert women who are available for inquiries from journalists, producers, conference planners, recruiters and research collaborators.

 

 

“We are working to move the needle even further — our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts are tackling everything from the pipeline to pay equity, and are guided by open dialogue.”

 

 

The database currently features a range of expertise covering almost every industry and profession with more than 900 women represented. Going forward the organization is working to grow this database, encouraging women who have the capacity to add value through written commentary and media interviews to add their name. They’re also looking for nominations of women who would make great contributors, and encouraging others to leverage the database to find expert speakers for events, research and communications. For journalists, the hashtag #HerInformedOps can also be used to get leads for expert sources.

 

“This is the most coherent and complete approach I’ve seen so far to tackling this issue,” says Dugan. 

 

From an academic perspective, he can see why the work of Informed Opinions is so important — and it’s aligned with the university’s own mission of knowledge mobilization. “SFU employs experts, many of whom will be engaging with media to mobilize the knowledge they produce,” he says. “We are also an organization that trains the next generation of experts, who need these positive role models.”

 

Having spent most of his career in the world of computing and physics, he’s no stranger to the underrepresentation of women. SFU is committed to attracting more young women to the department — beginning with elementary and high school outreach programs. “We all want to see change, but have a limited pool of applicants to choose from,” he says. “That’s why our approach is to reach out to girls before they get to us and give them an opportunity to explore physics.” 

 

Dugan is also aware of the need for increased gender parity in research and academics overall. “At SFU, 28% of full time Professors are female, 37% of Associate Professors are female, and 48% of Assistant Professors are female,” he says, noting the trend is moving in the right direction. “We are working to move the needle even further — our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts are tackling everything from the pipeline to pay equity, and are guided by open dialogue.” 

 

Dugan’s own portfolio includes creating and implementing an EDI action plan for externally funded research chairs and awards, including the Canada Research Chairs. “A big part of this plan is centred on data and information sharing, transparency in how positions are allocated, hiring processes, and the like. It represents a big change in the way we work.” 

 

And his work is continuing with Informed Opinions — which is beginning to have an impact. In the two months since the launch of the Gender Gap Tracker, the ratio of women’s voices in Canadian media has reflected brief spikes of improvement. Several of the news media being monitored have invited Shari into their newsrooms, and committed to tracking their own performance. Some are also are actively seeking to diversify their sources by calling on experts featured in the project’s database. 

 

But public engagement is critical. News media play an important role in setting agendas, shaping public conversations and the policies they influence. So Informed Opinions, as well as Dugan and the team of SFU researchers who created and continue to refine the digital tool, are working to draw attention to the data and its implications through public presentations and media engagement. The goal is to encourage news consumers who believe in the importance of gender equity to visit the Gender Gap Tracker, notice the persistent gap, and contact the news outlets they rely on to track the gender of their sources in pursuit of more democratic public conversations.

 

 

 

We need more women’s voices in Canadian media — why not yours? It’s simple to add your name to the database, or nominate an expert. And as a consumer, you can make a difference by sending a message to media outlets, challenging them to do better. Organizations like Informed Opinions as well as 30% Club Canada — who supported this story as part of the men champions of change series — know that change is possible, if we all do our part. 

How a male-dominated organization is creating a culture of inclusion and moving towards a more diverse workforce

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

The journey towards a diverse and inclusive workplace can be long and difficult — especially in an industry that’s overwhelmingly male-dominated — but David Pathe, President and CEO of Canadian resource company Sherritt International, knows that the benefits still outweigh the challenges. Here’s how his organization is making change.

 

By Hailey Eisen

 

 

When 85 per cent of your workforce is comprised of men, in an industry that’s almost completely male-dominated, making the decision to shift toward a more inclusive culture will naturally pose some challenges. Pair that with an industry plagued with difficult economic times and the challenge becomes even greater. 

 

Despite the obvious roadblocks, David Pathe, President and CEO of Sherritt International — a Canadian resource company with a focus on nickel and cobalt mining, oil and gas exploration and production, and electricity generation — has remained undeterred in his commitment to change. 

 

“Changing culture is a long-term process,” says David, who joined Sherritt in 2007, and became CEO in 2012. “It takes a great deal of effort and commitment by every leader in the organization, and it’s been a tougher and longer road than I thought it would be.” 

 

In an industry that’s long adopted certain ways of thinking, change hasn’t come without some pushback. 

 

“One of our Promises to our key stakeholders, which includes our employees, is a commitment to treating people with respect and being inclusive. Taking a hard position on expected behavior, having difficult conversations and making tough decisions when we witness behaviors that are inconsistent with this promise, is a leadership behavior we expect at Sherritt,” says David. As an organization, he adds, they are committed to creating an environment where all individuals feel safe and comfortable coming to work every day.

 

 

 

“If being a feminist means women and girls should have the same opportunities as men and boys, and treat one another with respect, then I would have thought everyone should be a feminist.”

 

 

 

“In a period when our company, like many others in this industry, has been shrinking rather than growing, it is important to remember that change takes time,” David says. “But we’re doing all we can to ensure we have an inclusive culture, with the right policies and procedures in place and the leadership commitment to support this.” 

 

“It just didn’t make sense to continue doing things the way they’d always been done,” David says. “We were finding that attracting and retaining talent was getting harder and harder, and to be systematically and unconsciously discriminating against an entire portion of the population isn’t logical.” 

 

In 2017, Sherritt worked with Catalyst Canada to deliver unconscious bias training and support in redesigning employee onboarding programs. They also got involved with The International Women in Resource Mentorship Program, which provides women with mentors in senior leadership positions across the industry, and became a member of the 30% Club Canada, a campaign promoting the business case for gender-balanced leadership on boards and in C-Suite positions. 

 

Most recently, David stepped into the role of Co-Chair of the 30% Club Canada Advisory Committee, which he says gives him the opportunity to share his knowledge, experiences, and learnings with other companies ready to make similar changes. He also continues to sit on the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board, showing his support and dedication to creating workplaces that work for everyone.

 

Sherritt is a global company with approximately 4,000 employees working in Western Canada, Toronto, Cuba, and Madagascar, so change has to be made systematically and strategically. Over the past two years, David’s efforts have been very focused. Ensuring all position descriptions accurately reflect the requirements of the job, improved parental leave and employee benefits that promote flexible working arrangements, promoting three women in to VP roles, and adding another female to the board are some of the noticeable results. Sherritt’s multi-year Diversity and Inclusion strategy will continue to evolve as the culture changes, with the short term focus on training, clear leadership accountabilities and measurable KPIs to monitor progress.

 

 

 

“When women come into the organization and they see those role models, on the board and in senior management roles, it gives them something to aspire toward.”

 

 

 

“Having female representation on our board and on our senior leadership team is important for a number of reasons, but internally it sets an example for the rest of the organization and is without question, good for business,” he says. “It starts from the board down. When women come into the organization and they see those role models, on the board and in senior management roles, it gives them something to aspire toward. Also, there’s no shortage of research around diverse groups and their ability to make better decisions.”  

 

As a father of two teenage daughters and one younger son, and the spouse of a successful lawyer, David’s motivation to continue on this journey is personal as well as professional. “If being a feminist means women and girls should have the same opportunities as men and boys, and treat one another with respect, then I would have thought everyone should be a feminist,” he says.  

 

Meanwhile, he’s continuing to lead the charge in this direction, hoping it will not only provide competitive advantage for Sherritt, but also motivation for others to follow suit.

 

 

 

What is the role of men in gender equality? Over the next year, the 30% Club Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to explore this question. We’ll be sharing the stories of allies — men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we’re going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.

Moving from conversation to action: How OMERS is blazing a trail towards diversity and inclusion

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

At OMERS, diversity and inclusion isn’t just a goal on the horizon. Satish Rai, Chief Investment Officer with OMERS, explains how the organization has created a culture that puts respect and support first, with policies and daily actions that reinforce their inclusive message. 

 

By Hailey Eisen

 

 

There’s no shortage of conversations about diversity and inclusion in the corporate world. But, according to Satish Rai, Chief Investment Officer with OMERS, what’s needed now is action. 

 

“I want people to be as excited coming into work Monday morning as they are on Friday about the weekend,” he says. And the way to achieve this, Satish believes, is to create a workplace where everyone’s views and perspectives are respected, where inclusivity is part of the culture, where all voices are heard, and the unique needs of each employee matters.

 

 

 

“I want people to be as excited coming into work Monday morning as they are on Friday about the weekend.”

 

 

 

“This can’t be accomplished through one or two D&I events or conferences,” says the 30-year veteran of the investment sector who joined OMERS — the defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario, and one of the largest institutional investors in Canada — four years ago. “It’s about how you interact with people when you walk down the hallways, when you’re in meetings, when you’re working together. It’s the respect you show, the positive impact you have in small ways, every day.” 

 

From a business perspective, Satish says, D&I is an imperative. “There’s little doubt in my mind that we need to have D&I on a global scale if we are going to hit our business objectives,” he says. This type of diversity should span geography, gender, ethnicity, abilities and perspectives, to name a few. 

 

Personally, Satish says, having a son and a daughter, both in their twenties, provides perspective. “I can’t imagine that a father, or a mother, or anyone for that matter, would want a playing field that wasn’t level. I want my daughter to have the same opportunities as my son, and while their definition of success may be different, they should each be given the unique opportunity to succeed.” 

 

It’s all about eliminating barriers — and that begins with simple actions. At OMERS, this includes creating a culture where talent is what matters and personal obligations and responsibilities are valued, and flexible work options are made available to ensure everyone’s needs are respected. No one should ever feel stressed asking their manager if they can work remotely so they can make it to their kid’s hockey game, says Satish. The same is true for religious obligations, disabilities, and other needs. “To me it’s about a person feeling comfortable — it’s about recognizing differences and being open and adaptable across the organization so everyone feels supported.” 

 

For the past few years, Satish says, OMERS has been on what he calls a terrific journey. “From the top-down, our CEO has really sent a very strong message about the importance of inclusion and diversity to optimizing our performance and culture across the entire organization.” 

 

In looking to achieve gender balance within the investing teams at OMERS, he explains, “we didn’t set a target that 20 per cent or 30 per cent of any particular team should be women. Instead, with all hires and promotions we target 50 per cent gender balance in the interview pool.”

 

 

 

“With all hires and promotions we target 50 per cent gender balance in the interview pool.”

 

 

 

And their efforts go well beyond the hiring and promotion process. “We have always had a deep commitment to inclusion; our plan was inclusive from day one. Moving from intent to conversation, we looked at how inclusion and diversity of thought are important drivers of business success — we wanted to understand how to really move our teams, and the whole organization, forward to benefit both our business and the plan members we support,” says Satish.

 

Reflecting on OMERS progress, he adds, “that most recently, we have entered a stage of action where through experimentation and piloting of techniques such as blind resumes, unconscious bias training, and expanding employee resource groups we are moving the needle in a more concrete way.” Looking at 2019, OMERS strategy looks to further its commitment to inclusion and thought diversity across the full spectrum of people processes. 

 

“The desire for change was there,” Satish says, “and now the tools are in place to pair that desire and intent with action.” A useful tool to leverage is the CEO Blueprint, published by the Canadian Gender and Good Governance Alliance in 2018. Endorsed by leaders across the Canadian business landscape, it provides a step-by-step framework on the components of building a vision, structuring and mobilizing management teams, and focusing on gender diversity initiatives that build a gender-balanced organization.

 

Externally committing $100 million to the RBC Vision Women’s Leadership MSCI Canada Index ETF, supporting the G7 diversity initiative, and joining the 30% Club Canada are just a few of the things OMERS has done most recently to solidify its commitment to D&I. OMERS is also part of an Investor Group convened by the 30% Club Canada in 2017 which launched a Statement of Intent to encourage institutional investors to exercise their ownership rights and proxy voting power to increase gender-balanced leadership on corporate boards and in C-Suite positions in Canada.

 

When asked what his advice would be for anyone looking to advance their career in an open-minded and diversity-focused way, Satish provides two valuable tips. The first: volunteer and give back, not just for the purpose of doing good, but also to open your mind, to look beyond your own industry, and to meet people whose perspectives may be different from your own. Satish has volunteered on hospital and university boards as well as recently joining the board of Toronto Global, which represents the Toronto Region to global companies interested in expanding to the area and connects investors with the right opportunities. “My education is never finished,” Satish says, “I’m always looking to broaden my point of view and expand upon my expertise.”

 

The second piece of advice: brush up on the softer leadership skills such as collaboration, empathy, and understanding. “Those things they don’t teach you in business school are absolutely required at senior levels,” he says. “The best leaders showcase the ability to collaborate, motivate, and inspire — they’re very powerful skills to have.” 

 

As conversation gives way to increased action in the corporate world, those who succeed will have the skills needed to lead diverse and inclusive organizations. “There’s a massive prize to be won on numerous fronts when we move from conversation to action,” says Satish, “and I don’t think our society will tolerate inaction going forward.”

 

 

 

What is the role of men in gender equality? Over the next year, the 30% Club Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to explore this question. We’ll be sharing the stories of allies — men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we’re going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.

How Allen Lau, CEO & co-founder of Wattpad, built a majority-women, diverse and inclusive tech company

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

In the often male-dominated tech industry, it’s rare to find a company with a good representation of women. At Wattpad, women are the majority, visible and in positions of power at every level. Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO, looks to his employees for guidance and diverse perspectives on what’s needed for an inclusive environment, and wholly commits the company to achieving that goal.

 

 

By Hailey Eisen

 

 
 

 

“I am not a woman,” says Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO of Wattpad. “That means, no matter how hard I try to be 100 per cent understanding of the female experience, the only way to really do so is to step back, listen, and learn.”

 

He has no shortage of women to turn to. Allen is at the helm of a tech company — a global, multi-platform entertainment company for stories, to be specific — where women make up the majority of employees.

 

Launching as a mobile reading app in 2006 (before there were smartphones), Wattpad has grown to become the world’s largest community of readers and writers. “With 70 million monthly users, and 4 million content creators — many of whom are female, and come from every single country in the world — it’s essential that our team reflects our user population,” Allen says.

 

But there’s more than a business case driving Allen. “I would say I’m a feminist because I truly believe that I don’t see any difference between men and women in terms of capability and performance,” Allen says. “I’m committed to ensuring every woman on our team is empowered to have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.”

 

 

 

“D&I is not a project. A project implies a start and an end, but D&I is ongoing and never ending — it changes as society changes and as the needs of our employees change.”

 

 

 

That doesn’t happen without effort. Allen and the Wattpad leadership team — 50 per cent of which are women — are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, not only as something that’s talked about company-wide, but more importantly, as something that’s acted upon in very real ways.

 

The stats from Wattpad’s 2018 Diversity and Inclusion survey speak volumes. The company has made sure to not just focus on empowering women, but also taking an intersectional approach to diversity. The report shows that people of colour make up close to half (45%) of all Wattpad employees and 41% of the leadership team. Company-wide, 21% of Wattpad employees are women of colour, 15% are non-native English speakers, 8% identify as having a disability, 13% identify as LGBTQ+, and 3% are transgender.

 

The numbers are impressive, but the company is not resting on its laurels. According to Allen, Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) surveys are conducted annually to help draw attention to the needs of various parties within the organization, zoom in on those most pressing issues, and address them. “D&I is not a project,” Allen says. “A project implies a start and an end, but D&I is ongoing and never ending — it changes as society changes and as the needs of our employees change.”

 

And it starts with recruiting talent. As Allen explains, the Wattpad hiring process has been developed to eliminate unconscious bias and support the company’s commitment to diversity. “For starters, we hide the name on every resume we receive so we’re just looking at the qualifications,” he says.

 

Allen goes on to meet with every potential hire, getting a sense of who they are as people and ensuring they share Wattpad’s inclusive values. “If you think about it, a new employee is about to commit tens of thousands of hours to our company, so it benefits me to spend 35 to 40 minutes with them, to ensure that they share our inclusive values.”

 

 

 

“When something’s not working I can rely on my team to tell me about it, because they know I’ll listen to them — and learn.”

 
 

 

 

In terms of promotion and advancement, Allen strives to have a transparent process, that offers equal opportunity for growth.

 

As a member of the 30% Club Canada, Allen says he’s happy to step forward and showcase his company when it comes to achieving gender parity. “We’re the exception, not the norm, and sharing our experiences to help others is very important to me.”

 

Not only does Wattpad support larger corporate initiatives like the 30% Club Canada, but they also support smaller, grassroots organizations. The company has worked with a variety of intersectional groups, including Women and Colour, Women in Product, and Hexagon US.

 

His advice to organizations that are aiming for the same diverse and inclusive culture? Invest in diversity. It costs money, time, and people resources to make a difference. And remember to stay the course, because it will get easier.

 

“When we started Wattpad, we really had to make a conscious decision to put more focus on gender inclusion and diversity, but now that the ball is rolling, it’s getting easier, it’s already baked into the culture,” Allen says. “Still, when something’s not working I can rely on my team to tell me about it, because they know I’ll listen to them — and learn.”  

 

 

 

What is the role of men in gender equality? Over the next year, the 30% Club Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to explore this question. We’ll be sharing the stories of allies — men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we’re going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.

The Role of Men

Posted on by 30club-Canada

 

Over the last few decades, we’ve made progress towards gender equality in the workplace, and shifted our focus from ‘why’ we should be doing it to ‘how’ it can be done. The path that will most likely lead to success? One that includes men — as leaders, champions, and allies. Here’s why and how we’ll do it.

 

By Hailey Eisen

 

 

 

In 1977, John T. Malloy published a bestselling guide calledThe Woman’s Dress For Success Book.

 

His advice amounted to a feminized version of male office attire — hair above the shoulder, a “man-tailored” blouse, a scarf, a skirt-suit — creating a uniform for women that downplayed their gender in a non-threatening way.We’re like you, but we’re not trying to be you,it said.   

The book opened with a disclaimer that it was not at all sexist, just reflective of the reality of the time. “If women control a substantial hunk of the power structure in ten or fifteen years,” Malloy stated, “I will write a book advising men how to dress in a female-dominated environment.”

 

At least he was optimistic about the speed at which women would be advancing. In reality, it took longer than 10 or 15 years to just shift our focus away from “fixing women” to creating workplaces that work for everyone. But today, we are on that path.

 

In the past few years, we’ve stopped arguing about whether there’s a business case for diversity, and have started talking about gender equality as a business imperative — delivering better problem solving, increased collaboration, greater innovation, better governance and compliance, and overall higher financial performance. Corporations, SMEs, government, investors, and individuals are stepping up to the challenge of reaching economic gender parity. And there are more organizations that are calling for and supporting change, from broad efforts to focused initiatives.

 

“The question is not about ‘if’ or ‘why’ gender balance is important; it’s so much more about how we make it real,” says Louisa Greco, a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company. Passionate about gender balance and sponsorship, she’s also on the Advisory Committee for the30% Club Canada, a campaign with the aspirational goal of 30% of board seats and C-Suite positions to be held by women by 2022.

 

The 30% Club wants to avoid the need for quotas. Instead, they are building a strong foundation of business leaders who are committed to meaningful, sustainable gender balance. If you scroll through their directory of members, some might be surprised to find more men than women. But in this case, it’s a good sign — and necessary for success.

 

“Men lead 95% of the world’s organizations and therefore have the power to make change,” explains Tanya van Biesen, Executive Director of Catalyst Canada. “Not change for change’s sake, but meaningful change that will expand their talent pools, their levels of productivity and innovation, and their contribution to just and fair societies.”

 

And, Tanya says, if you look at gender inequality not as a women’s issue, but as society’s issue, “all of society must take part in making progress.” So the question becomes: How do we encourage more men to get involved?

 

 

 

“Men lead 95% of the world’s organizations and therefore have the power to make change.”

 

 

 

“It does help to frame the issue in a way that promotes the understanding that equality and inclusion are not just ‘women’s issues,’ they are ‘people issues’ and ‘business issues,’” suggests Rahul Bhardwaj, CEO and President of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). “If we start from there, the quality of engagement will be much better.”

 

The ICD mandate is to actively promote the idea that strong boards make strong organizations, and ultimately a better country. Supporting the 30% Club Canada is a logical partnership for the organization, says Rahul, because of the impact diversity can have on board performance, and specifically, innovation.

 

“Canada’s prosperity depends in large part on innovation, and innovation requires new ways of thinking — diverse thinking.” says Rahul. “If your directors aren’t focused on innovation and helping you to think in new ways, your company will be left behind.”

 

Diversity as an enabler of innovation makes a strong business case, but it’s not the only thing that drives Rahul’s support of gender equality. “On a personal level, a strong woman raised me. My mother played a significant role in the community and did so with a lot of grace and courage despite some of the challenges of that time,” explains Rahul. “I’m also a husband and a father of a daughter and I’d like to know that all opportunities for professional growth are available to them, regardless of gender.”

 

These aren’t uncommon outcomes. According to research, having a working mom that acts as a strong female role model changes a man’s perception of gender roles, and having a daughter tends to push men towards more progressive views on gender. 

 

For Spencer Lanthier, it is a matter a fairness. He’s the Former Chairman and CEO of KPMG, as well as the Founding Chair of the 30% Club Canada — although his views might peg that percentage goal even higher. “Women make up half the population,” he says, “so it’s only right that they would make up half the C-Suite roles and board seats.”

 

He came on board in 2015 after being approached by the team of Brenda Trenowden, the organization’s Global Chair. Spencer saw the 30% Club campaign “as a way to heighten awareness of the issue as well as to bring about change in a measurable manner, allowing organizations to do the right thing and experience the benefits that come with gender balanced leadership.”

 

 

 

“It’s a simple matter of math — to make gender diversity a core value and drive meaningful, lasting change, men need to be part of the solution.”

 

 

 

Whatever their motivations, leaders and organizations are starting to do the right thing. Looking at TSX-listed companies in Canada, Osler’s 2018 Diversity Disclosure Practices report found that women held 16.4 per cent of board seats in 2018, up from 14.5 per cent the year prior. The stats are even more encouraging for S&P/TSX 60 companies: women held 28.4 per cent of board seats in 2018, as compared to 26 per cent the year prior. These numbers represent progress — but they also show that we still have work to do. Board directors tend to blame a lack of qualified female candidates, but this is an excuse that’s easily proven wrong. 

 

“Women have earned upwards of 60% of university degrees in Canada for the last 30 years,” says Tanya. “These women are well educated, ambitious and engaged, yet they continue to be underutilized and undervalued in the workplace, to the detriment of our economy and society. Women have all of the capabilities and smarts to be successful, alongside men, but our workplaces and our societal expectations are lagging their ambitions.”

 

In 2017, leading not-for-profit organizations focused on research, advocacy and education in the areas of governance and gender diversity joined together to form the Canadian Gender and Good Governance Alliance. The aim of the Alliance was to coordinate and amplify their impact in their efforts to achieve gender parity on boards, in executive positions, and throughout Canadian organizations. They have launched curated best practice tools for boards in the Directors’ Playbook and for organizations in the CEO Blueprint. These serve as guides for today’s leaders to become champions of change — leaders who are mostly men. 

 

Yes, some of these men have far to go before they’ll be convinced to tackle gender equality. But many men are already stepping up as allies and champions, and even as husbands, partners, and fathers, redefining the role of men and creating a more equal playing field for women. 

 

“For sustainable progress, to make gender diversity a core value and drive meaningful, lasting change, men need to be part of the solution,” says Louisa. “And I firmly believe that, together, we’ll all benefit. If we ensure women are successful, men will be more successful, too, and broader business performancewill reflect the positive benefits of this.”

 

 

 

This article is just the beginning. Over the next year, the 30% Club Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to explore the role of men, amplifying our efforts by joining together. We’ll be sharing the stories of allies — men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we’re going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.

MBA scholarship for Malaysian women

Posted on by 30club-Malaysia

30% Club Malaysia and Edinburgh Business School (EBS) The Graduate School of Business Heriot Watt University offers a full MBA scholarship to Malaysian women only.


Co-Founder of 30% Club UK and newly appointed Executive Dean at Edinburgh Business School, Professor Heather Mc Gregor was in Kuala Lumpur to talk about the scholarship and hold a career talk on “Is accumulating human capital more important than building social capital?


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