I’d like to highlight four individuals who are making a real difference in the world today through their words, actions and commitments.
- Annabelle Williams, Order of Australia (OAM), Paralympian, lawyer and advocate is creating better organizations focused on empathy and kindness. She encourages others to “see who you can carry up the stairs.”
- Theresa Harrison, EY’s Environmental, Social and Governance Procurement Leader, drives our efforts to create opportunities for diverse suppliers around the world to join EY’s supply chain or other multi-national corporations. She implores, “don’t wait for opportunities. Make them. Bring others with you.”
- Dr. Kiran Mamzudar-Shaw’s unfailing courage to view society as it should be and not be limited by the stereotypes of today leads her to develop new and innovative health solutions for women and other vulnerable groups. She believes, “innovation is about both doing different things as well as doing things differently.”
- Trent Henry, EY’s Global Vice Chair of Talent, demonstrates how to speak for the voices that aren’t being heard by being a reliable, trusted ally through active listening, seeking different perspectives and acting when action is needed.
Each of these role models — and so many like them — are propelling policies, programs and initiatives that foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. Importantly, they bolster those big-picture efforts with simple yet deliberate actions and choices. This critical balance is what we need most of all.
We’ve long known that organizations with policies allowing and encouraging flexibility, as well as alternatives to traditional career paths, are better able to retain women. For years, the Scully effect (the increased interest of young women and girls in STEM in the 1990s as a result of the female X-Files character, Scully, a medical doctor and scientist) has reinforced that when we generate greater visibility of female role models in STEM fields, we can cultivate change. At EY, we’ve built on those findings with intention, developing programs and a global ecosystem of women entrepreneurs, women leaders and next-gen female talent.