Capital Blue Cross’ Post

Women’s representation in the pipeline to senior management roles fell by 11% from 54.8% in 2022 to 42.9% in 2023. It is clear that organizations must address existing issues around equity. The answer? Inclusive leadership. Learn more in a new op-ed by Sonja Volpe from BNP Paribas and Paulette Senior, from The Canadian Women's Foundation: https://bit.ly/41JFJ6i

The KPMG US Board Leadership Center and the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) have released their latest report: "Latino representation on Fortune 1000 boards: 2023 Edition." This report highlights the progress being made in Latinx representation on corporate boards, with an increase in board seats from 2.7% in 2019 to 5.0% in 2023 – underscoring the work that still needs to be done.    Read the full report to dive deeper into the findings and gain valuable insights: 

It was a memorable and fun event, and thanks so much to UC Berkeley Haas Master of Financial Engineering Program and Fiona Taft, SHRM-CP for inviting me as one of the panelists to talk to the current female MFE students. I was inspired by the stories of my fellow panelists! The MFE program is consistently ranked the top 3 in the US. Some takeaways from the talk: - Build your network of allies, mentors, and sponsors now. Communicate clearly what you want to do. - Be confident you already know a lot (probably above everyone else in the room) and go for the opportunity given. - How to advocate yourself if you are the only woman in the room? Have allies (male and female) and don’t let anyone else take away your idea or credit. - How to tackle imposter syndrome (which only concerns competence and not self-esteem)? Learn how to externalize losses and internalize wins (i.e. don’t blame yourself for the bad that happened)! Be aware of perfectionism and burnout. - Take good care of your health when you are young. Have quiet times and engage in joyful activities. - Spread your financial knowledge and help improve financial literacy. Talk money more! #womeninfinance #womeninquants #careeradvice

"Black women leaders must bend but not break." This is a statement made during my interviews with prominent Black women leaders. For some, this line may trigger discomfort, as the notion of compromise can be unsettling. However, for seasoned Black women in leadership roles, navigating the intricate labyrinth of authority—with its traps, pitfalls, valleys, and mountains—often requires them to be all things to all people. They have learned the art of adaptation for the greater good. "Bending but not breaking" is not about compromising one's values; rather, it signifies flexibility, the wisdom to choose battles wisely, and the understanding that building and maintaining relationships is crucial for long-term success and longevity in leadership roles. To upcoming Black women leaders, the phrase "bend but not break" may not resonate verbatim, but consider what it means to you: the ability to remain resilient while upholding your integrity, navigating challenges with grace, and fostering connections that empower and elevate your leadership journey.

White Women: If you support Black women in leadership, allies are also welcome to register. If we (white women) want to be part of meaningful change, white women must choose womanhood over whiteness. This requires us (white women) to unlearn what we have been taught about about racial injustice, discrimination, and white supremacy in this country. We must be willing to relearn what it will take to dismantle white supremacy. White women have been part of white supremacy in America since the very beginning, experts point out, dating back to their role in slavery. “They were at the table when the system was designed,” Stephanie Jones-Rogers, a history professor at UC Berkeley and author of the book They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South, told Vox. “They were co-architects of the system.” It’s hard for a lot of white women to read that last paragraph and embrace this reality. White women historically have leveraged their white power and privilege to gain advantage over women of color; leveraging their whiteness was an intentional strategy when one is operating within a predominantly white male patriarchy. Whiteness over womanhood is easy math. Having privilege doesn’t make white women bad people, and acknowledging privilege shouldn’t be a burden. Acknowledging privilege is an opportunity to learn, grow, and be better, so we can create a just, equitable, and inclusive world. Benefiting from privilege doesn’t make you a bad person, but it does require you to use your privilege to interrupt, challenge, and ultimately end white supremacy. We can’t dismantle what we cannot see. We have to be intentional by practicing seeing how racism is baked into systems and how those systems shape and influence the lives of people and communities. We need to put Black women’s voices at the center of our ongoing journey to reeducation in this country. Need some inspiration? Start by exploring these voices: Anna Julia Cooper, Ntozake Shante, Maria W. Stewart, Joan Morgan, Angela Y. Davis, Tressie McMillan Cotton, Mia Birdsong, Claudia Jones, Mikki Kendall, Paula Giddings, Marita Bonner, Nora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry, and Rev. Pauli Murray. This is not an exhaustive list, but a great start. This list was provided by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz, authors of DO THE WORK, An Antiracist Activity Book. https://a.co/d/aq6A6BZ Here is Amazon link for the book, $13.99, small investment with a big payoff.

The best kept secret fow Women Owned Businesses in Government Contracting that women entrerenuers don't know about or how to navigate! Join me as I share the little secrets that will help you win in Government Contracting. #nawbodfw #wlf #alliedscss #wosb #veterans

This is a very interesting and simple explanation of equality and equity.

Throwback to earlier this week. If you look closely at the pic below I'm the balding, slightly out of shape middle-aged white bloke sat front left. What was absolutely brilliant about this event was that, unlike most events I attend, that made me in the minority.   Ridiculous but true. I - most of us? - operate in a male-dominated sector where (and with apologies to the writers of the 'Cheers' theme tune) nearly everybody looks the same. It's fair to say there's been some positive change in terms of sentiment in recent years, but the data still shows there's a massive gender imbalance and the pace of change is glacial.   Change and culture comes from the top. At Palatine we aim to enhance the boards of companies we invest in through equipping them with high quality people and a broad range of skills. Proactively building a diverse board is an obvious way to ensure there are different experiences, skillsets, mindsets, opinions, perspectives and outlooks - and that flexibility of thought can only be of benefit to the wider business and the ongoing development of the people within it.   This event brought together a fantastic group of business leaders; they all just happened to be female. Fundamentally, they are people that others can look up to, be inspired by and also aspire to be. They are successful business people and active role models - and as the father of two daughters I struggle to see how that can't be a good thing. It shows the art of the possible.   For me, this event just reaffirmed my personal view that the current gender imbalance across numerous sectors, but particularly in financial services, is an absolute nonsense. However, with a proactive mindset, flexible thinking and acknowledgement that we're all in a position to do something about it, positive change can be made - which would be of benefit to all gender types.   Thanks to psd group for co-hosting and to all of those who attended and contributed to the discussion. Looking forward to working with some of you soon!

The best kept secret fow Women Owned Businesses in Government Contracting that women entrerenuers don't know about or how to navigate! Join me as I share the little secrets that will help you win in Government Contracting. #nawbodfw #wlf #alliedscss #wosb #veterans

14 Quotes for Women’s Leadership and Growth in 2024 From self-advocacy to authenticity, 14 women leaders across a range of industries share lessons they’ve learned climbing the career ladder. https://ow.ly/OL3630sz29z