As part of Gi Group’s support for International Women’s Day 2019 CEO Bev White explains why true equality is absolutely fundamental to our beliefs.
I have always been a strong advocate of supporting all talent and at Gi Group I am at the helm of a business which recognises the many benefits of all forms of diversity such as creativity, innovation and new ways of working.
Gi Group can point to a worldwide workforce which is 70% female. The company’s ability to attract and retain talented women across the globe is testament to the support it provides – enabling our people to develop, thrive and be the best it can be.
I am particularly passionate about women in leadership. Not just providing the initial opportunity for them to reach senior and influential roles but also ensuring the support is in place for talented individuals to flourish there. We must consider how we build women in leadership positions as role models to help encourage others to reach the same heights.
Latest figures show that almost 29% of FTSE 100 board positions are held by women, with those same firms on track to hit the target of a third of board positions being filled by women by 2020. Yet while significant progress has clearly been made, there is still a long way to go and women remain underrepresented in many businesses.
At Gi Group we are proud of our record, but we must not rest on our laurels and as a business community in general we must not stop progressing until there are genuinely equal opportunities for all.
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 we asked the Gi Group team to tell us about the people that inspire them. We had some fantastic responses from men and women about the strong female role models in their lives, inspirational achievements by women and stories of men who are committed to equality and empowering women to achieve success in whatever they choose. Over the coming days Gi Group will be sharing examples here on our website and across our social media channels.