Women are now leaving the workforce at four times the rate of men. What needs to be done to alleviate this? Who was your mentor and what are you now doing to send the elevator back down?
The pandemic’s effects on women are extremely concerning. To continue progressing on the gender equality front, we must listen to what women need within the workplace and from their employers, whether that’s gender pay parity, childcare assistance, flexible work accommodations or career coaching.
Personally, as a senior leader who is also a woman of color, I’m passionate about DEI. Most recently, I became an executive sponsor of Reckitt’s ERGs, one of which is dedicated to women. Creating change on an individual level is also incredibly powerful, so I carve out time each week to make myself readily available to women and people of color looking for advice, encouragement and feedback.
What is your golden rule at work?
My golden rule is to lead fearlessly while striving to create a supportive environment, where we all can be creative and ambitious to reach success together.
How have you coped with the unique challenges of the past 12 months?
There has been immense loss and grief this past year and an abundance of unexpected business challenges, but I couldn’t be more grateful for my team. Because of their commitment and our collective strength, Reckitt is now one of Forbes 2021 America’s Best Large Employers to work for.
While there is still a lot to overcome, I’m hopeful and optimistic for the future. We’ve had so many exciting firsts in 2020, so it feels like we’re only getting started.
What are the first things you plan to do when the pandemic ends?
I’m looking forward to giving my friends and family a giant hug. We’ve spent so much time worrying about the health and wellbeing of our loved ones, so it will be such a relief to let all the anxiety go.
From the August 01, 2021 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
