IWD: Q&A with the Senior Management Team

"March 8th, though just 0.3% of the year, gives us a dedicated time to pause and talk about what we will do to change in order to gain equality faster. The world is in a crisis now in multiple areas, from climate change to wars, and we need ALL people of ALL genders to have the ability to engage, lead, and make an impact." Sheri Hickok, CEO

"As a society, we are failing to consistently include women in an equitable way and if we continue to fail in promoting that voice and providing a platform for women to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face, e.g. climate change, we will not find optimized, fully represented solutions. International Women's Day serves as a sharp reminder of how far we still have to go to achieve equality and should be an opportunity to refocus and find an inclusive way forward." Eric Bennett, Chief Commercial Officer

"In some places women don't have a voice, so a day like International Women's Day is a chance for those who are in a position to do so to advocate for these women, put forward the case for opportunities and messages around the importance and power of equity, highlighting why it's not just the right thing to do but also the best." Rachael Nutter, Global Director, Project Development

"I think it's both a top-down and bottom-up issue. Top-down, decision-makers are still predominantly male and while we're seeing incremental change in this area, alongside some strong male allies, there is still a long way to go. Bottom-up, it's about ensuring that women at any stage in their career have strong role models, support, and pathways to these types of roles." ShanMae Teo, Chief Financial Officer

"There seems to be an institutionalized trend that means men’s voices get heard more clearly. But I’m hopeful that in the next ten years, we’ll see more and more women who’ve been working successfully in businesses and NGOs rising to the top. It doesn’t cross the mind of my daughter and her friends that they won’t have equal opportunity to do whatever they want, and they are a formidable group of talented, insightful young women who have really found their voice." Rebecca Fay, Chief Marketing Officer

"Any time men see an opportunity to work with people who bring new perspectives they should take it - groups that have different experiences, skills, vision, and passion for change. There needs to be open-mindedness and an understanding that not one person has all the answers; diversity brings the best ideas. Respect is crucial in understanding and learning about people's different lived experiences, recognising that not everyone is starting in the same position." Jonathan Shopley, Managing Director, External Affairs

"I think more men need to be proud to be feminist and willing to call out behaviour that does not recognise women equally. And I don’t mean things like obvious harassment or discrimination, I mean small things that may be considered petty – when you’re in a meeting and a woman speaks but a louder man speaks over her. Or, even worse, when a man repeats what the woman just said but everyone pays more attention." Rebecca Fay, Chief Marketing Officer

"It's crucial that men proactively listen to women to learn about and understand the different experiences men and women have. Men have an opportunity to use their voices to advocate for positive change - calling out behaviour that perpetuates gender inequality and challenging unconscious bias and stereotypes." Eric Bennett, Chief Commercial Officer

"I've recently come back from visiting a bamboo planting project we're involved with in Asia, which is actively trying to get women involved in non-traditional roles. They had women-led nurseries focused on seedling work and many women had taken on roles in the factory -traditionally a male-dominated place. These roles are providing safe working environments and providing women with an income source. I also saw the voice women had in community decision-making and how influential their views are when determining how a community engages with a project." Rachael Nutter, Global Director of Project Development

"Don't let self-doubt take over and limit you from achieving. I try to have a good circle around me of people who can help me get perspective - whether that's to work through self-limiting thoughts, provide candid advice, or see things from a new angle. It's important to reframe our view on areas where we need to make improvements, not seeing this as a failing or negative reflection on ourselves but as an aspiration and goal to work towards." ShanMae Teo, Chief Financial Officer

"The advice I would give to the girls/women of today is built on many incremental coaching moments that I have received, and I hear other women discuss too often these days and that is 'Kick imposter syndrome to the curb. Kill the words from your vocabulary.' Everyone feels scared at times, stretched in a role, unsure how to do something, but look around you, others have figured it out and I know you can too. Just take one step at a time and keep moving forward." Sheri Hickok, CEO

"As a starting point, they are just over half the population of the planet so why would we not involve women in finding solutions? It's important to remember that, in many parts of the world women are the ones looking after the family, cooking and getting access to water - the resources that control energy consumption. Women have the knowledge to influence the best use of money for climate adaptation and finding energy-efficient solutions." Rachael Nutter, Global Director, Project Development

"An inclusive approach leads to success. If you're designing a climate solution without understanding the impact of it on those on the front line of climate change, which is populated by women, then you won't create the best solutions. The voices of those most impacted need to be heard and empowered in sharing ideas, thoughts, and solutions." Jonathan Shopley, Managing Director External Affairs

"Really, for me, women need to be involved because this is a global problem and we need everyone involved, delivering solutionsthat work for their specific circumstances, and go beyond the pretty poorprogress we’re getting from governments." Rebecca Fay, Chief Marketing Officer