At S&P Global, we believe an investment in women is an investment in us all. Some think that we've already invested enough. Some say equality doesn't pay.
The numbers tell a different story.
The leaders I have most admired have heart and compassion – they play the long game and build a coalition. They display unapologetic brilliance and deliver on the bottom line. I would tell you, younger self, that in due time, those who play with kindness, conviction and discipline will ultimately have the support of their team to win, time and again. Worry less about whether or not you fit others' expectations and believe in the value that you bring through your leadership.
As part of a negotiations class I took in business school, I learned about the concept of “enlarging the pie”. A diverse leadership team gives a company its best chance to continuously make the “pie” large enough for everyone to partake. If the pie is large enough, our people will be inspired to drive innovation and we will build a sustainable culture of excellence.
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When I was young, I grew up in a “But, you're a girl” state of the world. I was even told that sports and distance running were a waste of time because no one cares about women's teams – and I would never be good enough, anyway. The funny thing is society has started to change over time – leading us to see more top female executives, athletes, political leaders, and college degree holders. I am a big promoter of telling people to chase their dreams! It is exciting to be in a world where we can stand up for what we believe in and demand change.
Diversity and inclusion have made my career so enjoyable. I've worked with people from all over the world. Workplace statistics have proven that diversity is key to business success: companies that support D&I are 70% more likely to capture new markets and have 1.7x the amount of innovational leaders.* I am so excited to work at S&P Global where matters like supporting women in the workplace are being widely addressed.
*According to Forbes & HBR
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I will tell you, forget trying to think for too long about how you introduce yourself to someone new, how you might come across, whether they'll appreciate your questions, and instead share about yourself – be kind and open-minded and have courage!
Now looking back, I realize that the best way to promote diversity in the workplace is by embracing it and working to build understanding. Getting to know your colleagues on a personal level, regardless of their culture and background, will help you to find common ground, deepen your appreciation of differences, and promote an inclusive and welcoming work environment.
In my current role I continue to learn, be appreciative, and welcome conversations that enable me to find connections with the people I work with. I mandate myself to keep this top of mind in everything I do – and I encourage those around me to do the same.
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Given we all spend so much of our lives at work, make sure you take the opportunity to learn and grow from the diverse range people with whom you'll interact at every stage of your career. It's the ability to value and tap into people's different perspectives, strengths and of course weaknesses that can help you grow as a person and as a leader.
Great teams are not made up of people with the same outlook, philosophy and perspectives. We need to be constructively challenged and learn to value different perspectives. If you're open to change, you'll be better placed to make better decisions in life and of course at work.
I've been blessed by always having strong female role models in every aspect of my life. My hope is that we continue to make progress in creating more equality and diversity in the workplace and society overall. Everyone needs to recognize they role they have to play – regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion – in creating an inclusive playing field, where all views are valued and heard. If we embrace this, everyone will be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
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I started to read through the diaries I kept for the past 12 years and can see how everything happened. So many things brought us to this place. As you start your first page, you won't believe you kept a diary for this long, but I can tell you that it will help you to reflect on your days on a regular basis and move forward.
You will work with brilliant minds from all around the world. You will experience how the industry changes and technology develops. You are very lucky to be where you are. If you don't move forward, you are bound to move backward. Please be open-minded and learn as best as you can.
You will make mistakes and often find yourself wrong. It's okay to fail – the real failure is not trying. Just remember to give 100% once you decide to go for it. Sometimes you learn more from a failure. I can assure you that everything will turn out fine.
Knowing that you will be where I am today thanks to everyone you meet along the way, I promise to try my best to make a positive impact.
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You will learn a valuable lesson in what makes a great leader. Your manager will push you to go for an open position, even though it means she'll be left with a gap to fill if you get the role. When you become a manager you will understand the importance of being selfless and believing in your team. You are going to have the opportunity to manage amazing people who will teach you so much. You will keep the notes they've sent telling you how much they appreciated your leadership, which will remind you on your toughest days that it's going to be OK.
You'll then share what you learned from your managers, both women and men, with your younger self:
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You will learn perhaps the greatest lesson that women should learn in their careers in your very first role – never devalue yourself. If you are smart and willing to work hard, qualified and innovative, you will earn your value. It will be something that you will always struggle with as a young woman starting out, but you will be fortunate to have a strong female mentor who will remind you that you have a right to distinguish yourself. But do it with humility.
You will learn that the greatest people you will ever know are also the most humble. They will be the sagest mentors, the most respected people you will find. The people who help everyone in some way and give credit to everyone around them, and make difficult decisions with humanity.
My greatest professional learning? Stand up for what you believe in, but make the judgment call on when the time is right to take that stand. Learn when is the right time to make things happen, versus when to let things happen.
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You'll get your dream job as an intern in the first company you work for, you'll get to know an incredible team in which you'll be the only woman, and you know what? They'll recognize your professionalism, your hard work, and you'll thrive. Of course, the road will have speed bumps, but most importantly, this is your chance to keep believing in yourself – because at the end of the day, that is all that matters.
You'll have the chance to keep practicing your English at work, interacting with different cultures and people with very different backgrounds. Learn from it all. Don't be afraid to try something new just because you don't know how it's done; always ask. Reach out to the people who you admire and never stop asking questions.
I'm proud to be at a company like S&P Global where women are such a powerful force to keep driving change and inviting ALL to be part of it.
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Remember your friends and family used to tell you, "You're going to work in a corporate office; that's your profile"? You didn't really like that at the time. You always preferred sports and games. But guess what? You love it! You are happy, you are satisfied, you feel challenged and you strive for excellence – as your mom always taught you, "You can always get better." You have a fantastic team, mostly women – they are the most amazing colleagues you can find, as well great people, great souls.
You have a lot to develop, a lot to learn. Just like the old video games: always a new level-up, new skills, new stages. Understand that differences are not a bad thing. They motivate us to meet new ideas, new cultures, new values and expand our knowledge. Embrace different people, different mindsets. Accept critics with resilience, but also give respectful feedback.
Keep going just like that: smile, make (healthy) jokes, meet new people, be a better person. And don't forget: you can always get better.
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In looking back at my often unpredictable journey, I have often asked myself how it was possible. The one common thread through all of the roles I've held over the years is that I was lucky enough to find mentors of great substance. No matter the role I was in at the time, I had people who invested their time to show me things about my personal and professional development that I might have otherwise missed.
Be open to what your next mentor looks like, because they come in all shapes and sizes. Some mentors will expand your technical skills, others will inspire you to take new risks, and others still will help you avoid the mistakes they made themselves. Mentors might well be free, but their collective wisdom can be priceless. Don't miss a chance to build those bridges whenever you can.
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One quick, simple tip: instead of just relying on yourself, trust people. You will encounter managers that will have a decisive impact on your development. They will point you to strange roles that don't look so appealing at first. Trust their judgement. They see things in you and in the organization you cannot see. One day, you will just realize that role was the right move for you because it gave you the opportunity to learn new skills that are now essential to what you do and who you are.
Then you will encounter colleagues, team members. They will help you. They will help you even more if they offer different perspectives. Different perspectives come from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, ages... You may think it is harder to work with people who are not like you. Yes, it is harder at the beginning because both of you have to adjust. And as you do, you put yourself in the other's shoes – which is the secret to success.
Over the years, I have found that 'leadership with passion' is an essential attribute of success. It energizes people around you, leading to great teamwork, performance and results.
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You've always been adaptable – you came to the US, learned the language, figured out how to get through the basics of life in America, how to reach your goals: college, law school, living and working abroad.
You will work in a male-dominated industry – it won't be terribly colorful either. You will be the only person like you in many rooms. You will look to the handful of women ahead of you to see how they handle it. You will learn there is no “right” way to make it work. You'll admire the ones who do it exactly as they please – who are brilliant and unafraid to rock an afro or a leather skirt in the office, who can say, “I'm sorry. I was wrong,” as well as the ones who can build consensus without ruffling a single feather.
Eventually you'll realize it's your job to empower those behind you in the way so many amazing women have done for you. You'll be awed to see those women become mentors themselves, creating your own legacy of diverse women making it a tiny bit better for the next batch.
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My advice is to find something – a project, a cause, an aspect of your work – that you are passionate about and explore it to the fullest. When you show your passion in an authentic and courageous way, people will follow your lead.
Seek new assignments and projects that take you out of your comfort zone; improving your understanding of the bigger picture. We will increasingly rely on people with a wide-lens view who can draw together technological, societal and even geopolitical influences and articulate a single clear vision.
Be particularly enthusiastic about international assignments that challenge you to think in different ways. In a business environment that is increasingly global, having an international perspective is a must for any leadership role. This means understanding different cultures and practices, valuing the importance of a diverse team, and learning a new language. Seize the opportunity and plunge in!
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Life doesn't go according to plan, and I, too, had my share of learnings, struggles and incredible experiences.
You will meet many great people; make each encounter with them count: Conversations with highly-driven colleagues will be edifying. Push-back from tough bosses will offer great learnings. And support from colleagues, mentor and loved ones will help you navigate the peaks and troughs.
Always support diverse ideas and people: You will be leading organizations in an ever-changing world, so ensure you help build a culture that is truly inclusive and collaborative. After all, innovative, disruptive ideas are conceived and take shape when diverse minds converge.
Rapid market shifts and technology advancement will challenge you as a leader. Be agile, and adopt new ideas. Above all, if you want to see a change, you have to be the change yourself.
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Being a middle child is hard enough at home, but couple that with being the only visible minority in school, constantly being told that you should look a certain way, talk a certain way, and hearing, "It's ok, you don't have to try too hard at school – you're a girl, just marry well!" That's what will make you do exactly the opposite of what you're told.
Believe in yourself, in your abilities, and listen to that tiny voice deep in your gut that's telling you they're wrong. Believe you are just as important. Believe it takes just one person to step in a different direction that sets a new course for others like you.
My role here allows my voice to be heard, to guide others finding their way in this world and offering others an opportunity to believe and do good. I believe that my voice, once small, now enables change. This platform will allow you to directly impact others like you who never thought it would be possible to do something others thought was impossible.
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Women CEOs exhibited more positive communication styles at the peak of the pandemic—and during the crisis often expressed empathy, adaptability, accountability, diversity, trust, and anticipation.
S&P Global and AARP conducted research that showed COVID-19 has put parental and family leave policies in the spotlight, and in many ways has helped accelerate the shift of companies adopting leave and more flexible work policies across the U.S. private sector.
A report from S&P Global on gender diversity in the global technology industry features original research charting the progress made and challenges that remain in reaching equality, alongside interviews with women leaders blazing a trail through the sector.
In partnership with S&P Global Foundation, Ashoka has spearheaded a regional study on Advancing Women Social Entrepreneurs in ASEAN to learn and celebrate the work of over 100 women Social entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia.
Women leaders from metals and mining industries share experiences and views on diversity.
According to experts, unless banks put gender balance front and center of their crisis management strategy, the pandemic could be detrimental to the progress made by the sector.
In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, a new report from the S&P Global Market Intelligence Quantamental Research Team examines the performance of firms that have made female appointments to their CEO and CFO positions.
Our latest report on gender diversity in the global energy industry featires original research charting the progress made and challenges that remain in reaching equality, alongside interviews with women leaders blazing a trail through the sector.
Women are an ever-increasing market force as investors. But what do they think about their involvement in the market? S&P Global, in partnership with SurveyMonkey, conducted an 11-country survey that examines aspects of financial preparedness, investment behaviors, and impressions of the stock market between women and men.
Like most elections, the 2018 U.S. midterms served as a modern Rorschach test–people saw whatever story served their purposes and credibly made cases of where they won, where they did not, and what it meant looking ahead for 2020.
What is not up for debate, however, is that women made their indelible imprint on this election.
A dual-pronged effort of increasing entry of and retention of more women to the American workforce represents a substantial opportunity for economic growth–we could add 5%-10% to nominal GDP in just a few decades.
We decided to see what adding more women to the American workforce would mean for an aging bull market in the U.S. and abroad. The results astounded us.
Increasing diversity and boosting the number of women in leadership positions can benefit the commodities sector and the wider economy. How can this be achieved? We ask five successful women for their thoughts.
Thriving economies–growing, sustainable and stable–must also be inclusive economies. At S&P Global and the S&P Global Foundation, we're partnering with organizations focused on helping women gain the essential skills today's economy demands. Learn more about our partners here, and join us in supporting them.
S&P Global is a proud sponsor of a three-year impact assessment of the microfinance sector in the U.S. with Accion and the Opportunity Fund. Together we aim to build a financially inclusive world in which every woman has access to high-quality, affordable financial services.
Closing the Women's Wealth Gap (CWWG) is a national initiative to expand wealth-building opportunities for low income women, women of color, LGBTQ and other economically vulnerable women. CWWG supports a network of more than 400 nonprofit, philanthropic, private and public sector leaders working together to gather and disseminate information about the causes and effects of the women's wealth gap, raise public awareness about why it matters and what can be done about it, and mobilize key stakeholders to advance promising policy and practical solutions.
Read an Interview with our Partner
CIC provides capital and education to entrepreneurs – primarily women and people of color – who have difficulty accessing funding from traditional sources.
Kiva's mission is to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. Kiva works in over 80 countries and serves a range of demographics in underserved and typically financially excluded populations. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, refugees can invest in their communities, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
Read an Interview with our Partner
MicroMentor is a free, easy-to-use social network that allows entrepreneurs and volunteer business mentors to connect so they can solve problems and build businesses together. We empower entrepreneurs to be changemakers and provide mentors with a deeper sense of purpose. Through mentoring we create just and sustainable livelihoods for all.
We work with entrepreneurs (start-ups, small businesses and non-profit leaders) from 200 countries around the world. In the U.S., 46% of our entrepreneurs are women and 61% are underrepresented ethnicities.
Read an Interview with our Partner
The Ms. Foundation for Women's mission is to build women's collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. We seek to achieve that mission by investing in and strengthening the capacity of women-led movements, particularly those led by women and girls of color, to advance meaningful social, cultural and economic change in the lives of all women and girls. We serve thousands of women and women of color across 28 states.
Read an Interview with our Partner
S&P Global partners with New York Women's Foundation to help identify, fund and support organizations and programs that promote economic well-being and independence of women, girls and their families living at or below the poverty level.
S&P Global partners with New York Women's Foundation to help identify, fund and support organizations and programs that promote economic well-being and independence of women, girls and their families living at or below the poverty level.
S&P Global partners with the nonprofit Upwardly Global to help skilled immigrants and refugees overcome employment barriers and join the U.S. workforce.
