Breaking the bias
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day (marked on March 8th each year) celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. This year, the IWD theme is #breakthebias. Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough, action is needed to level the playing field.
To celebrate this year's IWD, we spoke to five inspirational women who are senior leaders from across Sony Europe. We wanted to understand how they got to where they are today, what experiences and mind sets shaped them and what advice they can give to other women who strive to succeed and #breakthebias themselves.
Below are a few excerpts from each account. To read each account in full, please click on the corresponding link below or on the right-hand side.
Let's hear from:
Silke Schild, Director Corporate Communications Europe
Monika Karacsony, Head of Finance Process Governance and Operations
Emma Still, Head of Global Reward CoE
Gabriele Nelles, Sony Group Corporation,R&D Center
Romona Liddiard, Head of Finance and Operations, PSE
Q. Who has inspired you?
Silke: “I take my inspiration from all walks of life and believe there is no limit to what we can learn from others - particularly those individuals, among them many trailblazing women, who continue to break barriers in their respective fields to achieve their passions."
Q. Who has supported/mentored you during your career? How did the relationship come about?
Emma: “Aside from exceptional line managers, I've had the benefit of working with some incredible colleagues in my previous roles, many of whom I've maintained contact with and use as counsel to provide external and impartial advice and support, when required."
Q. Have you come across any challenges or barriers during your career? How did you overcome them?
Emma: “Probably my biggest challenge has been balancing my career with a young family. In 2014, I welcomed twins during the midst of managing a complex global project. Obviously, wanting to spend every precious moment with my new family but not wanting to completely drop the project I had focused all my efforts on, Sony and I agreed that I would work one day per week during the very early days of my maternity leave until I fully retuned from leave."
Q. The theme for IWD is #breakthebias - what can we do (individually and as an organisation) to break down biases?
Monika: “Create a more inclusive environment and culture where everyone can speak up and have a voice, this will encourage them to join and help them be their best."
Q. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
Romona: “Plan ahead before leaving family and friends behind in China and coming to England by yourself!"
Q. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Silke: “Nurture your professional networks with others outside your department - the better you understand the business from other perspectives, the better you'll be able to contribute to its success."
Q. What advice do you have for women looking to grow their career?
Gabriele: “Find out what drives you and go for it! That said, you need to be flexible and adaptable too, as life doesn't always turn out as planned."