Doing our part: championing our differences to drive innovation

Over a century ago Marie Curie won her first Nobel Prize for the discovery of radiation. This innovation advanced Curie’s own work pioneering the use of X-rays in medicine to, later, the development of radiation therapy for cancer treatment, and, later yet, the creation of atomic power. Curie has long been regarded as an inspiration for the legacy she left in her field as well as her gender.

However, earlier this year, the World Economic Forum released a report that estimated we may not see a gender equal workplace until 2095 – a staggering 80 years away.  EY’s Women Fast Forward campaign underscores the urgency of our collective efforts to bring gender parity to our global workforce and highlights the ways in which organizations can help speed up this clock. Clearly there is more work to do.

This week, EY announced that 753 of its hardworking, dedicated professionals achieved their goal of becoming partners and I’m proud to be among the 31% of us who are women – an all-time high for our organization and up 33% from last year’s record high. 

My own career has been driven by my interest in bringing quality to audits through investing in relationships with those inside and outside of the firm. I am energized by the impact we have on our clients - and by extension – the broader world. Since Curie’s day, a wealth of evidence tells us that women actively involved in leadership roles will boost performance. As a newly appointed leader, it is my responsibility to ensure that a diverse mix of men and women are working collectively to answer the complex questions our clients face.  Here’s how we can help to ensure more women join the ranks of leadership to not just boost performance, but create a better working world.

Support those that follow

Curie used her fame and her Nobel Prize money to secure investment in new research institutes and laboratories. Here, she focused on mentoring and teaching the next generation, including several female scientists like her Nobel Prize-winning daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, and Marguerite Perey, the first woman elected to the French Académie des Sciences.

Certainly helping and encouraging others to build on successes, mentoring them, sponsoring them, offering them inspiration, training, funding, encouragement and advice, we can not only break down barriers, but take our own work to the next level.

Harness potential                             

Curie’s work started with investigating radiation – specifically X-rays. Her progress may have been sparked by a question like, “How could humanity make use of this untapped power?” This question could equally apply to those parts of society – and the world – that are still under-represented in business, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Champion diversity

Creating a culture that encourages diversity of thought and styles is also essential.  For me, it’s  not only important, but necessary to work in diverse teams. And, this is not just a good idea; our internal research has shown that diverse teams out-innovate and outperform homogenous teams. This is no doubt why this year’s partner class has 33% of partners coming from the emerging markets.

I am proud to work for an organization in which Diversity & Inclusiveness is a core component of its strategy.  It’s not only about our women, but bringing together the right mix of different backgrounds, thinking styles, sexual orientations, abilities, cultures, and ethnicities and then ensuring that these perspectives all have a seat at the table.  So my last thought would be to join, or start, the organization that you see as helping to build the world we want to live in. An organization that takes responsibility for the world around us, an organization that drives innovation and that inspires you to reach new heights continuously in your career.