By Sam Bland. The 2023 International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. This theme perfectly encapsulates the necessary action that the world needs to take regarding the conversation of fairness in a world that is stacked against certain demographics, with particular attention to women. Women empowerment is key in both personal and professional spheres to create a society that promotes equality and shines a light on the difference in experiences between the genders when navigating this world.
Success Stories of Women in Business
Recently, more light has been shed on crimes against women. Appallingly, a lot of this is tied to police violence. There is an obvious need for the world to take a step back and reflect on how it treats those most vulnerable to its atrocities. The 2023 International Women’s Day campaign theme is an excellent place to start to encourage people to consider how equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
In order to call out inequality, increasing the visibility of women’s achievements and celebrating women’s empowerment is key. Our all-female team is something that I take great pride in being a part of. We have received numerous industry awards, not only for the business, but for individual team members. Our team have been nominated, finalists and winners of awards for diversity and power. Every member of our small team brings individual skills and qualities to make fds a powerful, diverse and welcoming environment to work in. Because of this, I’d like to spotlight the achievements of my colleagues, particularly founder Jo and CEO Poonam.
Jo Haigh (Chairman and Founder of fds)
Jo is a real trailblazer in the corporate finance industry. Right from fds’ creation in her back bedroom, she has displayed the courage, tenacity and grit necessary to carve her own journey in an overwhelmingly male industry. And she has done so, very successfully. Her career has comprised decades-worth of leadership responsibilities in corporate finance, board support and director-level training.
Poonam Kaur (CEO of fds)
Poonam’s career journey is equally impressive. A qualified account, Poonam was promoted to Managing Director just three years after joining fds. Now, Poonam occupies the role of CEO. She manages this role with unwavering passion whilst being a committed and dedicated mother of four. Poonam is a true example of women having the best of both worlds, in terms of the strength of their capabilities when juggling multiple priorities.
Parting Thoughts
It is imperative that we accelerate women’s equality and further women empowerment. To do this, it must first be recognised that the lack of privilege can considerably impact and hinder the road to success. While a lot of men in this day and age are professionally backing women in business, there is still a lot of work to be done to encourage and recognise women in leadership positions. This International Women’s Day, let’s all take some time to celebrate women’s contributions to professional services and the benefits of gender diversity in business. Women have a lot to offer the world- under-utilising or refusing to recognise their successes or potential would be a mistake for everyone.