Today as we celebrate International Women’s Day, I want to take a moment to recognize the many accomplished women I work with on our staff, our Board and across academia, government and business. It is a privilege to work with you on issues that matter to our country.
I also want to take a moment to issue each of us a challenge. 25 years ago, when I began my career in financial services, it was a different time. Too often, I was only the person in the room who could speak from experience about issues of gender and racial diversity. While I was never one to struggle with finding my voice, we’ve all learned that to create strong and effective communities, we simply must put diversity and inclusion at the top of our agenda. For too long, it has been a business imperative and it’s time to take action.
The theme for 2021 International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. Let’s make this year a time where we challenge ourselves and our communities on inclusiveness – in our hiring, our promotions and in providing leadership development opportunities.
Let’s make 2021 a year we can all look back on with great pride.
Sonia Baxendale, President and CEO, Global Risk Institute
