Women in Business 2022

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

HOW WOMEN ARE LEADING THE WAY

Shahnaz JamalCheryl Davies

Nira AroraCassandra Curtis

PRESIDENT: Alvin Brouwer

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER ;

VICE-PRESIDENT, GLACIER MEDIA: Kirk LaPointe

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Hayley Woodin DESIGN: Petra Kaksonen

PRODUCTION: Rob Benac

CONTRIBUTORS: Brigitte Petersen, Claire Wilson, Hayley Woodin

SALES MANAGER: Laura Torrance

ADVERTISING SALES: Blair Johnston, Corinne Tkachuk, Chris Wilson

ADMINISTRATOR: Katherine Butler

RESEARCHERS: Anna Liczmanska, Albert van Santvoort

Women in Business 2022 is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 303 Fifth Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1J6, 604-688-2398, fax 604-688-1963, biv.com

Copyright 2022 Business in Vancouver Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of BIV Magazines. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication. ISSN 1205-5662

No.: 40069240.

No.: 8876.

Canadian addresses to Circulation Department: 303 Fifth Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1J6 Email: subscribe@biv.com

Cover photo by Getty Images/ Kristine Cofsky

COLUMN

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

For this issue of Women in Business , we took a look at several industries that have, traditionally, had low levels of female representation and weak overall diversity. Our goal in doing so was two-fold.

First, we wanted to examine whether these industries have become more inclusive, and to what exent they were still dominated by men.

Second, we were keen to highlight the stories, experiences and efforts of women who are in fact leading business and leading change in some of these fields.

It is undeniable that progress has been made. But it is also true that many parts of B.C.’s economy – many parts of our global economy – lack inclusivity, and are largely inhospitable for women.

This is a massive economic problem. At the time of writing, labour is a top issue for businesses, and labour challenges are expected to persist

throughout the remainder of 2022. Statistics Canada estimates that there are close to one million jobs across the country that are waiting to be filled, at the same time that national unemployment has fallen from its pandemic peak.

Needless to say, it’s a tight labour market. Employers have responded by offering higher salaries to attract and retain staff, according to Robert Half Canada. They are also offering incentives and perks: Flex time, remote work options and wellness programs among them.

These tools work; the question is whether employers – including small businesses – can pay enough to attract employees while also paying more for virtually everything else.

And while it matters, pay isn’t everything. In the pages ahead, you will see how culture has a big role to play in talent acquisition. It has an important role to play, too, in diversity efforts.

Women account for roughly half of our workforce, yet are grossly underrepresented in some of our biggest sectors, including technology, resources and construction. In industries that have more balance – such as hospitality –women are largely absent from leadership and executive teams.

As one of the experts I spoke with for this magazine put it, women take offramps out of certain careers because they aren’t supported, they struggle to advance, they face harassment or their work doesn’t support their ambitions in other areas of life. And so they leave.

For industries that aren’t welcoming to women – or aren’t seen to be welcoming and inclusive – this should be a call to action. It is hard enough to hire, and even harder if you’re drawing from a half-empty labour pool.

Hayley Woodin Executive editor, Business in Vancouver

BUILDING A WAY FORWARD

GETTY IMAGES/RON LEVINE

BRIGITTE PETERSEN

When Lisa Stevens began her music business career in New York City years ago, she started from scratch. Armed with an economics degree, she worked her way up from a clerical position to senior vice-president of marketing at Sony Music and other executive positions.

Now chief strategy officer at the BC Construction Association (BCCA), Stevens says her career in marketing and business development led her to construction.

“In every position, I’ve had to continue to learn to trust my instincts and the value of my contribution, to speak up not only with my ideas, but in asking for what I need to be successful,” she says.

It’s a familiar story for many women who enter construction through human resources and marketing where – after proving their worth and gaining experience – they move up to higher-level positions, according to Stevens. But getting hired and advancing in the industry continues to be a challenge.

“In terms of diversity, construction lags behind most industries,” says Stevens.

There are many career opportunities, programs and supportive groups for women including the Builders Code, the Skilled Trades Employment Program and the BC Tradeswomen Society. Stevens says the barriers that persist are often employer-specific.

“You can quite easily find employers who are focused on positive work culture and prioritize diversity,” she says.

The Builders Code is helping to move the needle in a positive direction, according to Stevens. Started as a pilot in 2018, the goal is to increase the total number of skilled tradeswomen – now at six per cent – to 10 per cent by 2030. The code encourages companies to sign acceptable worksite pledges and establish workplace policies to stop bullying and harassment. In 2019, the BCCA and code partners launched a Don’t Be a Tool campaign to address bullying, hazing and harassment. More than 300 employers have signed up and are following the code.

“I do think that we’ll meet the target. We saw a 30 per cent increase in women in trades just before COVID, and though we’ve had a bit of a hit from that, I think we’ll bounce back strong,”

Lisa Stevens, chief strategy officer of the BC Construction Association, has had to learn to speak up – for her ideas and for herself – in order to be successful in business

says Stevens.

To advance, women should look for opportunities to join boards and committees, according to Stevens. And through the BCCA’s new mentorship program, Building Builders, women working in construction can support other women by becoming mentors.

“Women are the future of construction, and there’s never been a better time to be a woman pursuing a career in the industry,” says Stevens.

Donna Grant, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA), says women pursuing leadership roles need to be comfortable with not having every box checked.

“We may slow ourselves down because we tend to, as women, apply for those jobs where we need almost 100 per cent of the job description,” she explains.

Women are making progress overall in the industry, according to Grant.

“We’ve got lots of room for improvement and we have to

remain vigilant,” she says. “It’s not just barriers to entry, it’s those hidden barriers to progress that are so critical.”

Impacting change can take place at the board level, according to Grant. The VRCA’s 14-member board of directors currently has one woman, but she’s hoping this will change soon.

“We’ve got lots of room for improvement and we have to remain vigilant,” says Donna Grant, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association • SUBMITTED

WHAT I LEARNED EARLY IS THAT IT WOULD TAKE ME, A WOMAN, MORE TIME TO PROVE THE VALUE OF MY CONTRIBUTIONS

Kim Barbero CEO

Mechanical Contractors Association of BC

BUILDING A WAY FORWARD

“It’s not until you have three women at the table that you start seeing the real benefits of diversity,” she says.

As the first woman to lead BC Building Trades (BCBT) in more than 50 years, Brynn Bourke says she felt supported when the board approached her to take on the role of executive director.

“I felt that people were exploring, ‘How will a woman handle this job differently?’” she says. “But I also have been in this industry for over a decade.”

Bourke says having female leaders sends an important signal that they belong in construction, but more representation is needed.

“We really need to see women at every stage and in every section of our industry,” she says.

Bourke says job sites have become safer, and initiatives like Build Together, a women-in-trades group, are helping. “We’re a different industry than we were 10 years ago,” says Bourke. “We’re also on our way towards that tipping point where I think women’s place in the various corners of our industry will be normalized.”

One way to attract more women is to have more female trainers, according to Bourke, who says when new apprentices see a female instructor leading a class, it shapes their perception of the trades.

Be More Than a Bystander is another initiative that’s making a difference. Run by the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, the program trains men on how to create more inclusive, safe and respectful workplaces.

“For tradeswomen, you’re never done proving yourself,” says Bourke. “That’s why change has to be systemic and it has to be cultural.”

Kim Barbero, CEO of the Mechanical Contractors Association of BC (MCABC), says one challenge she’s faced has been having enough time to develop and expand her skillset as a leader, consultant and parent.

“What I learned early is that it would take me, a woman, more time to prove the value of my contributions,” she says.

Barbero says the culture on construction job sites is

changing, but more is needed to help women advance. Women in Mechanical Construction, a forum run by the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, gives women an opportunity to share experiences, find opportunities and learn new skills.

“I also think that schools have a powerful role to play. Counsellors, teachers and the entire system needs to celebrate the trades as a great career,” says Barbero.

To improve female representation, worksites need to ensure women have access to daycare and appropriate hygiene facilities, according to Barbero. She says women need to be comfortable claiming leadership positions and leading by example.

“I can’t think of anything more heartwarming than a young girl seeing her mom fulfilled by her work, her craft, her trade and then wanting to follow in her footsteps,” she says.

Brynn Bourke is the first woman to lead the BC Building Trades in more than five decades • SUBMITTED

WE REALLY NEED TO SEE WOMEN AT EVERY STAGE AND IN EVERY SECTION OF OUR INDUSTRY

Brynn Bourke Executive director BC Building Trades

A NEW METHOD TO DRIVE AND ENABLE CHANGE

We need to examine and address the barriers that hold women back

TINA STREHLKE

It will take 59 years to reach gender parity in North America.

A third of board roles across Canada (34 per cent) are held by women, and women hold 20 per cent of senior executive positions in B.C.

Metrics give us a great snapshot of where we are with gender equality. And it’s not pretty. But while metrics of women at leadership tables are helpful, if we only measure whether women are at the top, how do we know what it takes to get there? How do we measure progress on women’s leadership journeys and dismantle the barriers that stand in their way?

Minerva BC has been a driving force behind gender equity in leadership in our province for 24 years. In 2015, our Face of Leadership initiative started measuring executive and board leadership diversity progress. But while there has been some movement in the numbers, it is minimal and sometimes in the wrong direction. Judging by recent estimates, it will be decades until women and gender-diverse people enjoy the same economic opportunities and workforce outcomes as men.

We desperately need better methods to accelerate this trajectory, as well as ways to understand our collective progress along the way.

Right now, as a society, we are asking women to do most of the work, whether it is through books, mentorship or leadership programs. Many of these are contributing positively to women’s lives. But the onus shouldn’t just be on women. We must be more thoughtful about setting our organizations and society up for success to ensure all talented leaders can thrive.

Minerva BC is embarking on a different approach to drive and enable gender diversity in leadership. We are focusing on women’s leadership journeys, measuring, monitoring and tackling the visible and invisible barriers

they experience at critical stages in their careers.

For women, these barriers include societal expectations, success stereotypes based on traditionally male attributes, the pressure to conform and widespread denial that barriers exist. In organizations with very low representation of women, such as in the construction industry, barriers can be as simple as a lack of gender-specific personal protective equipment to ensure their safety.

By mid-career, women face higher performance standards, being overlooked for positions due to their age and stage, penalties in pay and promotions related to motherhood and career progression penalties for needing flexible work schedules.

And hurdles persist when women reach leadership positions, such as a lack of executive sponsorship, typecasting, isolation, being tokenized and the recently well-publicized “grey tax.”

But do these barriers really exist in our organizations in B.C.? And can we measure and actively dismantle them?

A resounding, “Yes.” And we must.

Instead of relying on data that organizations provide voluntarily or obligatorily, we want to listen and learn directly from women and others in our provincial workforce.

We are going to be tracking barriers experienced in B.C.; in our workplaces and broader society. We want to track the presence of success stereotypes in our workplaces and progress towards valuing different types of leadership. We want to assess unwritten performance standards and work towards equalizing these across the workforce. We want to measure societal perceptions of leaders of different genders and challenge us all on our biases.

We need to accelerate the pace of change dramatically. And to do that, we need to take a closer look at what’s holding women back. Let us collectively ensure that our metrics offer us tangible solutions to change and are not just stagnant statisti cs that we repeat over and over again.

Tina Strehlke is president and CEO of Minerva BC.

WHILE METRICS OF WOMEN AT LEADERSHIP TABLES ARE HELPFUL, IF WE ONLY MEASURE WHETHER WOMEN ARE AT THE TOP, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE?

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A LACK OF INCLUSIVENESS IS HURTING AUTO SALES

It’s time for women to ‘shake the tree’ and demand better service – for everyone

MEHRSA RAEISZADEH

As the co-founder and COO of an AI-powered platform, I’m often asked why I chose auto sales as the focus of my work.

My reply takes many forms, but the one that is most meaningful to me on a personal level and is arguably the most important reason for disrupting an industry that’s ripe for change, comes from the woman in me.

The engineering PhD in me knows that any car’s features can be explained in terms that range from simple and straightforward to highly technical and complex; other features can be more emotional. The tech developer in me has figured out how to build a patent-pending online process that determines a vehicle’s condition and automatically estimates its auction starting price. The operations manager in me sees the potential of artificial intelligence to replace many of the expensive and inefficient aspects of car retailing that frustrate dealers and consumers alike.

But the woman in me knows from experience that the enduring lack of trust women feel when buying or selling a car is a problem that must be solved in order for auto retailing to survive and thrive.

Women influence 85 per cent of car-buying decisions and represent 62 per cent of car buyers, and the industry must change to reflect that.

While working as a process engineer in Houston, Texas, during the spring of 2012, I decided it was time to buy my first car. I knew exactly what I wanted, I walked into the dealership full of excitement, and the first thing the salesperson said to me was, “Where’s your dad?”

No matter how many times I emphasized, through gritted teeth, that I was buying my own car with my own money, I was not taken seriously. I was trying to buy what would then have been my most valuable asset, yet all I felt was talked down to.

I ultimately resorted to bringing a male friend to the dealership with me, which was funny because as an engineer I knew much more about the technical aspects of the car I wanted than he did. But like many women, the

car’s engine displacement, horsepower and torque weren’t my main concerns. I wanted to know that the car was safe. I wanted to find out how much luggage I could fit in the trunk. I wanted to feel the smoothness of the suspension and responsiveness of the handling for myself without being peppered with alienating auto jargon.

I purchased the car I wanted in the end, but only after losing what little trust I had in a process that was, let’s just say, unpleasant, to put it mildly.

There’s strength in numbers, I suppose, so it is somewhat comforting to learn that I was far from alone in feeling this way. According to a recent survey conducted by Auto Trader, 94 per cent of female respondents said they don’t trust car dealerships, and 40 per cent said they “dread” the buying process. Another poll, this one by What Car? Magazine, found that 29 percent of female respondents said sexism still exists in auto retailing.

The disappointing dealership experiences shared by millions of women for far too long are a big part of the reason I founded MintList, which is gender agnostic and gives everyone the same level of control over the car-buying process. I encourage women to start calling out poor service: “Look at me,” “Talk to me,” “Explain things without being dismissive or condescending,” “Remember my name” and “For the love of God stop calling me ‘honey.’” If there is even a hint of mansplaining or, worse, flirtation, I am gone.

Let me be clear: In my work with MintList, our dealer partners value inclusiveness, diversity and gender equality, and treat all their customers with respect and dignity. These are industry change-makers on a mission to make a difference. It’s a great place to start. We highlight the best of the best. These are dealers we know will deliver a first-class experience to every customer – man and woman alike. It’s encouraging to work with forward-thinking companies and make this change happen in the industry.

Although I’m sure many female readers will relate to my story, it’s not only women who despise the car-buying experience. Deloitte recently reported that just 17 out of more than 4,000 car shoppers surveyed were happy with the status quo car-buying process – that’s 17 people, not 17 per cent. It is clearly time to start shaking the tree.

THE WOMAN IN ME KNOWS FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THE ENDURING LACK OF TRUST WOMEN FEEL WHEN BUYING OR SELLING A CAR IS A PROBLEM THAT MUST BE SOLVED IN ORDER FOR AUTO RETAILING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE

Mehrsa Raeiszadeh is co-founder and COO of MintList.

DIVERSITY IN ANIMATION

How women are changing the face of digital media

CLAIRE WILSON

In a time when digital media, visual effects (VFX), gaming and animation are booming in Vancouver, companies are working to ensure that the voices of women in the industry are being amplified as much as those of their male counterparts.

Hollywood North is seeing notable expansions, including the building of a 110,000-square-foot studio in Mount Pleasant for the animation house Animal Logic, which has been acquired by Netflix Inc. These expansions offer an opportunity for companies to recruit, and to reflect on the retention and make-up of their

existing employee base.

A study from Women in Animation (WIA) and USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that only 21.6 per cent of the individuals credited for the top 400 movies from 2016 to 2019 were women. In addition, only about a quarter – 26.9 per cent – of people identified

Jennifer Twiner McCarron says that when you have more diversity in digital media, the stories feel real. A main driver for her is to ensure that every child can see themselves reflected positively through content • CHUNG CHOW

DIVERSITY IN ANIMATION

as executives across 60 VFX companies are women. Only 5.5 per cent of all executives were women of color.

Of the 80 individuals in the highest leadership roles, 88.8 per cent were men and 11.2 per cent were women. Just one of these nine women was a woman of colour.

Along with quantitative findings, the study uncovered underlying reasons as to why there is a larger representation of men in the VFX industry. The results were drawn from interviews with women working in VFX and industry decision-makers.

With regard to workforce composition, one third of participants stated that there are simply more men than women and that VFX draws from male-dominated fields of study. One quarter said that the history of the industry tends to favour men.

Half of those interviewed also described difficulties navigating work and family needs.

In a time when the industry is growing and evolving, Women in Business asked three female leaders about how their companies are promoting diversity and inclusion for women.

Jennifer Twiner McCarron, CEO at Atomic Cartoons and Thunderbird Entertainment, says that when it comes to diversity and inclusion at her companies, the mindset is: “You can’t boil the ocean but you can boil one pot at a time.”

“It’s something we really focus on. We have a goal for every person, regardless of race or gender, to be able to find themselves in popular content and reflected back in a positive light,” she says.

According to Twiner McCarron, metrics and data are used to understand areas for improvement. The companies she leads will then cater their benefits to reflect those metrics. The goal is to provide benefits and resources that are as supportive as possible.

WITHOUT DIVERSITY, WE LOSE INNOVATION. WE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, GENDERS, ABILITIES, RELIGIONS AND IDENTITIES, AND WE ARE READY TO HEAR THOSE STORIES

Sara Martin Equity, diversity and inclusion specialist Cinesite Studios

Cinesite Studios has worked on popular animated productions, including The Addams Family (above) and the upcoming Disney+ series Iwájú (right)

Atomic Cartoons has also partnered with WIA to offer things like master classes for art directors, and has participated in the creation of the ACE Program, which is designed to advance the careers of women in animation.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to participate and contribute to the community at large,” says Twiner McCarron.

“Sometimes starting initiatives seems too daunting, but just start small, like the masterclass that we started. It was like, ‘We don’t have any female art directors. How do we get more women interested in this?’”

According to Twiner McCarron, one of BIV ’s 2021 Influential Women in Business and one of the individuals named to BIV ’s 2022 BC500 list of B.C.’s most influential business leaders, 40 per cent of the employees at Atomic Cartoon are women, 50 per cent are men and 10 per cent are gender fluid. She also added that 60 Indigenous interns joined the company full-time.

At Cinesite Studios, a digital entertainment studio with a location in Vancouver, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) specialist Sara Martin says that while there has been an increase in gender parity for the industry, it is important to take note of who might be missing.

“Are we seeing women of colour, Black and Indigenous women, and other gender-diverse people in leadership roles? Disabled women? Queer women? Non-binary people? Until our industry sees diversity in the type of women and other gender minorities who are being represented, we all have a lot of work to do,” she says.

To promote cultural safety at their studios, Cinesite offers ressources such as queer competency training and anti-racism training, in addition to supporting organizations like WIA, Access VFX, Collective Bunch and Girls in STEAM.

“It’s about getting people to understand what equity and inclusion looks like in everyday actions and leadership,” Martin says.

In order to recruit and retain more female

employees, Cinesite is working to offer flexible work options, inclusive job postings, and pay equity analysis and yearly audits to ensure pay equity for marginalized genders, according to Martin.

She highlights that the industry has had a historically low percentage of women as well as other gender minorities and stressed the need to have a balanced ratio of all genders who are being compensated equitably.

“In the work of EDI, it’s also ongoing and ever-evolving, we will always be on the path of understanding and meeting the needs for equity and inclusion of our crew,” she says.

At Vancouver-headquartered Sony Pictures Imageworks, executive vice-president Michelle Grady – also one of BC500’s most influential business leaders in British Columbia – says that as a woman leading a VFX and animation company, she brings a particular passion diversification efforts, and to creating an inclusive culture where that diversity is celebrated.

“Where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, to bring their unique selves to our collective effort to create films that represent the global audience we seek to entertain,” she says.

Sony Pictures Imageworks is partnering with Atomic Cartoons to create a series called Young Love , a spin-off from the Academy Award-winning short film, Hair Love Molly in Denali , produced by Atomic Cartoons, won a Peabody Award for diversity and inclusion, and a reconciliation award from the Government of Canada.

Twiner McCarron says that when you amplify diverse voices, you get stories that you haven’t heard before. Martin echoes this, saying that when digital media does not have diversity, you are only hearing the story of the dominant culture.

“Without diversity, we lose innovation. We live in a world full of different cultures, genders, abilities, religions and identities, and we are ready to hear those stories,” she says.

Sarah Martin is an equity, diversity and inclusion specialist at Cinesite Studios • SUBMITTED

Michelle Grady is executive vice-president of Sony Pictures Imageworks • SUBMITTED

WHY FEMALE FOUNDERS DON’T GET FUNDED – AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

MANINDER DHALIWAL

There is puzzlement – and uproar – when we hear of white male founders successfully raising capital again and again after public failures (and sometimes unethical behaviour), while female founders are still receive less than two per cent of total venture capital invested. This

remains the case despite years of awareness and public pressure, widespread programs supporting female founders and a year of exuberant markets the likes of which have not been seen before.

Tech insiders don’t find this surprising.

The business of venture capital funds (and that of sophisticated angel investors) is unicorn hunting – looking for billion-dollar exits, and not just profitable companies. While Canadian investors tend to be less ambitious than their American counterparts, angel investors on average look for returns of at least 10 times their investment. Seed venture capital firms want a return of at least 100 times their investment, and preferably where each investment can return an entire fund, as tech is an industry with a very high failure rate. They are also looking for companies that downstream institutional investors will find attractive, because founders will need to raise later rounds from larger funds.

To find these ‘rare’ opportunities, both funds and sophisticated angel investors tend to gravitate towards founders who can think big, aim high and communicate effectively in a language that shows investors that these founders understand the world of building big tech companies. Founders with pedigrees win over founders without them.

Quick judgement is a big part of early stage investing as

there is lot of uncertainty, not enough data to base decisions on and a requirement for speedy decision making.

For female founders to win in this environment, we need a few fundamental shifts.

We need to stop treating them as women who found companies. They are early-stage founders first, who happen to be female. Any founder will lack sophistication when they are not exposed to people who have built venture-scale companies. All first-time female (and male) founders need access to experienced people, a global perspective and adviser and peer networks.

There needs to be more understanding of venture-scale companies versus small-and-medium-enterprise-scale companies. Business models that cannot scale at an explosively high rate will not raise venture capital, irrespective of the demographics of the founder. This high growth rate is required for the companies to raise future rounds and have good exits, and this is required for investors to make their returns. Women tend to start small and medium enterprises at a much higher rate than male founders.

We need to stop treating chronic underfunding of women as a social justice issue and treat it as an economic issue. Our economy is short-changed when half of the population is shut out from the opportunity to build successful companies, create economic prosperity for themselves and contribute to the larger economy by creating jobs.

Female founders need access to networks, resources and mentoring, but it needs to be the right kinds of networks, resources and mentoring – from people who have built venture-scale companies before. Otherwise, what we have is the blind leading the blind.

Maninder Dhaliwal is managing partner at Startup Studio –Accelerator & Venture Fund.

A few fundamental shifts are needed to ensure female entrepreneurs can thrive in this environment

WE NEED TO STOP TREATING CHRONIC UNDERFUNDING OF WOMEN AS A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE AND TREAT IT AS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE. OUR ECONOMY IS SHORT-CHANGED WHEN HALF OF THE POPULATION IS SHUT OUT

STAY

Mariana Veras, BCIT Business + Media Business Management grad. Co-founder at Mindfoods.

DIVERSE EXECUTIVE TEAMS ARE BUILT ON INTROSPECTION

Companies can’t hire their way to diversity without examining culture and unconscious biases

MICHELLE WEST

Having a gender-balanced executive team is a strategic priority for many organizations, especially for those in traditionally male-dominated sectors where boards and executive teams have historically lacked diversity.

More often than not, I meet with a client to discuss their executive hiring needs and they stress the importance of being presented with a diverse set of candidates. My response to them is always the same: In a world where diversity and inclusion initiatives are at the forefront of many companies’ hiring strategies, how do you set yourself apart as a company that supports, and not just curates, women in leadership?

I recently worked with a private equity firm that had over $500 million in assets under management. They were looking to hire a C-level executive who would have direct influence over the strategic direction and growth of their portfolio companies, all of which were in the industrial sector and had executives who were mostly men.

My client, who identifies as male, stressed the importance of bringing gender diversity to the executive team. When asked how the firm fosters an environment where a woman in leadership will be successful, he had the courage to explore his unconscious bias and reflect on this question.

He wanted to ensure he was exemplifying an environment that would attract and retain gender diverse leadership. We discussed how conversations, marketing materials, policies and processes are indicative of organizational culture –and culture is an important consideration for candidates contemplating a change.

Everything from the language in the job specification, to the structure of interview questions, to conversations about leadership development and support can influence

candidate interest.

Throughout this conversation, my client recognized opportunities for organizational improvement. He was willing to invest time and resources that would result in true cultural change – to a culture that looked beyond getting the right people in the seat, to supporting the right people in the seat.

It was this type of introspection that piqued the interest of a fantastic candidate who felt this was an opportunity where she could be successful and supported, yet still be challenged with opportunities to develop professionally.

In my experience, female executives want what any executive wants – to be successful and to make an impact. What is consistent among all successful and impactful leaders is that they have had opportunities, mentorship and support in their careers.

To achieve true gender balance, giving women an opportunity is only the first step. Employers need to create and encourage an environment that will promote executives’ success. This requires thoughtful reflection on how policies around performance management, training, mentorship and promotion include or exclude women – unconsciously or not.

My advice to any employer seeking to create gender balance on their executive team is to look beyond people. Dive deeper into your corporate processes, look at your company’s verbiage, reflect on your policies and ask yourself if your organization is one that supports the success of female employees and executives.

This takes courage, introspection and acknowledging unconscious bias. But it is this inward analysis and investment that attracts and retains gender diverse executives.

Michelle West is a managing consultant with Korn Ferry’s Vancouver office. She focuses on the recruitment of C-suite, director-level and functional heads across North America.

IN A WORLD WHERE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF MANY COMPANIES’ HIRING STRATEGIES, HOW DO YOU SET YOURSELF APART AS A COMPANY THAT SUPPORTS, AND NOT JUST CURATES, WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP?

Biggest B.C businesses owned by women

RANKED BY | Total number of employees in B.C.

DISHING UP DIVERSITY

Change is needed to increase female leadership in the female-dominated industry of hospitality

PHOTO: VISION EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

For many customers, restaurants offer more than great food. They deliver an opportunity to travel or to be transported through culinary experiences; on the menu may be nostalgia, ambience and comfort.

Restaurants are the setting for first dates, wedding receptions and family reunions; the backdrop for everything from casual business meetings to special occasions, and a backbone of B.C.’s services economy.

But the reality of many restaurants varies greatly depending on whether you are dishing up or dining out. And among those who staff restaurants – the chefs, line cooks, servers, hosts, sommeliers and bartenders – experiences on the floor and in the kitchen can vary depending on your sex.

“Restaurants are horrible places,” says Karen Barnaby, an award-winning chef and cookbook author who has been active in the industry since 1977.

“A lot of restaurants chew people up,” she

says. “It’s just not conducive to having a wonderful life.”

There are challenges to working in hospitality, and in restaurants, specifically: The pay can be poor, the shifts long and the hours late. For many women, restaurants remain an “old boys’ club,” as Barnaby puts it, and more than 70 per cent of female restaurant workers report having been sexually harassed by customers, co-workers and superiors, according to a survey by the U.S.-based organizations One Fair Wage and Social Science Research Solutions.

There is an advancement issue: The latest census figures for B.C. and Canada show that women account for nearly half (48.2 per cent) of tourism sector jobs. When broken down

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS BECOMING A RALLYING CALL OF THE INDUSTRY

Joanna Jagger Founder WORTH Association

Karen Barnaby, product development chef at Goodly Foods, was the first woman to receive the British Columbia Restaurant and Food services Association’s prestigious Back of the House Award • SUBMITTED

HAYLEY WOODIN

DISHING UP DIVERSITY

further, women in B.C. account for 58 per cent of food and beverage services positions. But representation fades at the top. Just nine per cent of hospitality leadership roles are held by women, according to a 2022 report by the Castell Project.

There is also a pay gap issue and a lack of pay transparency across the hospitality industry. For example, female accommodation managers in Metro Vancouver earn $0.77 for every $1 earned by a male counterpart, according to research by Tourism HR Canada and WORTH (Women of Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality) Assocation.

Biases, harassment and pay unfairness aside, restaurants also typically involve demanding work that is not necessarily conducive to having a family or leading a balanced life, says Barnaby, who was the first woman to receive the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s Back of the House Award. She currently works as a product development chef at Goodly Foods.

“You’re going to be judged by the amount of hours you put in. Or, you can just go, ‘Screw that! I’m going to find something else,’” she says.

At present, the hospitality industry is struggling through one of the most severe labour shortages in history. Adding to that pressure are the workforce and workplace expectations of a younger generation of workers who may be deciding whether they want to fill some of the 144,000 accommodation and foodservices jobs Statistics Canada says remain vacant across the country (as of July).

“Work-life balance is becoming a rallying call of the industry,” says Joanna Jagger, president and founder of WORTH Association, who credits younger workers’ values and expectations for some of the shifts underway.

“Culture has to change and is changing as a part of that

group coming into the workforce,” she says.

Founded in 2018, WORTH is the only society in British Columbia dedicated to advancing women in the recreation, tourism and hospitality industries.

In August, the organization hosted its second Yes Shef event, which was designed to feature established and emerging female chefs. Five chefs – including Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co., one of BIV ’s BC500 most influential business leaders in B.C., and Tia Kambas of Chambar, which was the venue for the event – prepared a multi-course meal with five female apprentices from Vancouver Community College. Female sommeliers and a female bartender offered wine pairings and drinks to the 80 guests in attendance.

Each of the student protégés received a $1,000 scholarship, and now have the opportunity to remain in contact with the women they worked with during the event.

WORTH offers other mentorship opportunities for women at various stages of their careers. Jagger, who started her career as a cook, says such opportunities can make a big difference.

“I really didn’t have at the time a recognizable role model in the industry in terms of women in culinary,” she says. “That’s changed a little bit.”

The Yes Shef event also models how a collaborative and supportive kitchen environment can lead to successful outcomes. Through resources, training, networking opportunities and mentorship, Jagger says the industry is moving away from the British chef “Gordon Ramsay culture of kitchens,” replete with yelling, name-calling and toxic masculinity.

Tourism HR Canada and WORTH Association research found that 84 per cent of men and 70 per cent of women agree that women entering hospitality companies today have more opportunities for upward career mobility into executive positions than past generations.

But there is more to be done. Everything from harassment and toxic workplace cultures, to the fact that many industry networking events feature activities that are more popular with men, create barriers to success, explains Jagger.

Though women are drawn into hospitality in strong numbers, and many are passionate about their work, a large number decide to change or pivot their careers in their 20s and 30s because of what they experience.

“I always say it’s a female-dominated industry where women are not always dominating,” Jagger says. “We’re not doing enough and the numbers reflect that we’re not doing enough.”

WORTH Association’s Yes Shef event brought together 80 guests to enjoy and recognize the talents of local female chefs • VISION EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

MORE WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE BENEFITS US ALL

AMY ROBICHAUD

The world of business wasn’t designed to favour women.

The financial, systematic and organizational structures that continue to dominate how the workforce and economy are organized were created without women’s participation and without women in mind.

I don’t say this to be controversial, or to shock, but because these are simple facts. Today, the physical and cultural shape of business can range from downright hostile to women’s participation, to full of minor inconveniences and hidden hurdles that women have to navigate to succeed – glass ceilings and maternal walls, to name a few.

For example, it is rare for childcare to be provided by employers. While it is now common for offices to have sufficient washroom facilities for all genders, menstrual products are seldom offered. While it is typical for prescription medication coverage to be offered by employers, coverage restrictions mean that Viagra is often included, and most forms of birth control are not.

Less straightforward examples include: Workplace thermostats set to a temperature based on the comfort of male bodies; dress codes that are based primarily on male clothing; the tendency for leaders (who are statistically more likely to be men) to select same-gender mentees.

More women in the workforce matters for at least three reasons.

First, the economic bottom line. According to the International Labour Organization, more women in the workforce and, in particular, management positions, results in a tangible increase in profits. More profitable companies help us grow the economy.

Second, the children of employed women are more likely to be employed themselves, earn more and be happier. Generationally, more women in the workforce leads to greater prosperity.

Third, a resilient and inclusive workforce is critical to attracting immigrant talent. British Columbia, like all of Canada, relies on immigration to sustain and grow its population and economy. If we are to succeed in the global competition for talent, we need to ensure that everyone who wants to contribute to our economy is able to do so at their highest level.

So what can we, as individuals and organizations, do about it? How do we increase women’s economic participation and presence in the workforce? We invest in preparing women to navigate the current business world, while at the same time moving to a place of greater equality and accessibility. This work is going to take many hands, including those of business leaders, policymakers and community-level organizations.

I belong to the latter of these as the executive director of Dress for Success Vancouver. Since 1999, the organization’s work in Vancouver has focused on building the pipeline of women entering the workforce, and equipping them to navigate the economy and the workplace. We offer women the tools to achieve their highest potential through social and economic mobility.

Dress for Success Vancouver has served over 34,000 women in the Lower Mainland who are experiencing social and economic marginalization. We’ve equipped them with the tools and support they need to find, keep and grow their employment opportunities through personalized support in their job search, interview preparations and help accessing government services. We also provide our clients with interview-appropriate attire and the confidence they need to overcome the hurdles in their way.

From a business perspective, this work has been worth over $1 billion in wages – a potential economic engine that otherwise would have remained untapped or under-tapped. In terms of return on investment, this is a 13,643.13 per cent return for every charitable dollar donated to Dress for Success Vancouver since 1999.

My staff and I are continually astounded by the strength and resilience of the women that come through our doors. We are consistently reminded why we do what we do, raising valuable funds to provide support, mentors, dressing appointments and professional growth workshops. We’re driven by a lean staff and volunteers that make our mission possible. We’re inspired by every woman who comes to our organization facing hurdles and persevering to achieve their employment and personal dreams.

Our work contributes significantly to increasing the participation of women in the workforce, in B.C. and around the world. Our economy needs women to move forward and we’re seeing that happen every day, one woman at a time.

Amy Robichaud is executive director of Dress for Success Vancouver. Learn more at dfsvancouver.ca.

Women need support navigating a workforce and economy that weren’t created for them

THE PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL SHAPE OF BUSINESS CAN RANGE FROM DOWNRIGHT HOSTILE TO WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION, TO FULL OF MINOR INCONVENIENCES AND HIDDEN HURDLES

The New Equation is a community of solvers coming together in unexpected ways.

We’ve all been told what one plus one adds up to. But if you bring together the right combinations of people and technology in unexpected ways then it can be something greater.

At PwC, it all adds up to The New Equation.

Q&A: MICHELLE SCARBOROUGH AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE

BIV MAGAZINE STAFF

Earlier this year, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) launched an investment platform dedicated to supporting the accelerated growth of womenled businesses. The Thrive Platform is the largest platform of its kind in the world, and commits $500 million in capital across three initiatives designed to support female entrepreneurs and emerging female investors. Michelle Scarborough, managing partner of BDC’s Thrive Venture Fund for Women and its predecessor Women in Technology Venture Fund, spoke with BIV about entrepreneurship, supporting women-led businesses and effecting systemic change. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

BIV : WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF THIS INITIATIVE?

Michelle Scarborough: The Thrive Platform is the largest in the world to help women entrepreneurs across the Canadian landscape to elevate themselves. It’s an investment platform with three main components: A $300 million venture fund, $100 million allocation to invest in emerging managers with women who are general partners or a partner in a fund and the third pillar is the Thrive Lab. The lab itself is dedicated to pre-seed stage women that are looking to build companies. They may or may not have an idea whether that company is going to be venture-backable, but they’re seeking equity capital to help that company get off the ground, and to turn their idea into a commercially viable business. The lab will be designed by the community, by partners in the market, and it will be a partnership strategy to help those women entrepreneurs as they build companies from the very earliest stages.

BIV: WHAT LESSONS DID BDC LEARN THROUGH ITS INAUGURAL WOMEN AND TECHNOLOGY

VENTURE FUND, AND WHAT WAS THE EVOLUTION THAT TOOK BDC TO THIS MUCH LARGER PLATFORM?

MS: When we started the fund in 2017, we started at a time where we knew there was an enormous gap in the market, where we knew that women were an underserved segment when it came to venture capital or access to venture capital. It was designed to solve for that gap.

And at the same time, we had allocated about $20 million to invest in that emerging female general partner who wanted to build a venture capital firm.

Over the last five years, we’ve seen an evolution in the market. We’ve seen the growth of more women founding companies; more women wanting to leave their corporate jobs and move into C-suite executive positions in emerging or growing Canadian tech companies. We’re also seeing the emergence of more women becoming investors, both of the angel stage and in venture capital firms. We’re seeing the growth of everything. I started as an entrepreneur and then became an investor. And one of the things that’s really poignant for me is the number, and the increase in the number, of role models in the market. We’re seeing more women write big cheques, we’re seeing more women grow big businesses and those women are acting as role models. And one of the things we consistently hear from the marketplace is the need more of those.

BIV: WHAT GAPS REMAIN IN THE SYSTEM?

MS: We still see gaps at the early stage, pre-seed stage, seed stage – enormous gaps not just in investing in women-led companies but in the pre-seed and seed stages of the technology ecosystem generally. So we’re solving for that with the fund as well as with the lab. We still also see gaps in terms of talent we’ve got. Coming out of COVID, there were big talent challenges, there’s tons of hiring, lots of people resigning and trying to figure out what they want to be. That created a very hot market for talent and drove the dollars that were being paid to talent up and causing some friction.

What we’re seeing now is sort of a leveling out of that, but talent will still be hot. And Canada right now is also being seen as a place for foreign investors, primarily in the U.S., and venture capital to come and look for great opportunities. The other thing we’re seeing is enormous opportunities in Canada to build some amazing technology companies here.

LIKELY TO PULL AWAY FROM THEIR IDEAS AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO PURSUE?

MS: We hear this a lot. We hear about what happens in the boardroom. What some women will do, and what we tell them is: One no is one step closer to a “Yes.” When you’re pitching investors, the thing that people need to remember is that this is a long game on both sides. We are looking for people that we want to work with, and the entrepreneur and the female entrepreneur needs to be looking for the same. Who are the people that are going to help her build a successful company? Those are the people that she needs to surround herself with. So when she gets a “No,” what she needs to ask is: “Why is that a ‘No?’ What are the business reasons why that might be a ‘No’ for this firm? And how can I leverage that for the next meeting that I’m going to have with a potential investor? Are these the right investors for me as I build the company? Who are the people I need around me? What networks do they have? Do they have deep pockets? Are they going to be able to help me bring this company to market or accelerate its growth in a market that I might not have access to yet?”

We’ve tried to help these women position themselves so that they’ve got their best foot forward, and the confidence to stand up in that room and tell their story with conviction and with passion, and are able to identify the right people that they want around them.

I think the other thing that we hear, which is really important, is that women tend to focus very practically on how they’re going to build the company. We hear this and we see it: Often, they will not overinflate or over-exaggerate the story. They’ll be very practical.

Women need to be practical, but they also need to talk about vision and tell the story about what this company that they’re building has the capability to be. In doing so, with practicality, that will get the right investors listening to them.

BIV: IF WOMEN PITCH THEIR IDEAS AND ARE REBUFFED AT AN EARLY STAGE, ARE THEY MORE

BIV: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT IT COULD MEAN TO HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN OUR ECONOMY?

MS: We know that when you invest in women-led

WE’RE SEEING MORE WOMEN WRITE BIG CHEQUES, WE’RE SEEING MORE WOMEN GROW BIG BUSINESSES AND THOSE WOMEN ARE ACTING AS ROLE MODELS

Michelle Scarborough is the managing partner of BDC’s Thrive Venture Fund for Women • SUBMITTED

businesses, those businesses do return more. We are seeing this in studies, and we’re also seeing it in our own portfolio. Our country is very diverse. So if you’re taking a product to market, you want to be as diverse as your marketplaces, as the people that you’re selling to. We see that as an enormous opportunity. Because of the nature of what we’re trying to do as investors, the more women-led companies that we can see, the more opportunities we have to knit the ecosystem together through our partners with respect to the lab, the more ways in which we can crowd in private sector capital to help these companies have access to not just the capital they need, but also the networks and the customer base that they require to build these big companies. If you put all of that together, I do think that we over time will be able to make an enormous change, and we will see that happen in terms of economic dollars. But we have a big opportunity right now. And there’s never been a better time to be an investor than now.

BIV: TELL US YOUR OWN STORY – WHAT DID IT FOR YOU?

MS: I had really great mentors, including my parents and my dad in particular. He was the one that really was the driving force behind me very early on. He was the one that said, “Don’t take ‘No’ for an answer. You can do it. I’ll back you, I will put money into your companies, I will help you get there. And if somebody says ‘No’ to you, get up and keep going.” And that’s kind of what I’ve done my whole career.

BIV: AS YOU SEE IT, WHAT ROLE CAN MEN PLAY IN THIS?

MS: I think we need to start early. We need to teach entrepreneurship earlier in schools and we need to teach kids how to think creatively and problem solve earlier on, so that they’re working on working together to solve for problems as opposed to in a silo all the time. There are great programs out there right now. But if I were a school kid, I would want to be learning about entrepreneurship early, and how that all works, as opposed to later on.

The universities have done a good job of trying to develop mechanisms – through the Creative Destruction Lab and others – to help bring science people together with business people to take these amazing ideas that we have across the country and commercialize them. We need to do more of that and get that out the door earlier, and allow these women in particular to find their voice.

MS: At the end of the day, we’re all one. And men have as big a role to play as women do. We all have to work together on this. Culture change doesn’t happen by itself, or by sitting in a room having a conversation with one person. It can help, but it’s not going to solve the problem systemically. We need to work together; we need to find ways to open doors, to be mentors and sponsors – like I had – and we need to do that in a way that parks our egos and allows for openness and creativity to come through.

People often are just looking for somebody to talk to and someplace where they can go to learn to evolve their business idea and build their company, where they don’t feel like they’re threatened. Business doesn’t have to be threatening. We got enough going on in the world where we really need to figure out how we work together and in a safer environment. And men have to play a critical role in all of that.

BIV: DO YOU HAVE INSIGHTS ON OTHER KINDS OF INVESTMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS THAT COULD BE MADE EARLIER TO SUPPORT THE JOURNEYS OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS?

WE STILL SEE GAPS AT THE EARLY STAGE, PRE-SEED STAGE, SEED STAGE – ENORMOUS GAPS NOT JUST IN INVESTING IN WOMEN-LED COMPANIES BUT IN THE PRESEED AND SEED STAGES OF THE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM GENERALLY

WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER; WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO OPEN DOORS, TO BE MENTORS AND SPONSORS

Q&A: MICHELLE SCARBOROUGH

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