6 women discuss gender parity in their various industries

There’s some good news to report in Singapore this International Women’s Day , according to advisory firm Grant Thornton’s “Women in Business 2021” report. The number of women holding overall senior leadership positions in mid-market businesses in Singapore has hit 33 per cent, despite the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While this is not quite gender parity, it does pass the critical 30 per cent, which research shows is the minimum representation needed to change decision-making processes. Of course, three per cent is a great start but there has to be more and this can only truly happen with women in power and men as their advocate.

This International Women’s Day, we speak to six women in business and sport who are leaders in their field and who in many cases have achieved gender parity in their departments. They share with us what it took for them to get where they are and what are the solid initiatives they are taking to help women follow in their footsteps.

Cecily Ng, Area Vice President and General Manager Singapore, Salesforce

Cecily Ng is the Executive Sponsor for Salesforce Women’s Network in Singapore and is especially passionate about helping young women develop their careers. She also serves as a mentor for young women as part of the Salesforce-Halogen Foundation partnership programme BizAcademy.

What have you done for young women in your field?

Cecily Ng: In my conversations with young women technology, one of the top concerns is a lack of role models who they can seek advice or gain leadership skills from. Many find it difficult balancing their career ambitions and life aspirations — in their mind often it means a choice of one or the other.

While a lot of progress has been made, women are still underrepresented and underpaid. I’ve noticed that women have a tendency to undersell themselves and are more reserved in negotiating compensation, which compounds over the years to a significant gender pay gap. At Salesforce, we evaluate pay on an ongoing basis to address any gaps among gender and race.

In making hiring decisions, I insist on a diverse candidate pool as well as having at least one female interviewer in the interview process.

How are you working to achieve gender parity in your team?

CN: We are in need of more women in technology, from young ambitious girls taking an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to talented individuals who are pursuing career aspirations. More education is required to debunk myths on how the industry is male-dominated when in fact, many women are in this sector and holding fulfilling and successful roles. 

Technology is not just limited to the technical roles. For me, I believe in ensuring an equal gender ratio among my team members and it starts from hiring, through the retention and advancement of candidates.

The focus to promote equality of technology executives across both genders is a great start and I am encouraged to see that momentum pick up. However, the journey is far from over and much more can be done to ensure women get a fair chance.

Do you feel women get a fair chance in your industry?

CN: We are in need of more women in technology, from young ambitious girls taking an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to talented individuals who are pursuing career aspirations. More education is required to debunk myths on how the industry is male-dominated when in fact, many women are in this sector and holding fulfilling and successful roles.

Technology is not just limited to the technical roles. For me, I believe in ensuring an equal gender ratio among my team members and it starts from hiring, through the retention and advancement of candidates.

The focus to promote equality of technology executives across both genders is a great start and I am encouraged to see that momentum pick up. However, the journey is far from over and much more can be done to ensure women get a fair chance.

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman and what are you doing to combat that now?

CN: When I was starting out, I wished to please everybody and be respectful and polite. In order to avoid conflict, especially with colleagues who were more senior than me, I would not speak up even when it was the right thing to do.

Over the years, I’ve learnt that you can be polite but also speak your mind; but in order to get your message across and heard, you have to be prepared and be easily understood. Speaking in public or presenting took me a while to get used to. I knew it was an important skill to gain and what I needed to do was to love what I did.

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity?

CN: I’ve been a part of the Salesforce Women’s Network to help promote equality. Additionally, I volunteer as a mentor in the Mentor Connect Programme organised by IMDA focusing on young talents across a few companies in Singapore.

What was the best advice you were given when you were coming up in your career?

CN: I used to struggle to speak with executives. My Managing Director back then shared a quote that I carry with me till today — “CEOs also go to McDonalds [sic], they are just human beings like you and me, and you shouldn’t be afraid of them.”

Dr. Sandhya Sriram, CEO and co-founder of Shiok Meats Pte. Ltd

A stem cell scientist with over 10 years of experience, Dr. Sandhya Sriram also co-founded two other companies – Biotech In Asia and SciGlo – which earned her a feature on Forbes Women in Tech for her entrepreneurial ventures. Together with Dr Ka Yi Ling, her co-founder and CTO of Shiok Meats, Sandhya is shaping the future of sustainable food with her innovative contributions to the alternative protein industry.

What have you specifically done for young women in your field?

Dr. Sandhya Sriram: I truly believe that young women need to be given that first entry point in whichever industry they are interested in. Hence, I mentor and invest (time and money) in young women (and men) in hiring, having them as interns, as mentees.

I aspire to inspire younger graduates and young candidates to achieve their end goal. What I have noticed is that women are usually hesitant to be confident, hesitant to be aggressive and hesitant to ask for what they want — that is what I precisely talk a lot about and try to help women with.  

Have you achieved 50 per cent gender parity in your team? Do you think this would be an important goal?

Dr. SS: We are actually a 75 per cent female team! We are a 100 per cent women co-founded company and 100 per cent women-led/C-suite company. This was not by design or not that we wanted it to be like this or we pushed for it — it just happened, and I am glad that it did! In the long run, we definitely want to keep it this way. 

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman in the industry and what are you doing to combat that now?

Dr. SS: I have faced issues of people perceiving different things about me and having a pre-conceived notion of me being Asian/Indian, female and young. I have had to break those barriers, do 20 times more than a counterpart who maybe male, or older or with more “relevant” experience on paper.

I accepted the fact of this matter early on and always strived to do better. I have always been an ambitious person who is an over-achiever and super motivated. That is what keeps me going. Over time, I have also learned to say ‘NO’ and never accept a ‘NO’.

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity?

Dr. SS: I am part of the Women in Science group in Singapore. I used to speak at UN committee for women events; and try to accept as many invites as possible to speak to young students and women. I like meeting like-minded women, listening to problems and their solutions. 

What was the best advice you were given when you were coming up in your career?

Dr. SS: Strategy, execution, and a strong mindset are essentials for one to forge ahead. Keep doing what you are doing, only better, and you will succeed. 

This March, Sandhya will be participating in #ARecipeForChange – a campaign on food sustainability presented by Temasek’s Ecosperity. Learn more about cell-based alternative proteins during her free webinar, Alternative Meating Plans. Find out more here. 

Aqilah Andin, Vice Captain of the Singapore National Team

Aqilah Andin is the Vice Captain of the Singapore national netball team. She was part of the victorious squad who played in the 2014 Asian Netball Championships and was also a member of the Singapore team which won silver at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

In 2019, she made her first World Cup appearance playing in the Netball World Cup. She also took part in the 2019 M1 Nations Cup and helped the team come in as runners-up to Namibia in the final.

Have you done anything for aspiring athletes/younger women in your field? 

Aqilah Andin: I’ve done casual talks in school as well as volunteering for coaching clinics for young netballers in the hopes that they will be inspired to be an athlete one day. I do not perceive myself any different from sportsmen, I think both sportswomen and sportsmen have similar goals — winning medals, being the best that we can be and to make the world a better place through sports.

But with International Women’s Day here, this makes me reflect not only on the perceptions of sportswomen in the industry, but the journey and challenges we encounter in this field.

There will always be hurdles to tackle and that’s why I believe that it is important for aspiring athletes and younger women in my field to ensure they’re looking after their body and minds too. I was reminded of this from ASICS’ recent “Sound Mind Sound Body” tagline, which encourages people to get moving for positive physical and mental wellbeing.

Do you feel women get a fair chance in the sports industry?

AA: I think we do get a fair chance, but we have to believe it more and that we are strong to face the challenges together. It’s great to see that are a lot of women out there supporting each other in the sports industry and that shows how much we have progressed together 

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman in the industry and what are you doing to combat that now?

AA: There are definitely challenges to face at first, such as being stereotyped and being told that I will not be a successful sportswoman. However, I’ve been getting a lot of support too and am not deterred by it. I’ve been focusing on goals that I would like to achieve and will continue to inspire other women in this industry. 

While there are challenges to face, I hope fellow sportswomen in the industry are not deterred by this. As with ASICS’ belief in the positive impact of sport on the mind, I hope this inspires other women to pursue their goals in the sport industry and focus on both their bodies and their minds.

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity? If so, why did you join?

AA: Netball itself represents equality and diversity. There are so many netballers around the globe who have accomplished great things in their career. It made the sport so popular to Women. Playing this sport has made me a stronger and independent individual. 

What was the best advice you were given when u were coming up in your career?

AA: One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to know that the only thing that can get in my way is myself. This piece of advice has helped me to overcome lots of challenges, knowing that change has to come from me.

Dr. Siti Maryam Yaakub, Marine Ecologist

Currently Head of Department, Ecological Habitats & Processes at environmental consultancy DHI, Dr. Siti Maryam Yaakub received her PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS), focusing on the resilience of seagrass ecosystems.

She has worked with the National Parks Board and co-founded TeamSeagrass, a seagrass monitoring group in Singapore. She is also currently an adjunct lecturer with NUS on the topic of Socio-Ecological Assessments of Environmental Impacts.

What have you specifically done for young women in your field?

Dr. Siti Maryam Yaakub: I always try to be supportive of young people entering my line of work — both formally through mentoring and informally by talking through career options and a listening ear. Science is still traditionally a male-dominated industry, so “breaking in” can be difficult.

Dr. SMY: In 2018, I was convener for the International Seagrass Biology Workshop held in Singapore. The committee has worked hard to ensure that we have representation across the board by giving more scholarships to students than we had ever done for these workshops.

During my welcome address I wanted to make the young scientists in the audience feel welcome and that this is a space for them to learn and grow as scientists so I asked the participants to “be kind” to one another and especially to “be generous and constructive in their feedback” to the young scientists in our midst. 

Over the course of the event I had several students say that they were grateful for what I said. To paraphrase one student, she said “I was so nervous because it was going to be my first time presenting at an international conference, but when you said that, it was like saying ‘you’ve got this’ and it helped put my mind at ease”.

How did you work to achieve over 50 per cent gender parity in your team?

Dr. SMY: I didn’t set out to achieve this, but my team is 80 per cent female. I’m supportive of all members of my team — obviously we cannot aim for gender parity without having the men in our industry support our endeavours.

However, I make it a point to interview women when hiring opportunities come up and I take the time to sit down and speak with them regularly. Not just about their work but about their work life in general. I think it’s important that people feel supported in their work environments.

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman in the industry and what are you doing to combat that now?

Dr. SMY: As a young woman starting out, and seeing most people in senior positions being male, I didn’t get the sense that I belonged. As such I think it’s important that there is representation of diversity.

Also I try to think about what would have helped me as a young person entering science and I try to be or provide that that support for them.

Most importantly I make it a point to be supportive and encouraging because as women sometimes we get this nagging voice that tells us we can’t do it and it’s not enough so having someone say “good job” or “you’re doing great, and you’ve got this” gives you the boost you need to get the job done.

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity?

Dr. SMY: I’m currently vice-president of the World Seagrass Association and we are setting up a Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity Committee to address issues and barriers to entry in seagrass science, research and management. I’m excited to see what we can do to make science more accessible and to improve equity for scientists globally.

What was the best advice you were given when you were coming up in your career?

Dr. SMY: Not sure if this counts as advice but my supervisor told me to treat science as a hobby and that tickled me at the time but I see now that he means to enjoy scientific endeavour and to not let your work get you down.

Sherrie Han, entrepreneur, The Eliana Timekeeper

A former lawyer and mother, Sherrie Han’s interest in watches was initially just a pastime. As a watch fan, she recognised the dissonance between the mechanical watch offerings for men and women.

There were no options for ladies that matched the intrigue given to men’s mechanical watches. There also wasn’t anything she liked at an approachable price point. Seeing this opportunity in the market.

She began prototyping her own designs in 2019, and after a successful Kickstarter campaign, launched her business in the midst of the pandemic. 

What have you done for young women in your field? 

Sherrie Han: We’re paving the way for mechanical watches and horology appreciation to be more accessible to young women. Mechanical watches are very much considered a “rich man’s hobby” but we’re showing that you don’t have to be rich or male to appreciate these watches. 

Starting out, we were often told “there is no market for ladies’ mechanical watches”. The belief is that most women don’t know the difference between a quartz and a mechanical watch and simply buy based on the price, aesthetics or brand.

We have a defiant desire to change that. We’re challenging the perception that “women only want watches that are pretty” and showing that women can appreciate mechanical watches. That in itself has been difficult.

How are you working to achieve gender parity in your team?

SH: As a watch brand designed and run by women, we are changing the industry norm of men designing and manufacturing watches for women. Women are always asked to make do with unisex or oversized mens’ watches (though there is a market for this style) but we wanted to make something for women with smaller wrists and who may prefer more understated, elegant designs.

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman in the industry and what are you doing to combat that now? 

SH: The world of watches and entrepreneurship are very male-dominated. Being a young woman with a small company, I’ve had to demonstrate more commitment and grit to be taken seriously by our partners and customers. I hope to combat casual prejudice that comes with stereotyping women to be less discerning or able in some regard by showcasing stories of the amazing everyday women we know.

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity? If so, why did you join? 

SH: As a young mother, I believe the best channel to promote equality and diversity is at home. I am part of a network which supports marginalised families, that also engages men in conversations about responsibilities at home. Personally, I am very blessed to have a supportive husband who is very hands-on at home which gives me the freedom I need to excel in my career pursuits.

What was the best advice you were given when you were coming up in your career?

SH: Your work doesn’t define you.

Renee Welsh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Embed and Booking Boss

Renee Welsh founded Booking Boss, an award-winning ticking and booking platform in 2013. In 2017, it was acquired and she was appointed CEO to both Booking Boss and its sister company Embed, a complete integrated cloud-based business solution platform. Renee is based in Singapore and leads a team with gender parity of 50 per cent.

What have you specifically done for young women in your field? 

Renee Welsh: The statistics speak for themselves: half of all start-ups have no women on their leadership teams; and only one in four start-ups has a woman on the founding team. Only 17 per cent of Fortune 500 CEO’s are women. It is a widely known fact that women are underrepresented in the high-tech sector.

I take pride in Embed’s diversity metrics. 50 per cent of our executive leadership team is female, led by me, a female CEO. This is unheard of in Silicon Valley! It is a testament to our value system, our culture and organisation, who we are and how we do things. Closing the gender gap in tech is hard, but I believe we are on the right track and have many exceptional role models to be able to continue this momentum.

How did you work to achieve 50 per cent gender parity in your team?

RN: When I stepped in as CEO of Embed, I made sure it was clear to the entire company and industry that we value diversity in our talent pool, that we have a shared commitment to gender parity at all levels of our organisation because we believe in the boundless strength (intellectual, leadership, cultural and commercial) that results from harnessing and realising the talent capital of gender equality.

We take great pride in not only being gender equal, but putting an end to gender inequality in our tech sector. With a Chief Executive Leadership team made up of 50 per cent women, we are proud to be the example of what other companies, large and small, aspire to achieve.

There’s slow progress towards gender parity in the tech sector, we’ve seen change happening across all industries, but the numbers are not climbing quickly enough. 

What were some of the difficulties you faced as a young woman in the industry and what are you doing to combat that now?

RN: Raising capital is harder for start-ups with female founders; start-ups with female founders are more likely to tap small investors or risk not securing funding at all.

But I discovered there’s a magic and power in a sisterhood who join forces to co-create and achieve their objectives, both personal and professional, which will combat the difficulties  faced by all woman, not just young women. 

Do you belong to any committees in the industry that promote equality or diversity? If so, why did you join?

RN: It’s important to me to be involved. I was invited to be part of the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Summit in 2019; it enabled me to connect to a growing global community of women entrepreneurs and have a chance to share and learn from them as well.

But I’m most excited about Crone Queen, a collective I just co-founded. It’s a pure passion project, born from a dream to bring women together in a collective that harnesses the uncompromising power of authenticity to elevate women as they power through their second and third life chapters,

At its core, the Crone Queen community will serve as a group of trusted advisors to elevate members and their dreams. The community force will serve to co-create and enable the manifestation of those dreams. It was only apt to launch Crone Queen on International Women’s Day 2021. 

What was the best advice you were given when you were coming up in your career?

RN: “Everything is energy and that’s all there is. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” –Albert Einstein

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.