Our Women in Leadership Series features some of our own Valeyo leaders and explores some the challenges, opportunities and moments and inspiration of women working in the technology & insurance industry. Watch the full video above or read Jacqlyn’s answers below.
1. What do you believe is the biggest opportunity for the generation of women behind you?
I recently started reading the autobiography of a well-known female leader, which I had hoped would be insightful and inspiring. I put it down after a few chapters confused and frustrated about the message. Rather than be empowering, it suggested that every career decision she made was only pursued after encouragement or validation from a male counterpart and further, with consideration for the family she wanted to have in the future.
Women today have great opportunity to define their own paths forward and should have the courage and strength to make the decisions they believe are best for them. Without any guilt or regret.
2. Are there any assumptions about women in business or female leaders you would like to change? If so, why?
Like I said previously, I believe there still exists an assumption that women will have to or want to choose between having a family or having a career. And this leads to an unconscious bias that impacts our career path and opportunities. While Canada has the highest representation of women in the workforce at 61.3% women are still underrepresented in leadership roles and are often financially penalized when then do return from having a child. We all need to remove our unconscious biases and see the person for who they are and the skills they will bring to the roll.
3. Did you have any mentors along your journey? If so, what kind of impact did that have on you and your path?
Mentors exist in many forms. It could be a teacher, a colleague or a friend. I’ve had a number of mentors along the way who have shaped my behaviors and thinking – whether they knew it or not. Whether you seek formal or informal mentorship, most importantly it’s about finding someone you can connect with and who can help you work through challenges, uncover opportunities or help you meet your goals.
Follow our journey.
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