Red Shoe Movement Hall of Fame 2018

Hall of Fame 2018 Honorees

Red Shoe Movement Hall of Fame 2018

The Red Shoe Movement is proud to highlight a group of powerful executives who make a real difference in terms of inclusion inside and outside of their organizations. Their backgrounds and profiles couldn’t be more different, yet they all share a passion for leveling the playing field.

From the President and CEO of a global non-profit partnering with some of the most powerful global CEOs to make workplaces more inclusive, to one of the most influential personalities in Latin America. From the Publisher of an iconic magazine that has redefined the inclusion agenda to a President of a pharmaceutical company that’s consistently investing in its female talent career growth, to the Founder of the largest communications company in Spain with a strong presence on this side of the Atlantic. Their role in making organizations more inclusive and competitive has landed these influential leaders on the Red Shoe Movement Hall of Fame 2018.

Deborah Gillis, President & CEO, Catalyst

If you could suggest one action that organizations can take to accelerate the representation of women at the top, what would it be?

Be bold! Change doesn’t happen by accident. Leaders need to take bold, intentional action—not just to “stand for” diversity, inclusion, and gender equality but to actively and passionately “stand up” for it every single day. We’ve been talking about these issues for a long time now, and progress has been very slow. CEOs and other senior leaders can accelerate change by holding themselves and their organizations accountable not just for incremental improvements but for creating a major cultural shift in the workplace. We must passionately champion our vision and plans for creating workplaces that value women—including women of color and LGBTQI women—equal to men. Workplace transformation isn’t for the timid. It will only be achieved by a true collective of the bold.

If you could suggest one action that women could take to accelerate their career growth, what would it be?

Use your voice. Ask for what you want—a raise, a new role, more responsibility. Share your accomplishments with senior leaders and colleagues. Start difficult conversations about gender, race, and other differences. Your voice is the key that unlocks opportunities, relationships, and advancement. Use it!

In the last two years since you left CNN your life has taken a big turn. Tell us, what have been the greatest satisfactions of taking this leap?

First of all, the greatest satisfaction for me is the ability to have self-respect. Because I was obviously feeling in my soul a call to take a break from the cameras, of my work so excessively exposed to the public, of an international media. And my ego said “how are you going to leave so much success, so much applause, so much recognition, such a good salary and such a good contract. ”

Following the dictates of the soul took a period of analysis, of introspection and the truth is that the greatest satisfaction is to realize that what you do is coherent and congruent with your essence, with your being, with your truth. Not with the symbols of the false power that society imposes on us, not wanting to have status, a reputation, recognition, prestige.

I took this for a need to continue growing, to leave my comfort zone, to reinvent myself a bit in my intentions and in my “whys” and “what fors.” I believe that the human being is a being of transformation and that the day you think you are finished as a product, that you are already a genius and that you have reached the top, that day your whole life gets complicated and you start to become someone obsolete.

The comfort zone is slowly making you meet people of mediocre influence and your ideas begin to freeze. Then, jumping and leaving that area (that was already a zone of security for me, and an area where my ego was totally handcuffed by recognition and success,) gave me a new beginning.

If you could suggest one action that organizations can take to accelerate the representation of women in decision-level positions, what would it be?

All companies should have internal gender representation, particularly in leadership positions, similar to that of their clients. I am convinced that those who do this will have a competitive advantage compared to other organizations, since they will be able to better understand their consumers.
For example, if we look at Novartis today there is parity between the representation of patients in the world and the doctors who prescribe our medications. In the Latin American and Canadian region, today we have a 50% female representation. The latest leadership appointments in Canada, Mexico and Chile have been women and we hope that this figure will continue to grow.

If you could suggest one action that women could take to accelerate their professional growth, what would it be?

Nowadays everything is possible, there is no need to limit oneself. You have to be vocal and firm in what are the expectations that you want to achieve. Many times women assume that the rules of the past apply to the future and that is not the case. Every day rules are changing more and more and it is a matter of correctly expressing what one wants to achieve.

If you could suggest one action that organizations can take to accelerate the representation of women at the top, what would it be?

Just do It! Recognize that advancing women is not replacing men, but growing your business which creates more roles.

If you could suggest one action that women could take to accelerate their career growth, what would it be?

VISIBILITY. How does your organization know that you exist…get involved in extra-curricular opportunities, get a sponsor and/or mentor that can promote you and your work. Take on extra projects. Differentiate your talents and skills from anything your organization has ever seen.

If you could suggest one action that organizations can take to accelerate the representation of women in decision-level positions, what would it be?

Within an organization, I would say that it is necessary to invest in innovative projects that inspire, train and develop female talent in all its forms, mainly in those areas where there is an access gap and a difference in equal opportunities between men and women. If we talk about society as a whole, I think it is fundamental to launch programs aimed at female masters and university students, but also for middle school students, since role modeling is key. Young people need to connect and share experiences with entrepreneurs and relevant women in the field of innovation, engineering or mathematics.

If you could suggest one action that women could take to accelerate their professional growth, what would it be?

Don’t put limits on your dreams and be willing to reinvent yourself every day and every minute. If technology and globalization are transforming everything, why can’t the role of women in the world change at the same time? Networking and collaboration among women is also vital. The world would change if each woman did something for another. At ATREVIA, the company I founded and preside, we strongly support the training and promotion of female talent: 70% of management positions are occupied by women, and around 75% of our employees are women.