Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, it is my privilege to share the re-launch of Alliance – the Middle East & Africa’s (MEA) women mentorship program for our senior women employees. Each mentee will be mentored by a member of the regional leadership team over a nine-month period.

The goal of the program is to increase the engagement and retention of women professionals across the region and better support their career development. It will also enable our mentee community to interact across ArchTam’s regions and end markets, broadening communication and enhancing networking opportunities.

The mentoring program, considered a professional career investment opportunity, will be fully supported by the regional leadership team, not only during the mentoring sessions, but by creating enhanced career opportunities and business visibility for the participants. Creating a dynamic space where our leaders can offer further understanding of business leadership can motivate and instill confidence to strive to that level. It also allows our leaders to learn more about our organization, our people and our culture.

The program facilitates ‘leader-connect’, a concept where ArchTam’s women leaders from across the globe are invited to share their professional knowledge and experiences. Recognizing that women face different challenges and have unique needs in the workplace, this program aims to provide actionable advice on how to overcome this, especially in the engineering industry.

The last cohort, before the program’s hiatus in 2022, comprised nine women across varied business lines. For Kamiena Wong, Senior Project Manager, Buildings + Places, the program had an extremely positive impact on her career development.

Kamiena Wong, Senior Project Manager, Buildings + Places “It has been a very rewarding journey to help identify my priorities and interest areas that support my career growth at ArchTam. Based on my interests at work, my mentor exposed me to suitable opportunities that advanced my growth and next steps in the company. I have now started a new role that allows me to develop new skillsets that promote my future growth.”

Jennifer Stables, Associate Director, Civil Infrastructure, was promoted to her current role after the program’s completion. She was mentored by our Middle East and Africa Regional Chief Executive Hamed Zaghw.

Jennifer Stables, Associate Director, Civil Infrastructure “I enjoyed hearing about his experiences on his path to Regional Chief Executive and learnt more about ArchTam business priorities. I really appreciated the chance to have direct, one-on-one conversations and develop a relationship with someone so senior in our organisation. Since the program finished, I’ve had some wonderful opportunities to be engaged more with the senior leadership team.”

Across the MEA region, we actively work to increase the diversity of our business by championing and investing in women’s careers. The re-launch of the Alliance program cements our commitment and is a catalyst for accelerating their growth. By offering these kinds of programs, we contribute to a society that amplifies women’s voices and recognizes the value of the work they do, which can only benefit our work, our communities and our planet.

The post Accelerating our women’s career paths to leadership appeared first on Blog.

Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

According to Fortune magazine, in 2023, only 10.4 percent of Fortune 500 companies had women CEOs, and a quarter of these 52 leaders became CEOs in the previous year. These statistics prove that women still face challenges in progressing to senior leadership roles. Yet, there is a powerful beacon of hope: the success of mentoring in women’s career progression. Mentoring not only enhances job satisfaction but is pivotal in guiding women to hone essential skills and navigate their career landscape effectively.

Mentorship helps create a culture where high-potential women are supported and advocated for. This isn’t just about breaking through glass ceilings, it is about building scaffolds to reach and surpass them, ensuring that women are empowered to unleash their full potential.

As part of our continued investment in our women across Asia, we are launching a ‘Womentoring Circle’ program. Cissy Ho, Talent Management Director, Asia, is driving the program.

Cissy Ho, Talent Management Director, Asia “Empowerment goes beyond boundaries when women come together to uplift, inspire and mentor one another. This well describes the essence of our vision in Womentoring Circle,  where the strength of peer mentoring ignites a powerful network to support and guide us through personal and professional challenges. Together, we thrive and grow to reach new heights in our career aspirations.”

The program will run in Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Southeast Asia and Taiwan and is designed by women for women. The Circles will meet monthly for 90-minute sessions. The peer mentoring methodology is supported by the nonprofit Lean In which combines a world-class leadership curriculum with the power of women coming together for collective learning, growth and support.

Rosaline Lau, Executive Director, Structural, Building Engineering, Hong Kong “A successful career is not about being perfect. It’s about cherishing every opportunity to learn, to grow and to achieve what you dreamed to become. Be courageous and live your unique story! I encourage all my women colleagues to participate in Womentoring Circles!”

Mentorship for women serves as a catalyst for change within organizations. By altering prevalent perceptions of women’s capabilities, it instills a greater sense of confidence and a higher chance for women to ascend to leadership roles. Here are a few examples:

• Creating a safe space: Peer mentorship carves out a secure environment for women to voice their career aspirations. This empowerment leads to a more pronounced articulation of these ambitions to form concrete career development actions, fostering a culture where high-potential women’s ambitions are well-respected and recognized.

• Accountability and performance: A Circle of peer mentorship acts as a steadfast support network, ensuring women remain accountable and committed to each other’s career development goals. This partnership is directly linked to boosted performance, enhanced employee engagement, and ultimately, a rise in employee retention rates.

• Networking and visibility: One of the profound benefits of having women peer mentors is the expansion of one’s professional network. Whether a Circle is made of co-workers from the same business line, or other women colleagues going through similar family life stages, this tight-knit support group will carry them through both personal and professional challenges. Most importantly, people tend to learn best in groups where they can benefit from different perspectives and be motivated by the group dynamics.

Peer mentorship imbues women leaders with the confidence to act upon their career ambitions and undertake necessary steps to accelerate professional growth. It also contributes to the broader organizational goals of enhancing diversity and offering platforms for constructive feedback, which is a cornerstone of helping women overcome workplace challenges and elevate their achievements. When we invest in Womentoring Circle programs, we are not just bridging the gender gap, we are laying down the foundation for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive business landscape.

Jagriti Dawra, Executive Director, Environment, Singapore “Womentoring Circle in its true sense is aimed to be a guiding light from a woman leader to another budding leader, a heart-to-heart talk, as no one understands a woman better than another woman. In the current world, a woman holds many responsibilities, and this program aims to help in juggling between these responsibilities better, learning from each other’s experiences on how to overcome personal and professional hurdles in order to pave a way for ambitious young women of ArchTam to become better leaders of the future.”

The post WoMentoring Circles: A peer mentoring approach to women’s leadership success appeared first on Blog.

Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

We sat down with Kate Dunton, Director, Clients and Marketing, Australia and New Zealand and James Rosenwax, Regional Managing Director, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory, who are also co-chairs of our ED&I Committee in Australia and New Zealand, to talk about International Women’s Day 2024 and the programs we have in place to support women’s progress in our Australia and New Zealand region.

Tell us why aligning with the United Nations’ (UN’s) International Women’s Day (IWD) is important.

Kate: I’m really passionate about this one. By aligning with the UN’s International Women’s Day theme, I think we position ourselves more meaningfully to a global movement. Our purpose is to deliver a better world, and UN IWD is an opportunity to align with the community in accelerating progress towards gender equality on a global scale. It can’t just be words and morning teas – we need to use our organisational context to promote genuine gender equality. I’m really proud of all we do supporting women within our organisation, but also in driving more women into STEM and in building gender equality for minorities and First Nations communities. I love that the UN’s International Women’s Day recognition serves as a catalyst for a more extensive, collective effort, and how it brings attention to the specific challenges faced by women and girls globally.

James: Aligning with the UN’s International Women’s Day recognition is important for us, particularly given the theme for 2024: “Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress,” which shines a spotlight on women’s economic empowerment. We know that when we have diverse, inclusive workplaces, our business thrives, so investing in women and accelerating their progress at ArchTam is not only the right thing to do but makes strong business sense. IWD is more thana local celebration — it’s a global celebration fostering collaboration across borders, emphasizing that no country has fully achieved gender equality. By participating in IWD events, we actively contribute to advancing gender equality, whether by showing up, sponsoring and donating to initiatives, or spreading awareness. IWD isn’t just about recognizing achievements and challenges — it’s a collective effort to work towards a future where gender equality is a reality for all.

Tell us about the ANZ region’s Advocate sponsorship program for women.

James: Advocate is a sponsorship program that I have been a part of since its inception five years ago. The program is in partnership with an external company called Cultivate, and it pairs our ANZ executive team with high-potential women employees. Together, we participate in a year-long curated mentor program that focuses on honing leadership skills, expanding professional networks, pinpointing areas for professional growth, and sharing life stories and experiences. Spending time with my sponsee is my priority, and I find real job satisfaction in our relationship. I learn a lot from my sponsee, and it ends up being a two-way relationship. By spending 12 months on the program, we can develop personalized connections and focus on investing in the development of our talented individuals. We create a supportive environment conducive to career advancement and overall success. We have received great feedback from the women that have participated in the program.

Elizabeth Kittoli, Technical Director, Structures “When I found out I was nominated, I was excited. I was initially slightly uncomfortable just because, to some, this might seem like preferential treatment for women. But women, they don’t necessarily get the same type of sponsorship, especially into leadership roles, as men do. You get to make connections, network, and just overall access to the senior leadership team.”

Kate: In my three-year journey as a sponsor in ArchTam’s Advocate program, I am continually surprised by what I personally get from it. I have established several long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships – dare I say, friendships! Working in a predominantly male industry, this program has forced me to recognize the need to address organic male sponsorship bias, and I’ve reassessed my sponsorship approach – I think I’ve become a lot more intentional and conscious of the environment that women work in and the opportunities they are afforded. We need to tackle many other levels of diversity, but creating a strong and successful women leadership pipeline and providing excellent opportunities to our highest-performing women is incredibly rewarding.

Amanda Kerr, Area Manager – Hunter “I had previously lacked the confidence to engage and form effective relationships with senior management across the business.  Spending time with Kate and being exposed to the broader leadership team, participating in their meetings, helped me realize that I do have the relevant experience to contribute. I also carve out more time for clients and strategy.”

What other steps is ArchTam taking to embrace gender equity, or what has impressed you most to date?

James: We are committed to advancing gender equity within our organization and have developed a comprehensive gender equity strategy.

In tandem with our efforts, we are actively working to challenge and disrupt prevailing gender stereotypes and norms. Our overarching goal is to cultivate a corporate culture that is not only equitable but also flexible for individuals of all genders.

In pursuit of our commitment, we have implemented participation targets, both globally and internally within ANZ. These targets, publicly reported to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency for transparency, align with our vision of achieving a gender-balanced workforce, where 40 percent of positions are held by women, 40 percent by men, and 20 percent by individuals identifying outside the binary. This intentional approach ensures measurable progress toward our aspiration of fostering an inclusive and diverse corporate environment.

Kate: I genuinely think ArchTam is committed to creating an environment where women thrive, and I love that we are investing significantly in programs that empower women. I wouldn’t have stuck around so long otherwise! Our gender equity strategy includes initiatives such as the Advocate sponsorship program and our mCircles network, which brings together women from across career levels to swap advice, attend development workshops, and explore job opportunities within ArchTam. I’ve been a member of mCircles for many years, and I have established great relationships, received good support, and learned a lot. We’re teaming up with organizations like Work180 and Where Women Work to not only encourage more women to join us but also build a powerful network of women talent. I am also proud to have participated in the development of an explicit framework of inclusive hiring and remuneration review practices.

And, of course, our Freedom to Grow framework gives us all the flexibility to work in a way that suits our lives and career development. This has allowed my life and family to (mostly!) balance well over many years.

Learn more about our Advocate sponsorship program, mCircles network and Freedom to Grow framework from our women who have benefited from them:

The post Accelerating women leadership development through mentorship appeared first on Blog.

Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Patrícia Vieira, Senior Vice President Finance, Europe & India, shares how ArchTam, as an employer committed to gender equality, is working to support women through its Gender Alliance Employee Resource Group (ERG), and parenting and carer support.

As a working woman and mother, I wholeheartedly believe that ensuring women’s rights in the workplace is fundamental to our future. I have daughters and I want them, and every one of their friends, to have the opportunity to achieve all they can. So, the theme chosen by the United Nations this year to mark International Women’s Day: ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’, is something that I would encourage all employers to actively address.

Rebalancing care responsibilities

Firstly, it’s important to consider that there are many external factors globally that impact women and subsequently impact women in the workplace.  According to a recent UN report, due to protracted conflicts and the accelerating impacts of climate change, unpaid care work and domestic work is unevenly placed on women, particularly those aged 26 to 35, which coincides with the age a woman typically has their first child. The same report again highlights what most people already see, that caring for aging parents disproportionately falls on women too.

Our Freedom to Grow framework empowers both male and female employees to work in a way which suits their team and their clients, whilst balancing other priorities in their lives and ensuring these responsibilities don’t fall mainly on women.

Supporting women’s careers

When we talk about accelerating change, support and remuneration in the workplace is a huge area where businesses globally can make change. Part-time work is a driver of a pay gap as it is more common in lower paid roles, but it persists even among full-time men and women employees. It demonstrates, among other things, that more women work in lower paid sectors.

So, what can businesses such as ArchTam do to support women in the workplace and throughout their careers? One of the most important steps we have taken in the last couple of years is to establish our Gender Alliance ERG in Europe and India. It’s supporting the business in many areas, including reducing of our gender pay gap. Part of the ERG’s 2024 strategy reflects a commitment to breaking down barriers and fostering inclusivity at ArchTam. With objectives centered on awareness, gap reduction, growth in membership, and engagement, the Gender Alliance ERG aims to create an environment where everyone can thrive, regardless of gender.

Empowering working parents

A notable initiative within the Gender Alliance ERG is the Working Parents Group with 243 members across the region. Open to working parents across Europe and India, this platform serves as a space to seek advice, connect with peers and gain support. As a working mother, I know how invaluable the support of colleagues can be when transitioning back into the workplace. The group has doubled its membership to 243 members this month, showcasing its success in fostering collaboration across various ERGs. This group has great diversity of men and women and is working to encourage shared caring responsibilities.

Maternity Buddies and Working Parent’s Champions initiatives highlight the Gender Alliance ERG’s dedication to parental support. We now have more than 100 volunteers and a gender-diverse representation from across Europe and India.

As the UN strives to achieve gender equality in all aspects of life, the Gender Alliance ERG is proud to support ArchTam in actively contributing to a future where everyone is respected for who they are and their expertise, irrespective of gender, at work and beyond. As a mother and working woman, it’s great to see the impact it is making at ArchTam.

At a corporate level, the region’s talent programme, called EMPOWER, places a specific focus on career development and has provided the opportunity for women within our business to build skills to thrive and progress.

Hear from Louise Dougan, an associate bid director and a Working Parent Champion, about how ArchTam supported her to balance her work and family life:

“I joined ArchTam’s Major Pursuits team for Europe & India in 2021. Whilst Belfast is my home location, I am involved in pursuits and bids which are delivered across the full portfolio and geographical range of our United Kingdom & Ireland business. I love the variety and fast-paced nature of my job. However, it does bring its challenges with juggling family life, including travel and relentless deadlines. With a bit of forward planning and co-ordination with my partner (also a full-time working parent) I am able to achieve my professional goals without it disrupting the flow of family life.

In the last 13 years, I’ve experienced the return-to-work transition after two consecutive maternity leaves, part-time working, and a return to full-time working since my children were six and seven years old. I’ve grown in confidence over the years to ask for help, both at home and at work, and not to stress about the things I can’t control, such as sick children or teacher strikes. The ArchTam culture, ways of working and benefits such as Freedom to Grow, flexible and hybrid working and utilizing extra leave have been game changers for me. Whilst it’s not always perfect, I do feel that right now, the work/family life balance is finally there.”

The post Thriving together: How we support our working parents appeared first on Blog.

Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

In addition to being the Risk Management Director and Vice President for ArchTam’s U.S. West region, Wendy Lau serves on our Global and Americas ED&I steering committees, is a strategic partner for our Global Well-Being program, a global mental health ally, and the president of the Women’s Leadership Alliance, the women’s employee resource group for our Americas region. In this blog, Wendy highlights WLA’s triumphs over the past year and the path ahead to further empower our women leaders and invest in communities where everyone thrives.

Women’s Leadership Alliance (WLA) is an employee resource group for our employees in the Americas region (U.S. East, U.S. West and Canada) and Construction Management business and is focused on supporting our women professionals to achieve their leadership potential through networking and skills development.

As the WLA gets ready for arguably one of our busiest times of the year — International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month — I’m taking a moment to breathe and celebrate all the wins from the past year, big and small.

As many of us can attest, it can be daunting to plan, organize, and execute a huge project or series of projects. Sometimes, you get lost in the weeds and start stressing out over everything — every little thing. Other times, you want to play ostrich, find a nice hole to stick your head into, and hope for the best. Still other times, you just feel overwhelmed — with all of it — and wish that someone else would just take the wheel.

It’s in those moments that I remind myself to be present, to acknowledge the triumphs and the lessons learned, and to appreciate all the things that beautifully came together to get us here — to this particular time, to this unique place, to this previously unfathomable opportunity. And after I do that — I am grateful. I am humbled by what we have achieved, and what we can continue to achieve, when we work together.

I think collaboration is an integral part of the building blocks to success. It’s taking what has worked before, expanding on it, and growing it to evolve into something even better. It’s being cognizant of the gift of people’s time, energy and commitment and not wasting those precious resources.

If you ask my vice president, Caitlin Cavanagh, what my most used phrase is, she’ll say it’s “Let’s not reinvent the wheel.”

She’s not wrong. I use this phrase a lot.

So why does that matter? It matters because it’s in the spirit of collaboration, best practices, and thinking outside of the box, that the WLA has yet again, had another amazing year. In FY23, we partnered — a lot. We embraced the intersectionality of our identities and said, “with whom can we collaborate?” “Who can we bring into this discussion?”  But it wasn’t just looking at where identities merged, it was a conscious effort to de-silo equity, diversity and inclusion and push for a leveling up. “What department or leader can we engage to demonstrate the importance and applicability of ED&I to all facets of our work and life?” “How do we incorporate this into our day-to-day?”

A year of community and allyship

In FY23, the WLA partnered with our talent acquisition team to field a team of amazing women engineers, designers and architects at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conference and career fair that took place in October in Los Angeles. While the event itself occurred in the first quarter of FY24, much blood, sweat and tears were expended in the planning and organizing process at the end of FY23. Shout out to our awesome boots on the ground women at SWE: Caitlin Cavanagh, Holly Holbrook, Ginger L’Heureux, May Pang, Carrie Robbins, Lucy Terza and Victoria Watson; our social media content gurus: Shannon Hoff and Summer Baruth; and our skilled talent acquisition people: Matthew Petties, Natalie Fisher and Brittany Portalski. And we would be remiss if we didn’t call out our business lines and departments that supported this team’s attendance and participation at this very important diversity career fair, so a big thank you to our Buildings + Places, Environment, Federal, ArchTam Hunt (Construction Management), Transportation, and Water businesses. This remarkable collaboration not only energized our employees by reminding them that they work with really cool people on really cool projects, but also allowed people to share their stories and experiences with the next generation of STEM leaders and encourage them to dream big and come work with us!

Throughout the year, WLA also hosted, planned, sponsored, and executed a number of events, including but not limited to, a panel on Male Allyship; a discussion with phenomenal ArchTam women leaders sharing their career journeys and words of advice; an open benefits forum with ArchTam’s benefits team; multiple ED&I-focused Book + Club events with other ERGs; our second annual virtual networking mixer; a collaboration with our Pride ERG for a moving Trans Day of Visibility event; and a three-part Summer Series on giving effective presentations.

More on the horizon

So, what’s next? For a bunch of forward-thinkers, movers and shakers like the WLA, we’ve got big plans! At the end of the fourth quarter of FY23, we started planning  for a three-month long collaboration — from March 2024 to May 2024 — with our global Water business line, Surge for Water (a women-led global nonprofit dedicated to solving the global water and sanitation crisis), and our other ERGs to support water projects in Uganda and Indonesia, where millions of people lack basic water services. As we all need water to survive and thrive, centering our efforts on water and our role in designing and building infrastructure that provides clean water for all, is a way to leverage the ERGs as an important business asset that directly impacts and affects delivering a better world. As my WLA secretary, Lu Chen, so aptly put it: “Access to clean water is fundamental for human health, both mentally and physically. Improved water access positively impacts health outcomes, reduces poverty, and fosters environmental sustainability, all crucial components of global well-being.” With the support of our other ERGs as well as all our coworkers throughout ArchTam, we are looking forward to an educational, fun, and inspiring three months!

I could go on and on, in vivid detail, about all the things that the WLA has done and what else is on the horizon, but we’d be here a long while.   These efforts help us shape the culture of our workplace to be one where everyone feels like they belong and where we are all collaborating and sharing and lifting each other up. Throughout this blog, there have been multiple shout outs — trust me, there are so many more! That was intentional. It demonstrates just how much the WLA purposefully calls people in and encourages them to lead positive change within and outside the organization. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to make it better.

The post Driving change together: A year of triumphs in empowering women leaders appeared first on Blog.

Lara Poloni, President

Since joining ArchTam as an urban planner 30 years ago, I’ve felt privileged to grow my career with an organization that recognizes the importance of building teams that reflect the diverse communities we serve – one where everyone has the opportunity to be heard, to achieve, and to succeed, regardless of gender.

Each year, International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to celebrate women’s many achievements and acknowledge the progress we have made to improve women’s representation and participation – while committing to further action.  This year, it’s also an opportunity to explore how our work with clients can help address inequalities and create greater social value in the communities in which we live, work, and play. 

At ArchTam, we recognize society’s diverse needs, and how those needs influence infrastructure’s impact. We believe social value is maximized though investments in local communities that generate positive social and economic outcomes. This ‘whole of life’ infrastructure thinking sees us work with our clients, partners, and suppliers to identify the opportunities presented by our projects and align them to the current and emerging needs of local communities.

I remain committed to continuing ArchTam’s efforts to accelerate progress towards gender equality. We envision a world where infrastructure creates opportunities for everyone, and I believe there is much to be optimistic about.

Shirley Adams, Chief Human Resources Officer

On this International Women’s Day, I feel proud of our ongoing commitment to and investment in advancing gender equality, including us achieving our 20% goal for women in leadership in 2023.  We continue to set goals that keep us focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce and advance women in their careers.  These goals are set against a backdrop of continuing to drive a culture of inclusion across our global organisation. 

I take great delight in seeing women thrive in their careers because they have the right support, tools and access to opportunities. In my role I have the privilege of seeing the delivery of a range of initiatives, programmes and policies designed to enhance the employee experience and ensure a truly level playing field for all. From mentoring programs to Employee Resource Groups to enhanced parental leave policies, our regions are continually working to create workplaces that accelerate the progress of women at ArchTam, with more to come this year. 

Emily Gepner, Global Capabilities Officer

We cannot achieve our mission of delivering a better world without the efforts and dedication of our people and I feel privileged to work with a global talented and diverse team every day.

Throughout my career, I have been lucky to learn from strong leaders and colleagues around the world. My experience learning from people who come from different cultures and backgrounds has had a profound impact on shaping the leader I am today – one who aims to be aware of barriers, bias and the importance of giving everyone equal opportunities. Having experienced the value of mentoring first-hand, and the transformative effect it can have on both personal and professional development, I would encourage all women to seek out someone they admire to mentor and coach them.

Driving an inclusive culture starts with each one of us. We can be more successful when we support, champion, and elevate the achievements of one another. For me, every action in favor of equality is an action towards improving my daughters’ future experiences as they join the next generation entering the workforce.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let’s recognize how far we have gotten and prepare for the work we still need to do. Continuing the conversation not just today but every day, elevating women’s voices, and providing equal access to opportunities is the only way we can truly accelerate progress.

Beverley Stinson, Global Business Line Chief Executive, Water

Empowering women has always been – and remains – a core personal commitment and in my role, it strongly resonates with me that girls and women continue to play a disproportionate role in providing water and addressing sanitation needs for their families around the world.

Investing in women to accelerate progress is a human rights imperative for building inclusive societies, and I take great pride in championing this in ArchTam’s Water business line, to enable women to make a valued contribution to the firm, their clients and the industry for a more resilient and equitable future. 

One way we are investing in this as a business is through our collaborations with Water for People and Surge for Water. These organizations help provide communities around the world with access to safe water and sanitation  services and solutions. We have a number of awareness and fundraising events coming up, driven by our Employee Resource Groups, and I’m looking forward to seeing how our firm can continue making a positive and sustainable impact globally.

Sarah Urbanowicz, Chief Information Officer

The world of technology is traditionally a male-dominated industry, so my career hasn’t been without its challenges. Driven by my own experiences, I am motivated to ensure that everyone at ArchTam has the resources and opportunities they need to reach their full potential, no matter their gender.   However, we know that familiar phrase – you can’t be what you can’t see.  It’s important that girls have visible role models in STEM industries and see these areas as a viable career choice.  We know we have much work to do to increase the number of girls who study STEM subjects and pursue STEM careers. 

Across our regions, there is often unseen work going on to inspire the next generation of women.  International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to spotlight some of these efforts, including a Girls in STEM workshop delivered to the year 8 cohort at Cranbourne Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia, hosting a series of engaging engineering-based activities at a local school in Chesterfield, UK to inspire girls’ interest in STEM subjects and career, and recently attending the 2024 weSTEM (Women Empowered in STEM) event held at University of Illinois to represent, recruit and engage with women engineers.

International Women’s Day continues to be important to me because it celebrates the accomplishments of women who paved the way for me and other women executives. It also makes sure that we continue to work toward parity for generations to come.

This year, for International Women’s Day on March 8, we are following the United Nations’ theme of ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate progress’, which is based on the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals and is in alignment with our Sustainable Legacies strategy.

Follow our IWD 2024 blog series to hear from our leaders around the world about initiatives and programs geared towards investing in women at ArchTam.

Engage in this year’s conversations on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

The post Perspectives on accelerating progress appeared first on Blog.