I believe we all have experienced unconscious bias — an implicit association or attitude (about race or gender, for example) that operates beyond our control and awareness, informs our perception of a person or social group, and can influence our decision-making and behavior toward the target of the bias. It is a normal part of how our brain filters information, which is not necessarily a bad thing; however, in the workplace, this can lead to bad decisions if we are unaware of our filters.

In my 35-year career, there has been a lot of progress in gender diversity in engineering companies, and we can celebrate that women can now be more authentic in their work lives. I don’t think anyone intentionally tries to be discriminatory. But once you are aware of it, you need to take action and spread awareness to start the chain of making a difference. Fortunately, we are now working at a time when it is okay to have conversations about unconscious bias. It is important that we take advantage of this opportunity if we want our companies to thrive in the long-term.

Gender diversity is not just a feel-good thing; data confirms that gender-diverse teams improve business performance. Inclusiveness and diversity create business value as organizations with the most gender diversity at the leadership and board levels have higher shareholder return, higher revenue, more customers, and greater market share than homogeneous teams.

My advice related to unconscious bias includes:

• Once we become aware of unconscious biases, we can talk about it, make changes and take action. Don’t be afraid to bring your own personal biases into your awareness and confront them.

• If your group is stuck in decision-making, consider bringing in someone who can offer a different perspective. Diversity can include gender, age, global experience, background and/or ethnicity; we have so many ways to engage our diversity.

• Consider diversity when composing teams. There are many studies indicating that diverse teams are more innovative, more productive, and more likely to stay on schedule and budget.

• Be an advocate for inclusion. Sometimes it just takes one person to say something. This is a conversation we need to be comfortable having.

As a member of ArchTam’s Global Diversity + Inclusion Taskforce, I am continuously pushed to examine my own thinking and to have serious conversations about unconscious biases within the company and with our clients. I am passionate and committed to diversity and inclusion at ArchTam and believe we are progressing in this space. I am a strong proponent that an increased focus on diversity and inclusion will not only improve our company, but will make the world a better place.

Jill Bruning is executive vice president and general manager within ArchTam’s intelligence community and services department. She is an accomplished speaker in the Washington, D.C., area, was selected for the Leadership Foundry in 2012, and won the Women in Technology Leadership award for large business in 2011. She and her husband Jeff own a farm in rural Missouri and have five children and four grandchildren. 

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We were born to an Armenian family and raised in Tehran, Iran. As teenagers, we immigrated to the United States with our parents in 2004. We clearly recall our first day of school in California, carrying a dictionary to our math class. We remember completing all of the problems at the end of the chapters since, oddly enough, we did not understand the meaning of “odd numbers only.” We received praise for going above and beyond the required assignment, yet, little did anyone know that we struggled to comprehend simple directions given in English.

As teenagers, we thought learning English was the most difficult thing in the world, until we attended college and took thermodynamics. As first-generation college students, this was the beginning of our journey into the mysterious world of mechanical engineering. For quite a while, the word “diversity” was ambiguous to both of us until we joined the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Upon serving as officers of SWE, we became involved in the community and helped inspire younger female students to truly enjoy their physics and math classes.

Before graduating from college, I (Meline) completed an internship at a waste-to-energy power plant while pursuing my master’s degree specializing in thermo-fluids. Simultaneously, I (Arsine) had the opportunity to move to the state of Washington for the summer and join the team working on the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant.

From left: Arsine and Meline Baghdasarian by the Columbia River in Richland, Washington. Protecting the river and the surrounding community is one of the goals of their current project with ArchTam at the Hanford Site.

After receiving our degrees from California State University, Los Angeles, we both relocated to Richland, Washington, as cognizant system engineers at ArchTam to work on the construction of the world’s largest nuclear waste treatment plant. This was the turning point in our professional careers.

A total of 56 million gallons of nuclear waste is stored underground at the Hanford Site — the remains of the plutonium production from World War II and the Cold War era. Many of these tanks have leaked, threatening the Columbia River and the surrounding community. The project’s ongoing efforts are to stabilize the waste by building and commissioning a nuclear waste immobilization facility.

We started our careers with the Plant Engineering department, working on mechanical handing systems to justify that high radiation and contamination areas can be maintained remotely in the future. Being part of ArchTam has given us the opportunity to collaborate with a talented team to solve one of the most critical environmental efforts of all time. Upon graduating from college, we were both determined to pursue a career with a valuable purpose, work with a wonderful team, and learn how to cook while living on our own! ArchTam has granted us the opportunity to achieve all three of these goals.

An image of the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant with the tank farms shown at top left. (Photo courtesy of Vit Plant)

We have now realized that challenges are opportunities not to be avoided but to be embraced. Embracing these challenges leads to discovery — discovery of new people, discovery of information, and discovery of ourselves. Through all these years, we’ve written valuable chapters in our lives, and this is just the beginning of a new one.

Meline Baghdasarian is a cognizant system engineer at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant in Washington, United States. She also has a journal publication in Physics of Fluids on numerical modeling of thermally stratified spin up flows and is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma engineering honor societies. One of Meline’s greatest enjoyments is exploring the tri-cities through her 30-mile bike-rides near the Columbia River.
LinkedIn: Meline Baghdasarian

Arsine Baghdasarian is a cognizant system engineer at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant and is the lead author of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers conference paper on experimental research of energy efficiency in buildings. Arsine is a lifetime member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma engineering honor societies. Aside from her role as an engineer, she enjoys painting, swimming, and hiking the Badger Mountain.
LinkedIn: Arsine Baghdasarian

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Whilst there is a proven business case for greater diversity, the need for diversity is more personal for me. At the tender age of 16, I was struggling to identify what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I had picked math and science subjects for my higher education because I enjoyed these areas of study, and I had a natural aptitude for them. I loved seeing tall, majestic skyscrapers and sweeping bridges, as well as the smaller things that made our everyday lives just a little bit easier.

I had a somewhat romanticised view of civil engineering, and never truly considered it as a viable profession. Research into the profession confirmed my suspicions — girls like me generally don’t do things like engineering. In the U.K., engineering was all about Isambard Brunel and James Watt — inspiring figures who all seemed to fit the same mold and, fundamentally, did not represent me. This was the catalyst for me; if I wanted to see a change, I would have to become that change.

With the pressure mounting from issues such as climate change, adequate global sanitation, and limited food and water supplies, there is a clear need for more engineers and more creativity. To put this plainly, to respond to the wide range of economic, social and environmental challenges of the coming century, we need more engineers and, inherently, we need more diversity.

It has been reported that, with the huge amounts of expected growth in infrastructure needs in the U.K., we need about 87,000 new graduate engineers each year, but we only produce around 25,000. Whilst I have provided U.K.-based statistics, this is a global problem. The U.K., however, does present a special case in terms of its lack of diversity.

In 2014, women accounted for only 14 percent of engineering graduates, despite the fact that nearly half of physics general certificate of secondary education pupils were female. Add to this that more than half of the end users of the projects we undertake are women, and you start getting a scale of the issue. Even worse than this, only 7 percent of the professional engineering workforce in the U.K. is women and 6 percent come from ethnic minority groups^[1].

As engineers, we all strive for that eureka moment of finding the optimal solution. For me, so many of these moments have occurred in the middle of a brainstorming session or a conversation with my peers and colleagues. We all generate ideas using our understanding of the complexities of a problem as well as our past experiences. As individuals, we are the product of our personal and cultural experiences. A more diverse group, whether this is in terms of gender, race or socio-economic background, will provide a richer tapestry of ideas and innovation. It is imperative that the people designing the solutions for the problems of tomorrow reflect the diversity within our communities.

Now, after spending eight years as an engineer, I can see the small flutters of change in the attitudes of our professionals and the wider perception of engineering. The benefits of diversity are obvious; we can develop more creative and innovative solutions to problems all over the world. I believe if we want to drive engineering as a desirable profession, we must appeal to a wider audience and attract talent from all walks of life.

At ArchTam, we are in a unique position to tackle the stereotypes and push through boundaries in terms of engineering and diversity.  Being the largest global engineering design firm gives us a platform to lead the way in terms of diversity.

^[1]http://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/diversity-in-engineering/what-is-diversity

Nayera Aslam is a principal consultant on ArchTam’s transportation team in Birmingham, United Kingdom. She works on the preliminary designs of local and national highway schemes, which has included the 2012 London Olympics. Aslam’s inspiration to become an engineer was her father, who made her believe that being female should never restrict her ambitions.
LinkedIn: Nayera Aslam

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We at Weber Shandwick recently conducted a study that does just this. We questioned over 1,750 executives online in 19 markets worldwide with KRC Research, the findings of which were released just a few days before International Women’s Day. Although the survey looked at business executives’ perceptions and expectations of CEOs today, we asked a few questions about the CEOs of female-led companies. As we celebrate women worldwide, their past achievements and their even greater achievements to come, I am pleased to share some of our study’s results.

First, the good news. The direct relationship between gender and corporate reputation might just be gender-blind. Both male and female CEOs are just as likely to run companies with very strong reputations and to exhibit equally strong CEO reputations. Moreover, the reputations of male and female CEOs are perceived to contribute approximately the same levels to the market value of their firms. These findings are heartening.

Source: The CEO Reputation Premium: Gaining Advantage in the Engagement Era, Weber Shandwick with KRC Research, 2015.

Now, the not so good news. We hit a gender-bender when we asked global executives whether they would want to be a CEO one day. Nearly one-third of male executives (32%) but only roughly one-fourth (23%) of female executives said yes. The difference is significant and does not bode well.

Our economic, social and political futures rely heavily on the increasing participation and equality of women in leadership positions. We already know from breakthrough research conducted by Catalyst, a leading nonprofit focused on providing opportunities for women and business, that companies with the highest representation of women in their top management teams experience greater financial performance than companies with lower representation. As women — for ourselves and our communities — we need to do better than to have only two out of 10 female executives aspire to lead our best companies in the future.

Who are these women who aspire to role of the chief executive? If we understand that, perhaps we can learn how to encourage others to similarly aspire. According to our research, these women are more likely than their male counterparts to be Millennials, to be employed in privately held companies and to work for female CEOs (although concededly, there are still too few female CEOs to make this finding truly representative).

What might explain this? Some conjecture is appropriate. Female Millennials, more so than male Millennials, are less likely to have hit glass ceilings and to have faced gender discrimination if only because of the brevity of their experience in the workforce. Unlike their older sisters who have experienced less-hospitable times, they are more likely to view the climb up the ladder as more gender-neutral and obtainable.

Additionally, women in privately held businesses, compared to their male counterparts, may more likely see themselves as free to act without being hamstrung by the checks and balances of public companies. They may feel less beholden to the ever-increasing demands of shareholders and perhaps more likely to pursue a long-term view that includes more than the bottom line. For some reason, they are better able to envision themselves at the top in these types of organizations and less hindered by obstacles.

Having a female CEO role model seems to make a difference for women seeking a rise to the top. The challenge is giving more women the same chance to work for a female CEO, up close and personal.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Make It Happen (#MakeItHappen). We should take it seriously. Business people of both genders need to encourage all women to aspire. It is good for women. It is good for men. It is good for business. We need to give female Millennials the right CEO role models whom they can emulate and observe in action. With more women at the top, there will be more aspiring to reach the top, and women, men and the world will all benefit.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the effects of gender differences on CEO and corporate reputation. Be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Leslie Gaines-Ross is the Chief Reputation Strategist at global public relations firm Weber Shandwick. She is one of the world’s most widely recognized experts on reputation — how reputations are built, enhanced and protected. She is the author of two books — CEO Capital: A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success and Corporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation — as well as Reputation Warfare, which appeared in Harvard Business Review and Get Social: A Mandate for New CEOs for MIT Sloan Management Review. Leslie, her husband and their golden retriever live in brownstone Brooklyn. Leslie’s blog can be found at reputationXchange and you can follow her on Twitter at @ReputationRx.

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At age 16, I joined a large company as a trainee word processing operator and at that point, I still felt limited in my ability. The world felt like a very steep hill, and I believed that being a dyslexic girl of colour was holding me back.

But with age comes wisdom, and I realized that it’s important to make the most of what you have. Within the last 10 to 20 years, I began feeling like I had more skills to offer, became more comfortable with my dyslexia, and started embracing the good things that it offers.

For example, I am organised and a great problem solver; I have good relationship skills; and I can, and often do, think outside the box. I have developed lots of valuable skills to help me get along, but most important, I realized that everything in life happens to teach you a lesson and that as individuals, we need to help, encourage and support each other. One word, look or action can change not only your world but the worlds of those around you. If you have ever read The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, you will know that I mean.

This realization has made me enthusiastic about encouraging other people to overcome the things they feel hold them back. I am especially passionate about encouraging girls to explore all of the opportunities now available to them, and to go and “conquer the world.” With help and support, girls and women can stand shoulder to shoulder with men to create a more caring and supportive world.

Throughout my career, I have had a number of woman supervisors over the years and, like any manager — man or woman — some were good, some were not so good, and some were encouraging and supportive. After hearing, “Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions.” from managers along my career journey, I developed strengths that make me really think problems through to figure out the big picture, and always consider how what I want or can do will affect others around me.

At ArchTam, I struck gold with my supervisor Lynn Walker, who is the regional administration manager for London. She has an energy and positive attitude that is catching, she is open to my suggestions and guides me along the way, and I always know that she has my back. Her support isn’t about always saying yes to me, but it is always about helping me develop solutions to problems, and giving me the room to grow and develop.

My experience working with Lynn, coupled with my enthusiasm for helping others, was why I was so happy to take on the responsibility of building on the London Work Experience Programme.

Last year, we hosted 24 students over a six-week programme when they visited 10 different ArchTam departments, explored different roles and gained an understanding of how each department plays its part in the bigger picture of the company. We received amazing feedback from the students, who stated that they felt like members of the team, and we also received positive comments from schools, parents and the host departments! Throughout this process, Lynn has given me lots of support and encouragement.

I love the variety and complexity of this role and being able to encourage and inspire 15- to 18-year-old students to become engineers and architects. I especially enjoy being able to encourage girls to think about becoming engineers; open their eyes to roles they may not have thought about; and help show them that communication and relationship-building are key skills for the future — not just in consultancy but in everyday life.

The world has progressed so quickly from when I was at school, where many people assumed that being dyslexic meant you were unintelligent and that being a girl meant that nursing, secretarial work and being a wife were your only career choices. Although they are all commendable options, they are not the only ways we can use our skills and make a contribution to the world. We are equal and in some cases, can excel quicker in various fields compared to men. It’s important to note that being equal doesn’t mean being “like a man.” Instead, it means using your skills to achieve the same, if not better, results.

Even as a round peg in a square world, I have come to embrace what makes me different. I now realize that a positive word can allow someone to rise to levels they didn’t know they could reach. Every journey starts with a single step, so look back at your life, and chart the footprints of the many people who have made you who you are today. It may be the teacher who was kind to you, the person who wouldn’t let you quit, or the person who opened the door for you and made you feel a little more relaxed as you went to that important job interview.  YOU could be the person who helped and encouraged someone to succeed. I may not even be aware of what I have done, but in a small way, I have changed the world for the better.

Please comment below to share any similar experiences you have or discuss the women who have helped you overcome obstacles in your life. Be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Nina Burgher-Toney is the coordinator of ArchTam’s London Work Experience Programme, which is being rolled out across U.K. offices during 2015. She is also an administrator for the company’s London Commercial Cost Management team.

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In my opinion, one of the hardest things about becoming a leader is letting go.  You spend your professional life working to become a manager with full production and financial control of your projects — a role you obtained because you know every nuance of your projects. But the catch is that you are then expected to delegate, which means trusting someone else to do it as well as you. How does that work?

The progression from working in an entry-level position to becoming an associate, senior associate, and then project manager is pretty linear. However, the jump from project manager to leader is a quantum leap because it isn’t merely a title change — it’s also a transformation in your way of thinking. However, when you let go of your own prejudices, you can truly fly.

I joined one of ArchTam’s legacy companies in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in community planning. So, what did I decide to do with that winning combination? I aspired to be an urban designer and create classic and inspiring spaces through compelling design.

At the time, however, there was an opening in the military-planning studio. The position was offered to me as an interim step until something opened up in urban design. Talk about a niche discipline! Master planning for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)? Never heard of it.  It isn’t covered in any coursework at university; you don’t study it in grade school alongside lessons about firefighters, doctors and teachers; and no one talks about it on TV.  Although People magazine has yet to do a spread on it, the leading professional journal for practitioners covers it under engineering. And, it is highly unlikely that you know someone who is a military master planner.

Regardless, I figured I would put in my time until my urban design position materialized. Seven years later, I was still biding my time for urban design glory, while unconsciously acquiring the language, rhythm and politics of federal DoD planning.

Then, the revelation came while I was still waiting for my big break. I had become a really good military master planner. I had great clients, a firm grasp on process and products, and was working on some really interesting projects. The work involved doing space requirements analysis, master planning, landscape design, strategic visioning and policy impacts, and infrastructure analysis in support of a company town — a military installation. Another plus was that it included urban design, and the town had weapons, planes, ships and tanks that I was able to plan for as well. That’s when I realized it was time to let go of my vision of solely focusing on urban design.

As soon as I embraced this career choice, it became a lot of fun. The universe conspired to bring compelling and innovative projects my way to manage and direct. I had ownership of my federal domain. Through a series of events, I progressed quickly to take leadership of the federal studio, which is when the other dilemma came up. I finally had control, but how was I going to let go and delegate?

And that’s the leadership dilemma that so many leaders — men and women — come to face. You are grooming your replacement even as you are still working the job. However, the smartest strategy — since you are convinced that no one person can replace you — is to assemble a team of practitioners who can support portions of your work. Leadership truly is surrounding yourself with people better than you, and if you have trained them well, they should be able to take the baton and run. It’s also possible that they might stumble, but that is part of the risk and reward of leadership.  Recognize your passion first, and then nurture it in those around you. You won’t regret it.

What do you think is the hardest thing about becoming a leader? Comment below, and be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Komal Dewan is a principal in ArchTam’s federal planning practice and leads the company’s Los Angeles Metro federal market sector in the buildings and places group. Her passion is to be the head cheerleader for her practice. She has a travel-happy family; a very active, extended social life (with visitors who just came THIS weekend!), and vows to write the Great American Novel.

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To provide some context on the importance of mining in Africa, the continent is richly gifted with mineral reserves and ranks either first or second  in its quantity of world reserves of bauxite, cobalt, industrial diamonds, phosphate rock, platinum-group metals and gold — with gold mining as the main mining resource. For many African countries, mineral exploration and beneficiation contributes significantly to their economic growth and gross domestic product. However, there are many challenges in attracting investments in Africa’s mineral industry due to the lack of infrastructure and availability of large pools of skilled resources to support the projects as well as socio-political instability.

The solution to these challenges for the global mining community — mining houses, engineering houses, investors and governments — calls for further development and a deliberate focus on a mining strategy for Africa. This strategy would need to provide for the building and maintenance of sustainable communities that will enable continued business beyond the scope of the projects and life of the mines.

In my experience working in the mining industry, this strategy has not been given the attention and focus it deserves. It is commonly referred to as “corporate social responsibility” or a “corporate social initiative,” which in my opinion, creates a bias toward this being a philanthropic effort rather than a sustainable, long-term business and industry strategy. By giving the right focus and attention to this strategy, the global mining community will create a sustainable environment for the future of mining in Africa. Not only does this create a sustainable environment, it significantly lowers the socio-political risks that often turn investors away from Africa.

There is, indeed, a greater role to play above ground with a strategy such as this that could pave the way for the future and also one that, in recent times, has been taken up by women within Africa’s mining sector. Women like Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, executive chairperson of Kalagadi Manganese Pty Ltd in South Africa, which currently owns the largest manganese sinter plant in the world, are setting the trend in advocating for mining strategies. These strategies are bringing about sustainable environmental solutions on water and carbon emissions, electricity supply, community infrastructure development, local supplier development, education, skills training and the setup of long-term community trusts or funds.

Women in Africa are influencing and driving these pivotal mining strategies particularly when it comes to the decision making, financing, investing, engineering and governance of mining projects in Africa. The mining industry in Africa still has a long way to go — with much of Africa’s resources untapped — and, as it evolves, the role of women in unlocking the present barriers and challenges will grow with it. There is no doubt that a need exists to bring about faster development and increased investor confidence, but the solution lies in looking at mining in Africa with a different perspective — one offered by the women who are leading the way.

What are your thoughts on women leading the mining industry in Africa? Comment below, and be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Fadzai Nyamasve is a senior project engineer in ArchTam’s mining and metals business line in Africa. She has experience in mining resources projects in both Australia and Africa, and is passionate about mining and development in Africa.
LinkedIn:  Fadzai Nyamasve

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Like many of us at ArchTam, I entered the company through a legacy firm — mine happened to be a 100-year-old water and wastewater firm.  In 2001, I began working there as a field chemist on the New England (Region 1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Remedial Action Contract (RAC).  While my legacy firm specialized in water projects, my main duties were more environmentally focused as I was tasked with evaluating hazardous waste sites, collecting environmental samples and writing reports based on the results.

Along the way, I was asked to participate in the re-compete of the EPA RAC project and demonstrated a flair for the business development process.  The sales director from my legacy firm decided to give me a chance to work on other pursuits, and through that relationship, my mentorship program with him began.  Working together, we won the EPA RAC contract, then a Global U.S. Air Force contract, and later, the National and Regional Brownfields contracts.  While I continued to learn about the business development process, I realized that I had discovered a new career.

Eventually, ArchTam become a single firm — One ArchTam — and firms were slotted into business lines, with my legacy firm entering the water business line. I was given the choice of either remaining with my original skill set in the environment business line, or following my mentor over to the water group despite having no background in water or wastewater. I decided to make the leap, and it was a fortuitous decision.

When the ArchTam water business line formed, there was no federal program.  I raised my hand and offered to coordinate our federal efforts with the other business lines, including our new (at the time) government technical services group.  I realized that this would give the water group a seat at the table as we tried to build a federal program.

Around that time, I picked up another mentor, and the three of us began building the federal program within the water business line together.  We set a strategy and relentlessly followed up on developing the program.

As a reference to our progress, in 2006, we had a single opportunity in Salesforce for approximately US$100,000. In 2014, we had our biggest year yet with multi-million-dollar revenue.  And moving forward, our goal is to maintain this momentum and to continue to grow the program.  We are especially excited for our work in fiscal year 2015, which now includes legacy URS, a federal powerhouse.  Moving forward, there is no limit for what we can accomplish as we work together.

While growing the federal program to a multi-million-dollar business has been gratifying in many ways, it is the lessons learned from the process that are the most remarkable. My story is one of senior leadership investing in mentoring staff, and of seeing that our periods of greatest turmoil are often our moments of greatest opportunity and that you can respect your past while creating your own legacy.

What legacy are you creating at ArchTam or other companies? Please share your stories below, and be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Denise Laferte serves as the North America market sector leader for all U.S. federal work within ArchTam’s water group.
LinkedIn: Denise Laferte

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I have been working at ArchTam for more than 11 years as a project manager in the engineering, procurement and construction management department of the infrastructure group. I chose this career path because I believe it is challenging, and allows me to interact with diverse groups of people, solve a variety of complex problems and learn various skills.

Frankly, it is not easy for a woman to work in the construction industry, where the majority of employees on construction sites are men. There were also a lot of adjustments I made that men on site didn’t have to consider such as not being able to wear skirts or short trousers when working on site. I even kept my hairstyle shorter due to the pressing of the safety helmet.

However, the minor inconveniences were worth it because the practical working experience helped me to develop a powerful inner strength and increase my technical knowledge. I’m so thankful that ArchTam has so many excellent technical engineers who have given me strong and timely support whenever I required it. Mainly, I would like to thank two senior discipline engineers — William Zhang, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning engineer, and Blade Chen, an electrical engineer. They are both reliable and always ready to provide any technical professional advice I need.

Looking back at the past 11 years growing up with ArchTam as it expanded, I really feel a deep appreciation for the company. I have been able to work with managers who trust me and continue to provide me with opportunities to further develop myself. For example, I have been placed on various projects, developing my skills in clean room management, building design management, process design management, procurement management, construction management and environmental assessment support. ArchTam has also given me many opportunities for internal and external training. For example, I received my project manager certificate in 2007 and became a LEED Accredited Professional in 2009.

I enjoy the working atmosphere of the company, and the diverse challenges and facets of each project. This is why I have been working at ArchTam for such a long time. As I am now living and working in ArchTam’s office in Suzhou, China, which has a mainly flat landscape, I still find the time to take my seven-year-old son to explore any hills we discover during our free time.

What do you enjoy most about working at ArchTam? Comment below, and be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Lisa Wang is based in China, and works at ArchTam as a project manager for engineering, procurement, and construction management projects. She has had several articles published in Material magazine.

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It’s, of course, a big challenge, but we’re up to it. Why do I think that? Well, I’m a living example of the opportunities a company like ArchTam — with its commitment to diversity and inclusion — can offer women.

I first started with our company more than 20 years ago as a planner, and today I’m Chief Executive, leading a 3,000-person-strong team of talented specialists who work with our clients to achieve some pretty amazing things.

As one of the only women  leading a company this size in our industry across Australia and New Zealand, I’m immensely proud, but I also feel the responsibility to do what I can to ensure the next generation of talented women has the same opportunities as me to reach the top of their chosen field, whatever that field might be.

Put simply, diversity and equality make good business sense. At ArchTam, in more than 150 countries, this is the way we want to do business. It’s not just because we want to ensure both women and men receive the same opportunities; our clients, too, have also told us how important it is to do business with firms that are showing real leadership in addressing the issues of pay inequality and unconscious bias. If we want to remain an employer of choice and trusted client partner, demonstrating a commitment to discussing these issues and, more importantly, acting to address them, is essential.

With 30 percent of our 3,000-strong Australia and New Zealand team currently being women, I’m the first to admit we have room for improvement, across a range of metrics.

Since becoming Chief Executive, I’ve sought to initiate open, frank conversations around the structural, cultural and unconscious barriers faced by our women, and the actions needed to overcome them.

Our mCircles network, for example, provides mentoring opportunities for women and a forum to discuss, explore and support. Online, meanwhile, debate and discussion are flourishing across geographies through our WomenExcel group on our internal social media platform.

But it’s not just about making it easier for women to access appropriate career support and networking opportunities internally. By attracting an army of supporters externally, across industries, we can contribute to a comprehensive, international and year-round conversation about how we can unlock the full potential of women in businesses of all sizes, in all industries.

I’m proud, for example, to be one of 62 Australian business leaders to have signed on as an ambassador for the Australian government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA’s) In Your Hands campaign. My ambassadorial role is to encourage other business leaders to recognise pay equity as a key business imperative.

We’re currently working with the WGEA to assess any pay gaps and develop solutions to bring about pay equity. Meanwhile, industry mentoring programs in Australia including the National Association of Women in Construction, and others as part of the Committee for Melbourne and Roads Australia, are all building to a point where gender equality is emerging from the fringes to be an integral part of how organisations develop, progress and succeed.

At ArchTam, we’re focusing on long-term lead indicators such as development opportunities for women, promoting more women from within the organisation, and hiring more women into leadership roles from outside our business.

We believe that conducting gender pay reviews when we first hire women will help, along with ensuring that salaries of women on maternity leave keep up with their peers who have not taken a career break.

These few initial focus areas are only the beginning. It’s through setting achievable targets that we build momentum for positive change while empowering women to take control of their careers —  that is paramount to our efforts.

It’s time to get serious; it’s time to “make it happen.”

What are you going to do to ensure #WomenExcel? Comment below, and be sure to use the #WomenExcel hashtag when you share this post on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Lara Poloni is chief executive, Australia New Zealand, at ArchTam and leads a 3,000-person-strong team of designers, engineers, planners, scientists, economists and project managers across 25 central business districts, regional and project offices. Lara is a member of the global ArchTam Executive Committee as well as a member of ArchTam’s Asia-Pacific leadership team.
LinkedIn: Lara Poloni

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