Today marks International Women’s Day, a global celebration first launched in 1911, dedicated to honoring the achievements of women worldwide and spotlighting the ongoing efforts required to achieve gender parity. This year, the theme is Inspire Inclusion, emphasizing the importance of creating diverse and equitable environments for all.
In addition to celebrating the strides made concerning workforce diversity in recent years, it’s crucial to reflect on the ongoing journey toward gender equality, especially in the tech industry. In Canada, women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, making up less than one-quarter of the workforce. At S4A, we take pride in our 35% female representation, a true reflection of our steadfast commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within our company.
Living our Core Values – the Benefits of Having a Diverse Workforce
At S4A, diversity isn’t just a buzzword; it’s ingrained as one of our six core corporate values. We firmly believe that a diverse workforce isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also just good business. Studies have consistently shown that companies with diverse teams outperform their homogenous counterparts in innovation, creativity, and financial performance. The case for embracing diversity is strong:
- Diversity fosters creativity and innovation – when people with different viewpoints come together, they bring a variety of ideas to the table
- Diversity enhances problem-solving capabilities – by tapping into a range of perspectives, we can tackle complex challenges more effectively, leading to better outcomes
- Diversity improves employee satisfaction and retention – when employees feel valued and included, they are more engaged, productive, and loyal to their organization
According to a report by McKinsey, companies with gender-diverse executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability than their less-diverse counterparts. Similarly, a study by Boston Consulting Group found that companies with diverse management teams generated 19% higher revenue due to innovation.
Diversity in Action: Spotlight on S4A’s Female Talent
Join us for an insightful Q&A session with some of the remarkable women who are helping to drive growth and excellence at S4A.
Nicole Babush – Leading our PMO
As the head of the Project Management Office (PMO) at S4A, Nicole Babush leads efforts to streamline project management processes and ensure alignment with strategic business goals.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in project management?
A: With a background in psychology, I naturally gravitated towards collaborative roles that involved working with a diverse team to achieve a common goal. This, combined with my inclination towards organization, communication, and leadership, sparked my interest in exploring project management as a career path. Seeing projects come to fruition, delivering tangible results, and contributing to overall growth and innovation is incredibly rewarding for me.
Q: Have you encountered any specific challenges or barriers as a woman in the field of project management, and if so, how have you overcome them?
One challenge I’ve encountered is the presence of gender biases and stereotypes, which can sometimes lead to being underestimated or overlooked in certain professional settings. To overcome this, I’ve focused on consistently demonstrating my skills, expertise, and leadership abilities through my work. By consistently delivering results and earning the respect of my peers and superiors, I’ve been able to challenge and break down these stereotypes.
Oxana Li – Our Supply Chain Specialist
With over 15 years of experience and a keen focus on delivering value and leveraging technology for business transformations, Oxana Li is committed to driving operational excellence through strategic leadership and efficient ERP solutions implementation.
Q: What is your approach to problem-solving and innovation in your field?
I bring an empathetic approach to problem-solving. Organizations often forget that at the center of any digital transformation is a user, and it is important to understand how individual users are affected by the technology. My passion for innovation is fueled by the desire to make a positive impact on people’s daily work and not overwhelm them with more complexity.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your goals or aspirations for the future in terms of your career in technology?
I love my work. It is exciting to learn about business processes in organizations and the challenges my supply chain peers face in their work. Solving these challenges requires multi-faceted business and technology expertise and, looking ahead, I want to continue being part of these digital transformation journeys.
I’d also like to shift the expectation in business that tech should be a skill we expect of users. If users feel less empowered in their jobs because technology tools are complex and not intuitive, it’s a technology problem, not a user problem. I want to give users powerful and easy-to-use tools so they can focus on their job and not be hindered by tech.
Cristyane Michelli – Product Owner and Customer Support Manager
As a Product Owner for our Maestro solution, Cristyane Michelli takes on the added responsibility of overseeing our Application Management Support (AMS) program.
Q: What challenges have you faced as a woman in the software industry, and how have you navigated them?
When I started in the software industry, I faced a lack of recognition for completing certain tasks and a lack of support for my professional growth. These challenges were overcome with determination to want to change, through learning day-by-day, and the people I had the opportunity to meet who contributed to the writing of a new story.
Q: What steps do you think are necessary to increase gender diversity within the tech sector?
The vision of leaders/managers should consider the ability of women to work in the technological sector, recognizing that their ideas and commitment will always contribute to the growth of the field. Providing women with training in technology courses and implementing internal actions within companies to support career changes are essential steps.
Our All-Female Sales & Marketing Team
As our Marketing Lead, Farayola Joaquim is spearheading efforts to elevate our marketing endeavors to new heights through the development and implementation of impactful strategies.
On the sales front, Nancy Estabrooks, Donna Simnica, and Jyoti Sahota draw from their collective 60 years of B2B expertise to help solve client pain points and maximize their SAP investment through our comprehensive suite of software and delivery solutions.
Farayola – given your extensive experience in the field, how have you seen the role of women evolve in marketing within the IT industry? What changes do you anticipate in the coming years?
It has evolved tremendously. I am deeply inspired by the achievements of women who have established themselves in this field and those who are still carving out their space. This progress is a testament to the efforts of our predecessors, whose hard work has paved the way for us to face fewer obstacles.
I know that there is still much progress to be made but looking ahead, I anticipate further positive changes in the coming years. I expect to see an increase in female leadership within the IT sector and an even more diverse group.
Mentorships will become more prevalent, providing crucial support and guidance for women across different career phases. I also believe, there will be greater emphasis on recognizing and valuing the unique insights women contribute to technology and appreciating the importance of cultural diversity and the varied experiences women, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, bring. Such perspectives are invaluable to fostering creativity and innovation in IT. This shift towards embracing diversity will ultimately enrich the IT sector.
Nancy – can you describe your journey into sales?
My journey into sales started at a very young age. My father was a maintenance man at the local golf course in the small town I grew up in. In the summer I loved going to the golf course. As a small kid of six or seven I would tag along with him and my older brother. My brother and I would find golf balls that the golfers lost in the woods or the reeds and we would sell them back to the golfers. My brother was great at collecting and finding the golf balls, but I was the salesperson who did the wheeling and dealing with the golfers.
Sales is a tough field and rewarding all at once. It is important to be honest, carry yourself with a high degree of integrity, and always be upfront and honest with your clients.
Donna – how do you approach building and maintaining relationships with clients and prospects?
I approach them with the understanding that, like me, they are humans, with busy jobs, and lives outside of work, and want to be treated as such. The most important thing is to truly listen to them and make sure they know that they’re heard and understood. Additionally, I make sure they know that I am truly their advocate. I am rooting for their success. Not everyone trusts salespeople, and that’s fair, I can understand that perspective. But I try to help my clients understand that even if they don’t trust me on a deeper level, they can at least trust that at a minimum, I understand that my success ultimately depends on their success, and therefore, they can count on me to do whatever I possibly can to ensure that we “win” together.
Jyoti – what initiatives or resources do you think could further support the professional development and advancement of women in sales roles?
I think it’s crucial to foster an environment where women feel empowered to thrive, especially in a competitive field like sales, where rejections are common. Learning from your setbacks and finding those elusive wins. Additionally, creating a culture of collaboration and teamwork is essential. By supporting each other and learning from our mistakes, we can navigate challenges more effectively and achieve success together. Women need to embrace a team player spirit to champion their innate abilities in sales. We soar as a team not as individuals.
Our Operations Team
Behind the scenes, we have Susana Aravena-Choi and Catalina Zak – the driving forces behind our operational, financial, and human resources functions. Through their dedicated efforts, they ensure the smooth functioning of crucial components essential to our company’s success.
Susana – would you mind sharing something interesting about your professional journey.
We can’t talk about International Women’s Day without acknowledging how motherhood affects professional careers. For my family, we were fortunate enough to sustain a single-income household for a while. However, between childcare expenses and the extra attention required to raise a child with special needs, this eventually led to the traditional scenario where I, as the woman, took a break from my professional pursuits. I’ve read about countries like Sweden, where joint parental leave and provide affordable childcare are offered, enabling both men and women to manage family responsibilities while maintaining their careers. Seems like a truly fantastic approach.
Catalina – can you share some insights about your professional journey in Chile vs what it has looked like since moving to Canada?
I moved to Canada almost 11 years ago and something that initially caught my attention was that when looking for a job here a photo was not required to be included along with your resume. This was impactful, realizing that physical appearance wasn’t a factor in job applications, a contrast from Chile. I’ve also observed that factors like your last name, the community where you live, or your alma mater don’t affect the hiring process as much here.
Salaries are very much lower for women in Chile, even if you have the same qualifications as a male counterpart, you will usually be paid less. Another interesting difference is the focus on age. In Chile, it is very hard to find a good position during your fertile years, as companies will avoid hiring women who may become pregnant.
Since 2018, following a significant feminist movement in Chile, there has been legislative change underway to better ensure gender equality concerning salary and employee rights, and to provide more protection in terms of sexual harassment. There is still lots of progress to be made though.
One thing that I love about working in Canada is that no matter how old you are, it is never too late to study or start something new.
