International law firm Ince hosted an “Each for Equal” International Women’s Day (IWD) panel debate on Friday 6th March 2020 at their Aldgate Tower offices. Moderated by Chris Sheppardson, Founder of EP Business in Hospitality and the Chess Partnership, the panel comprised Lopa Patel MBE, Chair of Diversity UK; Anne-Marie Taylor, Associate Client Partner at Korn Ferry; Jill McMillan, Director at Jill McMillan Associates and Nishma Gosrani OBE, Director at Deloitte in London.
Attended by 100 of the firm’s employees and guests, attendees also discussed this year’s theme IWD theme #eachforequal and what it means to men and women, as well as the workplace approach to gender equality; the panel members’ experiences of career progression, challenges overcome; the benefit of role models, the issues of quotas and targets and the key initiatives that bosses need to take to ensure a future pipeline of female leaders in business.
About the speakers
Lopa Patel MBE
Chair, Diversity UK
Lopa Patel is a digital entrepreneur with significant experience of creating start-ups and transforming businesses through technology. The founder of two ventures in online media and a data-driven marketing consultancy, she is also the Chair of equality and inclusion think tank Diversity UK; a Trustee of The Science Museum Group and a Non-Executive Director of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
She is an ambassador for entrepreneurship, innovation and technology and has been recognised with accolades including an MBE for services to the creative industries; the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion and an Honorary Doctorate by The Open University, in recognition of her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in science and technology and her broader contribution to British industry, society and culture.
Anne-Marie Taylor
Associate Client Partner at Korn Ferry
Anne-Marie has a multi-sector corporate and consulting background and over 20 years’ experience working with Boards and senior teams advising on diversity and organisational capability.
Anne-Marie is a specialist in diversity and inclusion, executive succession, talent management, executive assessment and development. Previously Anne-Marie has worked at the London Stock Exchange, and has held consulting engagements with FTSE and Fortune clients from a range of sectors introducing talent management, volume selection and graduate programmes.
Jill McMillan
Director at Jill McMillan Associates
Jill McMillan is the CEO of her own leadership development consultancy and has developed her own unique brand to help businesses excel the potential of individuals, and combine it with changing systems, market and demands.
Previously Jill worked with Accenture, Royal Bank of Scotland, Merrill lynch and Bank of America before starting her own successful business. Jill is also a director of Emerging Leaders, a not-for-profit organisation that exists to bring tangible hope to the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Nishma Gosrani OBE
Director at Deloitte
Nishma is a Director at Deloitte in London and is part of the financial services consulting team with a specific focus on banking, capital markets and asset management.
Nishma was awarded with an OBE in the 2020 Honours List for promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of British life. She pioneered Gender Pay Gap reporting and subsequent changes to the Equality Act. Her address titled ‘Equality Matters’ on IWD in 2016 led to a rare standing ovation from the public gallery at the House of Commons.
Chris Sheppardson
Founder of EP Business in Hospitality and the Chess Partnership
Chris founded EP Business in Hospitality and the Chess Partnership, which is one of the Industry’s leading executive management recruitment and consultancy business for the hospitality industry.
Chris has published a number of books on both hospitality and sport. He is also a Trustee of two charities: The Brand Foundation, supporting innovation and entrepreneurs, and The One and All Foundation, improving Diversity in Hospitality.
International Women’s Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual
An equal world is an enabled world.
Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.
Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.
Let’s all be #EachforEqual.
Equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue.
So let’s build a gender equal world.
Equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue.
Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive.
A gender equal world can be healthier, wealthier and more harmonious – so what’s not great about that?
The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, a gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal workplaces, gender equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth … so let’s make it happen.
Let’s be #EachforEqual.
#EachforEqual is about ‘Collective Individualism’
The IWD 2020 campaign theme is drawn from a notion of ‘Collective Individualism.’
We are all parts of a whole. Our individual actions, conversations, behaviors and mindsets can have an impact on our larger society.
Collectively, we can make change happen. Collectively, we can each help to create a gender equal world.
We can all choose to be #EachforEqual.
Year long activity and collaboration
The 2020 #EachforEqual campaign runs all year long. It doesn’t end on International Women’s Day.
The campaign theme provides a unified direction to guide and galvanize continuous collective action, with #EachforEqual activity reinforced and amplified all year.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The first International Women’s Day occurred in 1911, supported by over one million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.
Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
For further information visit https://www.internationalwomensday.com/