One of my first jobs was with a company that made engines for Formula 1 cars. Going to the track with the engine builders and stepping into the pit lane was exhilarating. There is something unforgettable about standing just feet from a racing car as it blurs past at 200mph in a scream of engine noise.
But it was a macho world too. On Friday afternoons the whole crew would go to the pub, and they took me with them. I was included as ‘one of the lads’. I might have preferred a white wine and soda, but I would be handed half a beer all the same. It was their way of welcoming me, their way of helping me fit in.
It was a moment in time when women were making long-overdue breakthroughs in society and industry. We were moving into jobs and sectors long dominated by men. When I was moved from the main office to one on the factory floor there was no women’s bathroom. They had never needed one before, but they built one for me.
Sometimes, an organisation’s culture lags behind its goals for equality
At the time, the rarity of women didn’t bother me. In the years since I haven’t had negative experiences of sexism. In fact, throughout my career, some of my greatest supporters and advocates have been men. But it was a different time back then, and I think it is far less likely that a young woman entering the workforce today would be treated differently from their male colleagues. We have moved on from the days when I first walked into a boardroom in the print and packaging industry, when it was just me and the female HR director in a room of men. But there’s still more to do.
Question of culture
I don’t think it’s necessarily to do with individual prejudice. It’s more a question of culture and of organisations failing to confront ingrained bias or being blind to it. Most businesses have all sorts of rules and regulations about fairness and equality, but sometimes, in spite of having all these polices in place, the culture in an organisation lags behind its goals for equality.
One of the most frequent messages I hear from senior leaders is that they can’t find the great talent they need to grow their businesses. Brilliant people are a scarce resource, and it’s really hard to find them, recruit them and keep them.
Alarm bells should ring if women are underrepresented on the senior team
It seems really odd that any ambitious business would tolerate any barrier between itself and the talented employees it needs if it is to thrive. A look at the senior team is instructive: if women are underrepresented there, alarm bells should ring. It isn’t just a question of business, or ethics or governance – it’s all three. And it’s the business need that ultimately drives real, long-lasting change.
I love hearing young accountants talking about their hopes and dreams. I don’t sense much difference in the attitudes of the women compared to the men’s – and they’re perfectly happy to go to the bar and get their own drink.
When women do choose to pursue accountancy, I am delighted – confident that it is a career filled with purpose, satisfaction and endless fascination. I urge them to reach as high as their talents and ambitions will take them. And when a door to opportunity opens up, I hope they walk through it and hold it open for the women who follow.
