“Never let anyone make you feel inferior of who you are. What you’re often criticized for, is most likely going to be your strength in life.” – Natalie Lowe, Managing Partner, The Orangeblowfish: An international creative and branding agency. (BCom ‘99). Photo: Supplied
“If I asked you to imagine a ‘typical’ leader in tech, I wouldn’t expect you to picture a female of Asian descent. This social norm needs to change.” – Marina Wu, Co-Founder at Earlywork: An online careers community for young people looking to break into tech and startups (BCom ‘20) (pictured centre). Photo: Supplied
“I encourage women to believe in themselves, and change the language so that the next generation doesn't feel the need to refer to gender in leadership roles.” – Dagmar Schmidmaier AM, Director, The Thinking Woman Co: A company that offers leadership programs to women to achieve beyond their expectations, and conquer biases (MLib ‘85). Photo: Supplied
“We are not born with bias, we learn it. And while that's disappointing, it does mean we can change it.” – Dominique Powis, Chief Technology Officer, MedicalDirector: A clinical and practice management software and services provider for healthcare professionals (MBT ‘09). Photo: Supplied
“We’ve been taught to identify and improve our weaknesses – but my belief is that building on your core strengths is key to career success.” – Apoorva Kallianpur, Senior Commercial Manager, Vocus: An international telecommunications company (BCom ‘13). Photo: Supplied
“If decision-makers slow down, and fully consider all the information, it can be a game-changer for diversity, innovation and the evolution of business.” – Sarah Hyland, Founder & Head of Purpose, Together Business: A Chartered Accounting firm specialising in small business coaching, growth and support (BCom ‘13). Photo: Supplied
“During COVID, innovation has been critical. This has seen the rise of more female leaders pushing the boundaries on what is possible.” – Raquelle Zuzarte, Founder & CMO, Equity Project For All: A strategic consultancy focused on maximising growth through purpose. (MBA, ‘97)
What biases exist in the world of work? And what do the next generation of business leaders need to know? UNSW Business School alumnae share their insights ahead of International Women’s Day 2022.