International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. It originated from labor movements in North America and Europe in the early 20th century and became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977.
Tealium took time out on Monday to celebrate women in technology with two global events to accommodate our different regions and time zones. Tealium leaders, Tealium customers, and inspirational women from around the world shared with us their stories of overcoming adversity and navigating complex organizational structures. The theme throughout was to explore how we all can support a better, more equal, future for all.
Our keynote speaker was Rosemary Turner, former president at UPS. This hard-working woman joined the company to pay for college (she drove a route in Compton, California). Over the course of 40 years, Rosemary rose through the ranks, eventually attaining president of various regions, culminating in overseeing the large Northern California region. She has a powerful story of resilience and being her authentic self, while working in a male-dominated environment. To gain respect, Rosemary initially tried to be what she thought people wanted her to be; but ultimately, she learned that direct communication and collaboration while successfully managing profit and loss, grew respect — AND business. Rosemary advocates for companies to accept the challenge of International Women’s Day: Women make good leaders because they combine compassion and empathy with operations and strategy.
Other panels were equally inspiring. We heard from panels of women about taking chances and not preselecting ourselves out of jobs. That learning is growing. And women can lead the way in supporting diversity and inclusivity. Finally, male Tealium leaders bravely spoke about ways the company and they personally can work to build a culture where everyone feels comfortable and supported.
2020 was a challenging year — especially for women. The pandemic intensified challenges working women already faced and many left or were forced to leave the workforce. The pipeline of future women leaders decreased in just under a year. Tealium is one company that is building a more flexible and empathetic workplace where women feel they can be successful. We have some room to improve in gender diversity, but the words and actions from the executive leadership team show they are committed to building a culture of equality and inclusion.
Rising tides lift all boats.
