Invesco Event: The Women in the Arena
The Women in the Arena
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Speakers: Opening Remarks provided by Donna Wilson, Head of Investment Due Diligence. Panelists: Allison Dukes, Chief Financial Officer, and, Suzanne Christensen, Chief Risk Officer.
Overview: The session was an interactive forum that celebrated courageous women who inspire and empower future leaders. The theme of the event was based on a Theodore Roosevelt quote originally addressing “the man in the arena” and now adapted: “it is not the critic who counts … the credit belongs to the (wo)man who is actually in the arena … who strives valiantly; who errs … but who does actually strive to do the deeds … who at the best knows the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if (s)he fails while daring greatly, so that (her) place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat”
Key Insights: The panelists shared their experience across three key areas: defining moments in the Arena, managing through failure, and, embracing the diversity & Arena.
- “Don’t watch the game, get in the game and get in the Arena! Don’t focus on the short game, focus on the long game.” Allison Dukes
- “You must put yourself out there and advocate for yourself, raise your hand.You can learn so much through volunteering.” Suzanne Christensen
- Don’t run from a challenge.Crises provide opportunities to shine, to be calm under pressure and to demonstrate leadership. Tackle what you can, try to anticipate what’s next; it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
- Be deliberate, don’t just let things happen to you.Seek out the wisdom of others and use your experiences, and mistakes and failures, to build your own wisdom and inform your future.
- Working from a place of humanity and authenticity is critical. Operating at the highest integrity, highest performance and being your authentic self is the only way to deal with critics.
- Don’t wait for someone to read your mind, take it upon yourself to identify your career goals and proactively work to get the support you need to develop the skills to get there.
- Gender-diversity is critical and there was never a better time to be a woman in the workplace.We are all committed to diversity; look for opportunities to open doors for others and recognize when doors are being opened for you.We also must also think about the intersectionality we have aside from gender.