This is the fourth edition of the Global Women in PR (GWPR) Annual Index reveals that progress towards equality continues to be extremely slow. The survey observed that despite the global PR industry being two-thirds female, men still occupy the majority of the seats at the (boardroom) table.
FutureCIO spoke to Kristin Hays, senior vice president of global communications at Sabre, for her take on how progress for gender equality continues to be a work in progress.
If you look at the industry that you are in, what is the most prevalent obstacle to diversity and inclusion?
Kristin Hays: We all understand there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to promoting or proliferating inclusion and diversity across any industry. Yet, there are two significant factors critical to ensuring that women in technology can confidently pursue their ambitions and reach their full potential.
First and foremost, it is essential to have the right role models – and champions for women – in senior positions. Female team members at Sabre can often look to their colleagues or managers to discover relatable role models that inspire them to carve out their own, unique career paths.
Having the unwavering support of senior and C-suite leaders, however, is the key to truly lifting and amplifying female voices and ambitions.
Secondly, having an effective pathway to identify and develop female talent is paramount. We’re keenly focused on enhancing the ways we recognise high-potential female team members and support them along their career journeys.
We know that the more we nurture our women leaders with strong talent development strategies, the more our team members will gain and the more our business will flourish.
I’m proud to say we have fantastic female leaders and rising stars in APAC and across the globe. It’s an honour to have many of our female leaders consistently featured in the 50 most powerful women in technology list and two of our female leaders were recently recognised as top 50 women in travel by GBTA WINiT.
We’re also thrilled to have just won the Best Company Culture award and Best CEO from Comparably, based on employee feedback across 16 different categories, including leadership, team, environment, compensation, career growth, perks and benefits, work-life balance and company outlook.
It’s also worth noting that we have been particularly mindful during the selection process for new additions to our board of directors. One example is the addition of Rachel Gonzalez to our board. Rachel served as executive vice president, law & corporate affairs, and general counsel of Starbucks Coffee Corporation, and she brings with her significant business, governance, and legal acumen.
Wendi Sturgis, who has over 25 years of experience at some of the world’s largest tech companies, is another recent board addition. It’s also a pleasure to have Phyllis Newhouse – who was CEO of Xtreme Solutions and served in the U.S. Army – on our board. The Sabre board now looks much more representative of our team members than it once did, and we look forward to building on that momentum.
The IWD 2023 theme is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality suggests technology can, and should, be used as a tool to improve DEI: What is your view on this?
Kristin Hays: I wholeheartedly agree. As a travel technology company, we’re focused on creating a new marketplace for personalised travel that connects people with experiences that matter. As a place to work, we’re harnessing that same philosophy.
"What has traditionally held many women back in their careers is trying to fit themselves into a workplace mould that doesn’t work for them. Through technology, we hope to connect women with the resources and people that will propel their careers to new heights."
Kristin Hays
We know that career journeys are as unique and varied as the people who make them, and we launched our Work from Anywhere (WFA) program during the pandemic to accommodate team members’ individual needs and circumstances.
Through remote working tools and technology that provide team members with flexibility, our employees can choose to work remotely, in the office, or a mix, based on what works best for their role, their leaders and their career path.
Best of all, WFA allows team members to work and drive their careers in ways that fit their lifestyles – unrestricted by personal commitments, preferred working styles or geographic location.
Beyond our WFA program, we’ve invested in a host of new technology tools and resources to enhance the team member experience both day-to-day and in the longer term.
One example is our online training designed to dispel unconscious bias within the workplace through education and awareness. We also empower our leaders with online education to help them understand how they can support each of their team members’ diverse needs and career aspirations.
Our well-being efforts, mostly driven directly by technology, give our team members opportunities to improve or restore mental and physical balance. Partnerships with digital health solution, Burnalong, and mindfulness app, Headspace, help team members maintain healthy habits inside and outside of work. We also offer team members financial, psychological, and medical benefit options to support themselves, their families or their careers.
Among DEI initiatives at Sabre, which for you has had the most significant impact? What lessons can we draw from it?
Kristin Hays: Our inclusion groups, most certainly. At Sabre, inclusion and diversity is a fundamental thread woven within the fabric of the company, supporting our team members, our business strategy, and the communities in which we live and work.
We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where our team members – with their broad, rich, and unique differences – bring their full selves to work, contribute their best, and feel a true sense of belonging.
At the heart of this effort are our inclusion groups; teams that inspire awareness, understanding and appreciation for a wide spectrum of causes.
We have our Women in Technology (WiT) group to attract, engage, develop and retain women in technology positions at Sabre, with active chapters across the globe, including in Bangalore.
WiT exists to build a community through common bonds, act as a catalyst for promoting technology professionals at Sabre and provide mentorship opportunities for our tech-savvy women who deliver the technology behind travel.
Our other women-focused inclusion group is the Women’s Career Network (WCN). Launched in 2021, WCN is an organisation that gives women the opportunity to further their careers through coaching, mentoring, and networking.
The group also aims to enable high-potential women to break the glass ceiling, champion fair and equal access to leadership opportunities, and have a voice and representation in all management forums.
The best part? These groups are all completely employee-led, and anyone is welcome to join any group or suggest a new one. We know that, together, we enrich Sabre with a diversity of thought, perspective, and experience.
There is a stereotype that women are at a disadvantage when it comes to senior leadership roles. How can Asian professionals break this barrier?
Kristin Hays: I believe what’s most important is that women, and team members in general, own their careers. The wealth of talent we have at Sabre is incredibly impressive, and we’re committed to ensuring we can unleash that talent.
Just as we aren’t telling our team members where and how they need to work, or which inclusion groups they should join, we aren’t dictating what someone’s career should look like.
It’s up to each of our team members to think about – and express with their managers – where they want to be and how they want to arrive. They must chart the course, and we’ll always ensure we’re creating consistent wind in their sails to reach their career destination.
What, in your opinion, will lead to more women participating in leadership roles, particularly at the C-suite level?
Kristin Hays: Everything we’ve discussed! We must all continue supporting the women leaders of today while sustaining momentum for the female trailblazers of tomorrow. Let’s all take an active role in reminding women that if they’re driven to succeed, we as leaders are just as determined to help them attain their goals.
