Having women in leadership roles is simply good business: Pooja Thakran
Thakran, senior director - corp comm, CSR for Honeywell, tells us about what makes a successful women leader, gender parity in the boardroom and the influence her mother had on her corporate success
There is nothing a woman cannot achieve once she sets her mind on it. Her spirit is indomitable, focus unwavering and perseverance steadfast. It is this unfaltering resilience that we celebrate annually on March 8 – International Women's Day.
Honouring the contributions of women in the PR and Corp Comm sector, exchange4media PR & Corp Comm is running a 'Women Achievers Series'. It will feature the journey, success and achievements of some of the top women leaders from the Public Relations and Corporate Communications fraternity.
Today, we have Pooja Thakran, senior director - corporate communications, CSR for Honeywell, who shares her thoughts on women leadership, the educational prorammes the organisation is running and why she feels women are more suited for PR and communication roles.
Excerpts from the interview:
What are your thoughts on the theme for International Women's Day 2023 – DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality?
The DIGITALL theme for the United Nations Observance of International Women's Day is praiseworthy since it recognises and celebrates the important contributions of women in advancing transformative technology and digital education. By exploring the impact of the digital gender gap on economic and social inequalities, the theme highlights the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online gender-based violence. Inclusive and transformative technology and digital education are crucial for a sustainable future.
Women possess a distinct skill set that enables community-driven thinking, making them a crucial asset in fields impacted by Artificial Intelligence. Women's perspectives are critical in the development of extended realities like VR, AR and MR. As academic institutions increasingly use VR, the lack of women's access to these technologies is becoming problematic. To promote diversity, equity and inclusion in technology, we need more women leading the charge.
To ensure Honeywell contributes to digital inclusion, especially enabling underprivileged girls to take up STEM education, we run multiple programmes, including the Honeywell Student Empowerment Program that offers global certification in technical skills like AI, Data analytics, ML, etc. to girls in their final year of graduation. Around 80 'Centers of Excellence for Youth Empowerment' and 'Centers of Excellence for Women Empowerment' are set up across colleges in several states for this cause. Honeywell committed INR 10 crore in the first year to develop these centres, which will offer certifications in AI, ML, Big Data Analytics and Nanotechnology. This upskilling programme has empowered over 13,000 students already – half of whom are women.
A lot has been discussed on the influence of women and their leadership in PR. In your view, what has changed in these last few decades?
The advent of Covid-19 placed an emphasis on the importance of communication skills. Given that AI now automates a plethora of internal tasks, interpersonal skills have become one of the most sought-after skills among employers and organisations. With corporates realising the importance of soft skills and the critical role they play in an organisation, putting women in leadership positions and increasing female representation in the corporate landscape has become a business imperative.
There has been some improvement in the number of women in leadership roles in recent years, but there is still a long way to go to achieve gender parity. According to a 2021 report by McKinsey & Company, women's representation in senior leadership positions has increased by 2 percentage points globally over the past year, reaching 29 per cent. However, this still falls far short of gender parity and varies significantly by region, with North America having the highest representation of women in leadership roles (36 percent) and Asia having the lowest (24 per cent).
Numerous pieces of research have highlighted that only 20 per cent of women sit on board globally. What's your take on the value women leaders in PR bring to the board room?
Having more women in leadership positions is not only crucial for the PR and corporate environment but also makes good business sense, potentially improving a company's reputation and radically increasing employee retention. Women see avid success as PR specialists since the occupation requires one to listen to and empathise with their clients, work well in teams and be fierce advocates for their clients. These are also skills that make good managers and strong leaders. Having women in leadership roles is simply good business. A study by workplace-research group Catalyst took a look at 353 Fortune 500 companies and found that those with the highest representation of women in senior management teams had a higher return on equities and returns to shareholders—by more than a third.
According to surveys, women hold anywhere from 61 per cent to 85 per cent of all PR jobs, and 59 per cent of all PR managers are female. But as you mentioned, only 20 per cent of women sit on the board of these companies. This lopsided figure needs to be lifted.
Tell us about your journey. What inspired you and who has been your hero?
In my career journey spanning 30 years, I have had the good fortune of working across sectors and have come across many people who inspired me to be my best. My mother, who herself was an HR professional with a leading automotive company, is one of these heroes. Her work ethic and professionalism within a male-dominated corporate landscape was inspiring. I am also inspired by Kiran Bedi, who was courage and commitment personified. Indira Nooyi is another great woman leader who has had a career that exemplifies high morals, strong commitment and resilience. These women shaped the way I grew as a professional – challenging the Status Quo, being committed to performance, delivering high-quality work, and creating high-impact and ethically-strong teams that drive value.
Your message to future leaders?
I always believe there is no shortcut to success. It is pure hard work. Success comes to those who work for it. I am a firm believer that attitude is the key to success. As the saying goes - “Your attitude decides your altitude”.
