PWN Dublin: Corporate Partner Roundtable

January is traditionally a time when we reflect on past lessons and set goals or intentions for the coming year – things we would like to achieve or do better. It’s no different for PWN Dublin.

On 9th January 2020, PWN Dublin joined with its Corporate Partners to reflect on the past year and to collaboratively plan and strategise how we can advance our mission to support diversity, inclusion and gender balanced leadership in 2020 and beyond.

This year, one of PWN Dublin’s Corporate Partners, ESB, kindly hosted the event.  ESB (Electricity Supply Board) is Ireland’s state-owned electricity company.  ESB’s own Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, Ms. Bernie O’ Connor, kick-started the event with an uplifting and inspiring introduction in which she explained how ESB is embracing inclusion, diversity and equity in their organisation.  You may recall that Bernie was the well-deserved winner of an inaugural PWN Global Gender Balanced Leadership Award, in the category of Training Initiative of the Year Award last year, and it’s no wonder when you see and hear the work they’ve been doing.  They truly are a shining light in diversity and inclusion.  

See below two of the videos which promote diversity, inclusion and values at ESB:

BeMe @ ESB

ESB Company Values

Our Corporate Partners, on the day, came from a wide range of industries, including communications, power transmission, aviation, HR & leadership, banking & finance and software.

Engagement from Corporate Partners ensured varied and interesting discussions, which gave PWN Dublin a true insight on what is happening “on the ground”, and how we can help support these organisations in their quest for gender balanced leadership.  We are grateful to all of our Corporate Partners for their continued support or our network and our mission.

Some of the outcomes from the roundtable highlighted that:

• Further availability of statistics and benchmarking is required to drive organisations internal conversations.
• Diversity relates to gender, skills and thought; we need to break stereotypes.
• More male engagement is required – men as allies.
• PWN Dublin can support Corporate Partners by continuing to hold relevant and thought-provoking events and by facilitating networking opportunities. The unanimous belief held view by participants was that events should continue to be gender-neutral.
• Mentoring would help to assist members in achieving their goals.  PWN Dublin were delighted to be able to tell our Corporate Partners about our new Pilot Mentoring Program which begins in spring 2020 (watch this space for more details in the following months).

I think it’s true to say that we left the roundtable feeling positive and motivated and with a sense of belonging.  At PWN Dublin, we are truly privileged to be part of such a wide community who are generous of time and spirit who teach us as much as we teach them.

On November 12th this year, we will hold our second PWN Global Gender Balanced Leadership Awards and we are delighted that the event is coming back to Dublin as the hosting city.  This is an occasion where we will look back on 2020 and recognise those people and organisations who achieved exemplary progress in advancing gender balanced leadership in their respective spheres of work.  We will come together to celebrate community, sharing and achievements.

If you would like to be a part of this great celebration, please contact PWN Global's Head of Marketing and Communications: Rebecca.fountain@pwnglobal.net. 

We have various Award and table sponsorship opportunities available to our Corporate Partners, which offers great branding and networking opportunities. If you would like to maximise the visibility of your company and demonstrate your investment of gender balanced leadership, contact PWN Dublin's President, Fiona Furlong: president@pwndublin.net. 

If you’re not yet a member of our PWN family, learn more about this incredible volunteer led organisation and its programs of work by visiting www.pwnglobal.net. 

Connect, share, learn, advance – yourself and the world!

Date: January 2020

Author: Sarah-Jane Behan, PWN Dublin

Editor: Rebecca Fountain, Head of Marketing and Communications, PWN Global