WHO, not how. Three words that underpin a people-first approach to challenge and opportunity in this rapidly changing business world.
It’s an approach that takes common corporate conundrums – how can we achieve this; how do we face the challenges of the day – and flips them on their head, so that the first question is not how, but rather who. Who among the team possess the talent to unlock the trickiest of problems. To turn a gap into a gain.
The longevity of any business ultimately rests on the shoulders of its people and how those individuals engage and collaborate in the pursuit of a shared objective. The DNA of any accomplished team. By asking who, rather than how, we call upon the brilliance of people to strengthen our teams and, ultimately, our ambitions. To assemble the expertise to then nurture and lead teams to greater heights.
The WiB Group has invested in the who. In my position I’ve had the good fortune of working with truly exceptional individuals over the years. But it’s in synthesising that expertise does the whole become more than the sum of its parts. Assembling The WiB Group has been about bringing the right people around the table to create a team with 80+ years of industry knowledge.
Lorraine Acheson, whose management experience spans the UK and Australia, brings innovation and decisiveness to the day-to-day running of the Women in Business network, as it seeks to elevate female entrepreneurs and senior business leaders in Northern Ireland.
At the forefront of Diversity Mark is Christine White, who throughout her career has played a key role in shaping the diversity and inclusion landscape here locally, working hand-in-glove with a community of employers committed to the EDI journey.
Crucial to The WiB Group’s mission of creating an inclusive economy is flexible working arrangements. Flying that flag for Timely Careers is director Laura Dowie, whose specialist experience across project management and partnerships positions flexible working as what it is: a mutually beneficial proposition for employee and employer alike.
Our progress towards a truly inclusive economy also comprises skills and development through the Centre of Learning. At the helm as director is Denise Black, a highly experienced people professional, executive coach and trainer, whose proven track record includes leading business transformation across sectors both private and public. The Centre of Learning will be an engine room for women focused programmes while actively promoting allyship and inclusivity.
Our standards are high across The WiB Group. Even higher are our ambitions for the future. And so, in looking forward, the question isn’t how we will achieve an inclusive economy, but rather who are the people that will help make that goal a reality.
:: Roseann Kelly is chief executive of the WiB Group
