and asked to share my thoughts. People often talk about big companies in a negative way, but my experience was that it was a very good start.”
MID-CAREER CHOICES In common with many women, for Gina parenthood was a point where careers could be put on hold or reshaped. Like many companies then and still today, Shell recognised that it was losing women mid-career, often to be replaced by men in the senior talent pipeline. This remains one of the key factors behind gender imbalances in pay and boardroom representation. Three decades ago, Shell had started to look at what it
could do. Policies and practices pioneered by companies like Shell are now commonplace, for men and women, and supported by wide-ranging legislation in many parts of the world.
“I was asked to take part in a pilot programme, which
was how to engage with women who had career as well as caring responsibilities,” says Gina. “Shell organised people to look at local nurseries for example and report back to us. Part-time working at this level was also not at all common, but Shell offered me that as part of the pilot options for a four-day week without me even asking. They really were at the forefront of supporting parents and women at work.” While Gina stayed with the company for a year after
the arrival of her first child, it was the arrival of twins and a conversation with her partner that saw Gina temporarily step out of the corporate world, with the commute into London helping to tip the balance.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIFE-LONG LEARNING AND STAYING CURIOUS While perhaps not the hoped-for outcome for the company, Shell’s genuine care and efforts to retain female talent have been amplified in the intervening years through Gina’s work and personal and professional development. Through Gina, it continues to create ripples of positive change. Away from the corporate world, Gina used her
practical skills and volunteered at her children’s school to set-up new IT infrastructure and whiteboards. Gina also collaborated with three other women with international backgrounds to write a fundraising book. As her three children grew up and became more independent, Gina’s thoughts turned to
and being aware of what makes us tick as individuals. “So, I was honest with the founder-owner, who offered me a different role in marketing. I had never worked in marketing before, but I love to learn and soon after was promoted to the board. It was a very fast trajectory that also cemented the fact that my favourite subject is good leadership and how we are always learning together.” This step up to the board exposed Gina to all the
moving parts of the company, from compliance to daily running and at a time when the company was growing. It was also the moment Gina qualified as a certified coach so she could “walk the talk”, something Gina valued from her time at Shell.
BUILDING FLOURISHING CAREERS FOR EVERYONE Now, in what Gina calls the “third-quarter” of her career, she has handed over the reins of the AoEC and founded World View, a coaching, mentoring and thought-leadership consultancy, which supports DEI and champions a future-focused global mindset. This move was prompted by the recognition of “if not now, when?” This is something Gina says is echoed back to her from her coaching and mentoring clients. Gina is also the chair of the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and recognises the
fundamental
importance of personal connections, mutual support and networks in business. “My hope is that in a humble way, I can help people and organisations flourish,’ says Gina, reflecting both on her career and her involvement in events like
Relocate Global's Think Women
celebrations for International Women’s Day 2023 and the Reykjavik Forum of Women Political Leaders at the end of last year. “Networks and communities like 100 Women
@Davos, Relocate Global’s Think Women and others like the Female Quotient are absolutely key,” says Gina. “They are incredibly important as a space for women, and men, to connect, make contact and support each other. I always feel so energised by them because we all have something in common and we can help one another. “There’s this amazing generosity of spirit from what
we give to one another and share. It is a positive step and helps us all to grow.”
re-entering
the formal workplace. Again, it was an enlightened job advertisement and employer that caught Gina’s attention. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I saw an advert in the local paper for admin work in what I didn’t know then was a coach training company. It was a work-from-home role, which was very rare, but it was that which piqued my curiosity.” The company was the Academy of Executive
Coaching (AoEC). Here, Gina – supported by the coaching culture and the forward-thinking founder- owner – followed her instincts and passions to move from an administration role
into marketing, then
to marketing director. Then, after seven years in the company, to her successful tenure as chief executive, which also lasted for seven years, and saw the company continue its growth trajectory. “The admin role was not what I wanted to do. It didn’t
seem like the right fit for me,” says Gina, underlining the importance of taking roles that align with who we are
21
Gina at our Think Women event at the IoD, London
THINK WOMEN
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
