Latina Inclusion: Do Not Check Your Identity at The Door!

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Latina Inclusion FeatureThe gap in Latina leadership in Corporate America is still an inclusion issue. But as more Latinas decide to go where they are valued, it’s Corporate America that is losing out the most – and more so in the future.

Hispanic and Latina women comprise only 1.6% of senior executives in the U.S.’s largest companies, less than other major demographic groups. USA TODAY reviewed 92 companies in the S&P 100 and found 18 had no Latinas in senior executive positions: including Apple, CostCo and Netflix. While few had a proportion equal to representation in the U.S. Workforce, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Visa came closest.

It’s not just senior management: Latinas are underrepresented as only 4.4% of managers and 3.2% of professionals. And, according to the Latino Corporate Directors Association, Latinas hold only 1% of board seats in Fortune 500 companies, fewer than other gender or ethnic groups. But Latinas comprise 16% of the female labor force – the largest group behind white women, and by 2029, are projected to be 9.3% of the total US labor force.

Hispanic women earned 16.4% of bachelor’s degrees and 12.3% of master’s degrees in 2020, and Latinas represent 56% of Latinx students, though Latinx enrollment has taken some hit since the pandemic. Over two million Latina-owned small businesses exist – the fastest growing segment of the business community – with over 87% growth in business numbers since 2007. Latinas are creating business six times faster than any other group.

Barriers to Inclusion

Comprising 19% of the population and growing, Hispanic buying power continues to accelerate and demand that organizations understand this market.

While Latina women should have good reason to feel more emboldened than ever to bring their full identities to work through culturally relevant Latina leadership, they continue to be under-supported to do so and underpaid by corporate America.

When it comes to the paycheck, Latinas earn 55 cents for every dollar earned by non-Latino white men: even in the exact same job. Latinas earn 28% less than white women. The pay gap is also widest for Latinas with college degrees.

While Latinas ask for promotions and raises at similar rates to white men, the “broken rung” is exposed when you consider that Latinas are only 71% as likely as men in general to be promoted. Only 19% of Latinas feel supported by white co-workers. Only 5% of Latinos overall in big companies say they have a sponsor, whereas Latinos who do have sponsors are 42% more likely to be satisfied with career progression. Latinas who have reached executive levels often report the importance of that sponsorship in reaching where they are.

Latinas have reported being cast as caretakers, or the media image of ‘jefa of the household,’ rather than corporate leaders. Latinas are arguably more culturally wired for community building, a deeply held value which they often practice at home and that would serve organizations, but the value of individualism still dominates vertical mobility.

Latina women also report, according to Esther Aguilera, CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, having to overcome biases around accents and myths and misperceptions around capabilities – which leads to a cycle, as we’ve heard echoed at The Glass Hammer this month, of Latina execs still feeling the internal drive of needing to prove themselves.

Indeed, 63% of Hispanic leaders indicated they have to work harder because of their ethnicity. And two in three Hispanic professionals felt educating coworkers around DEI falls upon them, spending substantial time whether it relates to their job or expertise.

Compared to non-Hispanic peers, Hispanic professionals are 53% less likely to feel included at work and 53% less likely to say they’re comfortable fully expressing their identities at work. Latina women have reported having to “check their identity at the door” or adjust their persona (code-switch) to fit into white masculine stereotypes of leadership.

The Post-Pandemic Impact

So it may come as no surprise that UCLA found that Latinas are leaving the workforce at higher rates than any other major demographic. Between March 2020 and March 2021, the workforce lost 336,000 Latinas, a drop of 2.74% in the workforce. Perhaps the promise of the American dream became too far stretched in reality for some, taking too much emotional, mental and physical toll without enough reward. One qualitative study found that senior level Latina talent were exiting Corporate America because of poor culture fit and a lack of evidence that Latinas were being structurally promoted.

“The Latina Pathway to Excellence in a Post-Pandemic World” report shared how the pandemic had changed the employment outlook of many Latinas. They both felt more invisible and yet found a “new virtual world confidence” in which they’ve learned to promote their profile more authentically at a professional level.

Mid-career Latinas expressed challenges such as: difficulty in maintaining their true selves in the workplace, a lack of champions they could identify with and trust, a lack of management check-ins, and lack of access to upper management. They emphasized the value of knowing your unique gifts and individual brand and leveraging the value that intersectionality brings to the table.

Executive-level leaders discussed promoting your distinct qualities, developing more skills and taking risks to seize opportunities amidst reduced visibility. They emphasized the importance of overcoming imposter syndrome as well as cultural Latin gender norms, being ‘ready to represent’ at the upper echelons amidst disproportionate scrutiny, and seeking mentorship and sponsorship (many had been sponsored by Latino men). They also encouraged trusting in the “Latina 6th sense” of intuition and decision making. Some C-Suite Latinas had leveraged the virtual meeting place to create new connections and visibility with senior leaders.

As written in Be Latina, “The growth of the virtual world allowed, in certain ways, for ‘authenticity in the business world.’”

It’s about Latina Inclusion

So what about organizations that want to get serious about promoting Latina talent? The answer is valuing the culture add and fostering cultural inclusion. At base level, greater inclusion for Hispanic and Latina women requires at least three things:

  1. Address unconscious bias in talent management decisions – Too many talent decisions are riddled in bias at each level (hiring, promotion, pay) and inhibiting organizations from leveraging and promoting Latina talent. From entry level recruitment to promotion to senior posts to pay packages, it’s possible to identify and shake up the way approaches have kept Latina talent from top positions.
  2. Make sponsorship happen – Ideally through formal sponsorship programs, managers and senior leaders should be challenged to reach beyond their own affinity bias and the gap in sponsorship for Latina women must close to transcend the block to corporate leadership.
  3. Encourage authenticity – Build a culture that celebrates each individual’s perspective, and the intersectionality that often informs that perspective, rather than pressures Latina women to forgo their wholeness to belong in the corporate workplace.
Please Don’t Check Your Identity!

Ask Hispanic and Latina executives, and showing up authentically can be the biggest challenge, but ultimately, there’s no path to stronger performance and personal fulfillment than being able to be who you are.

Latina women are bicultural, bilingual and possess many aspects of cultural wealth that can be leveraged as a leader. In part because of what it’s taken to get this far, Latinas often have developed strong skillsets of resilience, creativity, optimism, social ease, charisma, passion, relationship-building, multi-tasking and adaptability.

It’s recommended that Latinas who wish to thrive look for strong cultural fits that will value your whole selves, be persistent and also know when to adapt and take risks to overcome barriers. It’s important to accept imperfection in selves and others and be grounded in your ethnic background while navigating two cultures. Surround yourselves with mentors and those who can support your advancement.

One hunch about Latina leadership: it’s happening and those who embrace cultural diversity and inclusion will know the advantage of leveraging it.

By Aimee Hansen

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Vanessa Nazario: Corporate Director, Chief Diversity Officer, Memorial Healthcare System

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Vanessa Nazario“I love to take the time to get to know individuals: to listen and to avoid assumptions,” says Vanessa Nazario. “I think that creates a space where people can be authentic, which leads to new conversations and new opportunities.”

From housing to financial services to health, for 29 years, Nazario has been following the single thread of “creating access to spaces for those who have been historically left behind, underrepresented, marginalized, or alienated” – often including or focusing on the Hispanic community.

Following Inclusion Through a Career Pivot

Nazario’s journey began in her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, supporting low to moderate income families to become first-time homebuyers. Nazario knew nothing about mortgages but was passionate about creating access to homes. Next, she found herself ensuring that low to moderate income families in urban communities had access to financial services and benefits while at PNC, where she worked her way up through positions for twenty years.

While ‘inclusion’ was not yet a hot topic in the office, her work was inclusion for customers and communities. Nominated to participate in the first Latino BRG at PNC, she knew little about employee networks, but she seized the opportunity to lean into her authentic self: “That experience opened my eyes to the power in using my Latina voice to be seen and heard in certain spaces where we were not represented before that. It became a gateway to inviting other Latina/o voices into the conversation and opening pathways for others.”

She eventually became Chapter President of the Latino BRG and began to be sought out as a thought leader. She attributes her C-suite position to valuing and showing up for this experience: “That’s why I’m a chief diversity officer now. Because I said ‘yes’ to being part of a newly formed diversity initiative at PNC.”

Then came the moment where Nazario decided that she wanted to make inclusion her full-time career. Not only did she go from programs and products management to DEI, but she simultaneously made a leap between industries. Leveraging her network, she landed a DEI director position within healthcare, later joined Memorial Healthcare System in 2021, becoming CDO in July.

“It was a big learning curve to go from financial lingo to healthcare lingo. It took time, but ultimately there’s a common thread across the different industries: it’s about creating equal spaces, access and equity for all – and it’s just how you approach it that differs. And once that clicked for me, I was like, I got this.”

Inclusion Through the Talent Pipeline


“Does your staff represent the community it serves? When you look at your community demographics, do you see that in the building?” asks Nazario. “How well is that mirrored not only in the services side of your organization, but across different departments and, especially, in leadership?”

She observes, “Sitting in South Florida, we’re blessed with an abundance of diversity, but that still doesn’t mean it happens organically. Your organization has to be committed to creating a diverse workforce.”

Much of Nazario’s strategic focus is on development and succession planning to elevate talent throughout the organization: “Rich in diversity, our work is making sure that diverse talent feels included and has a sense of belonging. When you have people from every walk of life, you’re going to have conflict. I spend a lot of time educating about the value of different cultures and different perspectives, as well as meeting people where they’re at.”

Nazario witnesses how having a staff that feels seen, heard, valued, included and therefore engaged positively impacts upon the patient experience: “In the healthcare sector, you have to be so attentive about making sure you are creating that sense of belonging and culture of inclusion. It’s so important that people feel they can bring their whole selves to work.”

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Nazario’s inquisitive mind, always questioning how things can be done better, has served her. Her passion and compassion for people is at the heart of how she approaches her work. Her drive and attentiveness is partly born from her own experiences as a Puerto Rican woman who has not always found it easy to come into new spaces.

“Being both a Hispanic woman and from a low-income community, I’ve combatted perceptions many times throughout my career,” says Nazario, but she feels she fell into traps around stereotypes more so early on: “I would show up to meetings and wonder, are they receiving me, or are they putting me into some box because I am a Puerto Rican woman from a diverse neighborhood?”

So Nazario has consistently exceeded performance expectations and countered the perceptions she felt others might box her into – demonstrating that being from a certain background does not mean you cannot also achieve.

Nazario has often not been able to see someone like her in positions she could aspire to. She values the mentors that encouraged her to envision herself there. “What are the chances of a Hispanic woman from an urban community like Trenton, New Jersey and from a culture not typically seen in these corporate spaces? I often think about stereotype threat, and maybe it would hold me back,” she reflects. “So, you need those mentors to say you’re doing all the right things and to nudge you in approaching opportunities.”

In a 360 review, Nazario once described herself as being a quieter voice, only to have her mentor immediately reflect that she was a powerful voice in the organization that was informative, impactful and influential in decisions: “Other’s perception of you is probably totally different than what you think.”

Beyond Proving Your Value, Claiming It

Nazario recognizes an inner push that exists within her, and not only her, to be very well versed in her craft and to continue to challenge and prove herself.

“I do have that hunger to continue to be successful and validate to myself that I can do it, that I can open doors. I might say ‘yes’ to a project when someone else might say ‘no,’” she says. “And as a Hispanic woman, I’m always thinking, maybe if I get another degree, one more certificate, that will open up more doors for me…I’ll be that much better, that much more qualified.”

While her drive has clearly served her, it is also growth when you no longer have to prove your worth and belonging in the face of imposter syndrome: “We just have to keep lifting each other up. Once you claim your value, it opens a lot of opportunities.”

She emphasizes to other Latinas coming in to own their voice at the table, and not hold themselves back, and she implores leaders to invite that opportunity in the room for diverse voices to express themselves.

Nazario loves reading as a way of constant learning. She has four dogs and feels fortunate to live near beaches, where she can mediate and listen to the waves every Saturday in a personal reset.

By Aimee Hansen

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How Big Data Can Revolutionize DE&I – If It’s the Right Data

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DEI DataData is commonly called “the oil of the 21st century” given how indispensable it is to the modern economy. Virtually every company today depends on collecting, tracking, and analyzing vast troves of data to better understand their customer needs. We have an unprecedented ability to become surgical in our understanding of a wide range of trends.

One of the great promises of having data at our fingertips is better tracking and more transparent reporting on measures of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Professionals in the workplace can arm themselves with data on key accomplishments and performance measures that can elevate the visibility and stature of their careers and teams.

Investing in understanding where the gaps are in diversity is advantageous to enterprises – not only in terms of doing the right thing, but in terms of business results. A mountain of research has confirmed that diversity pays off and leads to the creation of more innovative teams.

As the Harvard Business Review recently noted, companies with women in leadership positions saw a 10% frequency of terms expressing companies being open to transformation and change in company statements. Other studies back it up: more diverse C-suites are directly correlated with larger profits, higher margins, and increased total returns to shareholders.

There is a lot of work to do on this front.

The number of women serving in leadership roles, for example, remains dismal. The figures only look worse the higher you look on the corporate ladder. Today, about 25% of C-suite positions are held by women. The results are a little better for women on Boards at 29%. The purpose of having data at our fingertips is to enable organizations to report on their progress and give them the tools to address the gaps. The information gives investors, stakeholders, and employees a clear-eyed look at the obstacles.

It’s also critical that organizations use the right kind of data to meaningfully move the needle towards more inclusive workforces. If you’re not using the right information, your organization may lag behind its specified diversity goals.

There are two key challenges in how organizations use DE&I data:
  • They use lagging data – Lagging data refers to figures that indicate results only after a process is complete. This stands in stark contrast to indicators that track activities on an ongoing basis, which offer real-time data to help mitigate unconscious bias in the workplace. The use of lagging data is a common pitfall of organizations who are not diving in closely enough.
  • They don’t get granular enough – Organizations may track the hiring rates of women but fail to consider intersectional factors like race or sexual orientation. There is a pronounced need to go deeper and more granular in order to understand what your employees are experiencing. While an organization comprised of a majority of women may not believe they have inclusion challenges to address, how many of those women are people of color or represent other underrepresented groups? By looking only at only one consideration – gender – they risk missing key analytics and a better understanding of where barriers remain.

DE&I solutions require tools that provide greater insights through anonymized aggregated data which examines a range of factors. Measurement of data could enable leaders to better gauge levels of unconscious bias within their organization and develop an effective mitigation strategy. Not least, this is the first time in history as many as five generations of professionals have worked alongside one another in the workplace. An organization may recognize a need for dialogue and training to educate employees about working across generations.

Surgical granularity enables leaders to diagnose specific workplace trends, such as women of color experiencing disproportionately more discrimination than men. This process of measurement and evaluation must not be a “one and done” exercise, but an ongoing process updated in real-time.

The take-away is that effective diversity, equity, and inclusion work requires an investment of time, resources, commitment, and a sustained effort. Companies will find the dividends enormous given the tremendous boost to the bottom line organizations see as a result of building more inclusive and welcoming workforces.

About the author: 

Michele Ruiz is an entrepreneur, an author of a bestseller, a social media influencer, and a sought-after keynote speaker. Michele’s ventures include founding BiasSync, a science-based technology company designed to help organizations effectively assess and manage unconscious bias in the work environment with proprietary data and analytics. Michele also founded Ruiz Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in change management, reputational management, internal communications, unconscious bias training and assessments. She is an advisor to senior executives at Fortune 20 multinational corporations and some of the highest-profile thought leaders and elected officials.

Michele is a subject matter expert in empowerment, entrepreneurship, sophisticated communication strategies, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Before becoming an entrepreneur, Michele Ruiz enjoyed a long career as an award-winning broadcast journalist and received 16 Emmy nominations during her news broadcasting career, 5 Emmys, 4 Golden Mikes, and LA Press Club Awards.

(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com)

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Claudia Vazquez: Founder, elevink

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Claudia Vazquez“What I saw as a disadvantage at the beginning, I turned it around to make my secret weapon, because I realized this is what makes me unique and able to see things from a different perspective,” says Claudia Vazquez. “I turned my disadvantage into my differentiator.”

As part of celebrating Hispanic Heritage, we open our Latina Leader series with inspired sharing from Claudia Vazquez: her vision for Hispanic inclusion and lifting others up with her!

A Vision For Service

If you only read her official business roles across the years, you’ll know at best half of what Vazquez has truly been up to in the workplace.

Originally from Mexico, Vazquez came to the U.S. in her twenties, teaching English as a second language and volunteering as a citizenship instructor. When she began her career 22 years ago in disability claims at Unum, she immediately saw how she could leverage her bicultural/ bilingual assets to better serve the company and the Hispanic community.

Rather than going with the status quo process of using a third party translator, she began to field all calls from Spanish-speaking clients around disability claims. She then led the implementation of the Hispanic Initiative to create end-to-end bilingual services, eliminating cost and time inefficiencies of outsourcing. Within seven years, she went from claims specialist to heading up the Short Term Disability and Administrative operations in her field office in California.

“I didn’t approach with a diversity mindset. I approached with a service perspective,” reflects Vazquez. “I realized we could improve the service, have more loyal and satisfied customers, and use it as a selling point with clients. It also gave Spanish-speaking employees an opportunity to go above and beyond, support their community and receive recognition for speaking another language.”

When she moved to her next role at Cigna, she replicated this thinking and was asked to find more people with an intrapreneurial mindset like hers. She began to support the recruiting team in Hispanic outreach, emphasizing the importance of representation: “Nobody grows up thinking I want to work at an insurance company,” she argued. “So if we don’t personally represent what we’re trying to attract them to do, this is not a natural fit.”

Moving to the East Cost for a role in Prudential’s head offices, Vazquez enrolled into the Hispanic BRG on her second day. Within six months, she was co-leading the BRG and soon increased membership from 400 to 1000 – while creating best practices, relationship with hiring teams, and outreach to external partners.

“As my passion for supporting the Hispanic community at work evolved, I realized we have to start grassroots and then let things organically develop, so that a ripple effect is created,” says Vazquez. She began to focus on seeding the momentum that allowed partnerships to prove their value as they grew. With this approach, the Red Shoe movement proved so successful that it caught leadership attention and she traveled to Mexico and Brazil to highlight and expand the partnership.

An Advocate for Hispanic Inclusion

As a Hispanic Initiative officer, Vazquez saw the impact of bringing in change-agent partners. She began to shift to building those external relationships such as with We Are All Human and became a Hispanic Star Ambassador. As such, Vazquez has attended the United Nations as part of the delegation to roll out the Hispanic Star unifying symbol and platform to advance Hispanics in the US.

Despite a strong track record of following her mission towards inclusion, only in March did Vazquez formally move from senior business roles to take on a VP of Diversity and Inclusion role. In the role, she developed a strategic roadmap for inclusion on hiring, retaining, developing and celebrating Hispanic talent, laying out both fundamentals and execution strategies.

“I have a passion towards supporting the Hispanic community, but I also see it as a business imperative in the US. Anyone that’s not attuning to Hispanics is going to lose market share,” says Vazquez, pointing out Hispanics make up one of every five people and growing.

Vazquez also iterates that attracting early loyalty among the Hispanic community is critical, because word of mouth and following the family or neighbor recommendations are huge influences on decision-making.

Lifting Others Up With Her

As a Hispanic BRG leader, Vazquez also leveraged the opportunity to mentor and sponsor others in the workplace. She brought more visibility to group members by creating project management opportunities – with clear job descriptions and weekly time investment required – and then by updating their managers about the impacts they were delivering.

“This gave their managers an opportunity to see their employees from a completely different angle of perspective that they had not necessarily experienced directly with them,” says Vazquez. “I wanted to make sure people saw they had everything it took. They just sometimes needed to be able to sell or position themselves differently.”

Vazquez emphasizes staying connected to your own essence and North Star. “I’ve promised myself that regardless of how fast or how far I’m going, I’m still going to be me and not forget where I came from. And I’m not going to forget that there are many individuals still looking to find their path.”

This is what drives Vazquez in her personal mission that co-exists with the day job. It’s why she shares her story to inspire students through HISPA. It’s why she’s available if someone reaches to her on Linked In. It’s why she founded elevink to mentor younger generations on mindfulness, creating a personal brand, and challenging them to envision their future so they begin to steer their choices and energies in that direction.

Owning Her Voice

“Sometimes we question ourselves and protect ourselves because we’ve been through so much. In my case, I’ve been working since I was 14 in Mexico to help my mom, I paid for my education, I left my family to come to the US with English as my second language, I began working with an associates degree and studied full-time while working, so there are sacrifices,” says Vazquez. “But if I had the confidence in my 20s I have now, I don’t know how much larger the impact could be.”

She continues, “We need to trust our gut. We know exactly where we see ourselves, but sometimes we’re afraid to share that vision,” she says. “We just need to move confidently in the pursuit of our dreams. From every setback, we can learn.”

Often the only Hispanic at the table, Vazquez never gives up the vision. Instead, she allows time to pass and looks for new opportunities and angles to pursue: “After many years of navigating Fortune 500 companies, I have learned how I need to approach certain things, and I also understand that change is difficult. Companies will be ready at a certain time, and when they are, things will happen.”

Reflecting on her own journey: “After 25 years of revalidating, I have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. I’ve become more of an unapologetic Latina who stays optimistic about our future possibilities, but it took me 22 years of going through this journey to realize that it’s my life, it’s my vision, it’s my calling.”

Vazquez has learned to take herself a little less seriously. She recently returned from a self-care trip to California with her mother and sister, leaving her husband and three children back at home. She recommends taking the time to celebrate your achievements.

As for her vision: “I’m still getting closer to where I ultimately see myself: as a CEO of a nonprofit organization that caters to Hispanics. That’s what I’m aiming and preparing myself for in the long run. My goal is to leave a mark in the evolution of Hispanics in the US.”

By Aimee Hansen

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Shattering the Glass Ceiling Is Great But Why Are We Ignoring the Fallout?

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shattering the glass ceiling Shattering a glass ceiling has become synonymous with success for the working woman. Many individuals, groups and even some organizations dedicate energy, attention and resources to helping women do exactly that. But what happens when these women finally do break through the glass ceiling? What comes next?

Anyone who has ever had the surprise of dropping a glass cup or bowl knows that shattering the glass is only the beginning. React too quickly or carelessly and someone ends up with a cut or, worse, in the E.R. for stitches. Yet we aren’t reacting with the same care and caution for women who shatter the glass ceiling only to be left bearing the weight of the damage.

We expect the struggle to be over when a woman breaks through a glass ceiling but even when it looks positive on the outside, the fallout from breaking through continues to perpetuate harm. Even when women reach the proverbial top, many aren’t psychologically safe, which can lead to more damage and harm.

We see this as evidenced by an increased lack of inclusion and belonging often coming from both the team they have left and the new team they’ve just entered. Health and wellness suffer. Feelings of isolation and loneliness increase while the pressure to perform increases. Despite their achievement, they are still expected to work twice as hard to keep their new status and prove they deserve that status to the people who aren’t used to seeing a woman at the top.

The implications of leaving this reality unchecked are too high—it’s time to expand our care for women in the workplace to include those at the top of their teams, departments and organizations.

1. Acknowledge the harm.

Most women who shatter the glass ceiling have had an arduous journey. Acknowledging what they likely went through due to systemic injustices is a great way to show “I hear you and I see you.” This helps build the trust required to provide additional care for the aftermath of their journey.

2. Provide a mentor.

The journey does not stop once a woman gets into their first leadership role or rises in the ranks. It will be important that women are intentionally matched with those who can support and sponsor them as they heal and settle into their new roles.

3. Amplify women’s voices.

It’s critical that when a woman enters a new team, their voice is welcomed and valued. One great way to welcome any new team member is to prompt them for their feedback and opinions in meetings first. This will allow them to genuinely share their perspectives without feeling they must agree with others.

4. Applaud women publicly.

As important as amplifying a woman’s voice is celebrating their voice. When a woman comes up with an innovative solution to a long-standing problem or gives an amazing presentation, give credit where it’s due. Often women’s accomplishments are not uplifted or celebrated. Worse, their credit may be taken by someone who is more vocal. Applauding women is not limited to when they are in the room; coworkers should be as willing to provide credit when they are not around.

5. Check in.

This may be the simplest yet most important of the actions. Once a woman “makes it,” it’s often assumed that she will no longer face the problems that other women face early in their careers. Unfortunately, it can be just as hard at the top, and support from a supervisor will be an essential part of feeling a sense of inclusion and belonging. This support can look like scheduling quarterly career conversations outside of performance reviews, scheduling a lunch with the sole goal of getting to know the woman better and asking about how the employee would like to receive feedback and respecting that preference when possible.

6. Advocate for equitable resources.

Individual efforts like the above are great and they help, but we also need to advocate for company policies that support women after they shatter a glass ceiling. These policies include complementary safety measures that not only encourage women to grow and advance in the workplace but also guarantee continued protection and care as they move along their career path. Measures like mental health and pregnancy support for women pre and post promotion can help ensure that women and those in underrepresented groups safely reach their leadership destinations whether they’re working toward a C-Suite or the White House.

The harm many women experience after shattering the glass ceiling is not something we can ignore. Progress has not kept pace with changing demographics, and we are still seeing too many instances of women being in a role for the first time, especially those in underrepresented groups.

Women need our help now. It is not enough to fix this problem for future generations or plan to have a solution in the next 30 years. Whether you are in a leadership role or not, we all have a responsibility to ensure that women are celebrated, not just tolerated, and given equal opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. It’s not enough for a woman to be invited to a room to sit at the table; their voice needs to be heard and valued even after they shatter the glass ceiling.

By: Antoinetta Mosley is the CEO and Principal Leader at I Follow the Leader LLC, a strategic consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, initiatives, and education. As a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), Antoinetta has worked on a range of projects for organizations of all sizes, including small to global nonprofits as well as Fortune 500 companies and travels the country as a sought-after speaker on DEI, courageous conversations, and belonging in the workplace. She teaches DEI for Arlan Hamilton’s Arlan’s Academy, has been featured in The New York Times.

The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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Rupal Shah: Principal, PGIM Fixed Income

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Rupal ShahRupal Shah describes her journey, which includes taking uncomfortable (but intentional) leaps in her career, finding her voice, staying challenged, humble and authentic, and dedicating her time to the service of others.

“Create the greatest, grandest vision possible for your life and career because you become what you believe.”

Big Leaps to Follow Her Own Compass

Shah’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from India with master’s degrees and not much else. Her childhood is defined by watching and learning from their hard work and sacrifice. “My parents’ determination and perseverance are in my DNA. They each worked multiple jobs and navigated innumerous obstacles as foreigners in a new country. They had a vision of a life they wanted to give our family and they manifested that vision.”

She lives by the lessons that her parents taught her with their actions. Similarly, Shah paved her own career path, learned from her mistakes and was able to navigate the challenges she faced along the way on her own. “Create the greatest, grandest vision possible for your life and career because you become what you believe.”

Shah recounts, “Each step of my career taught me meaningful characteristics about myself and helped me make my next leap.” Shah spent some of her earlier years in back-office roles within Goldman Sachs, ultimately transitioning to an analytical role within the sales and trading division. Simultaneously, she was getting her MBA part-time at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Despite the hectic schedule, she learned the importance of networking with people around the firm to learn about their roles. It was through these conversations that she was able to determine where she wanted to lead her career path.

“The time spent networking paid dividends and those relationships are my currency,” she says. Post graduate school, after 32 interviews and various naysayers, Shah was given an opportunity to cover strategic relationships within Goldman Sachs’ Asset Management Division, despite various senior professionals deterring her from applying for the opportunity.

“The firm told me they were taking a leap of faith on me. As appreciative as I was of the opportunity, I felt like the underdog. If nothing else, this motivated me to work harder to succeed. There were many times during my career where I was told I couldn’t, or I shouldn’t, or I wasn’t included. I would tell myself that I do not need a seat at that table, I will just build my own. I realized I needed to trust my instinct, and rather than any firm taking a leap of faith on me, I would take leap of faith on myself.”

“Your career is your own. Make sure you’re the one driving it.”

As an Indian American woman in fixed income, Shah has had to reach beyond her comfort zone and override both self-doubt and conditioning, to find her voice. While the context can be intimidating, she realized she had to stop putting up extra hurdles for herself and trust her instincts.

“In my culture, we were raised to not challenge or question anything. We were taught that respect was blindly listening to your elders. But I saw time and time again how this learned behavior would be a detriment to my career,” says Shah.

“In my first few roles, I was scared to ask questions or challenge others. I remember having hard days and I would not speak up when there was something that needed to be said. These situations continued over the years, and I learned that what I had to offer was valuable. I forced myself to develop a voice and really stick to what I believe in and be authentic in that. More than ever, I know my voice matters. It’s been a long path to get here but I see the rewards of taking a view and sticking to it with certainty.”

When thinking back on the journey, she’d encourage her younger self to develop that confidence sooner. “The young women we interview today are so confident and impressive, and I love seeing that.”

Staying Challenged

Shah’s mantra is “if you’re not challenged, you’re not growing.” She continuously asks herself if she feels comfortable in roles. If the answer is yes, she knows she is not evolving. “Comfort becomes shackles to growth. I always want to step so far out of my comfort zone that I forget how to get back.”

Recently, Shah was given the opportunity to build the third-party insurance business for PGIM Fixed Income. Shah has had to push herself out of her comfort zone and trust the strength and skills she has developed over the years. “It’s rewarding to have been able to forge a path that truly will be successful for our firm. I’m incredibly excited to strategically build something new. I’ve been blessed with great opportunities to build and create throughout my career, but this is certainly a new frontier. Thinking of new ideas, strategies, products, building a new team and learning different concepts is challenging and exhilarating.”

“It is important to stay humble and authentic to yourself to be a strong leader.”

Since Shah joined PGIM Fixed Income, she has been involved in recruiting, hiring, and retaining talent. “Our people are our biggest asset. Hiring, training, and nurturing our talent is our greatest responsibility. When people come to work, they should love being here. I want people not only to feel motivated about their work product but also by the work environment,” says Shah. “I’m a huge believer that each person is treated like an individual and should feel empowered. I really nurture my relationships, and that’s a huge part of my leadership.”

“I’ve worked for some truly inspirational people that have shown me the type of leader I want to be. I picked traits along the way and found the style that I felt truly represented the person I am. I lead with kindness and respect, I am the first one to admit when I am wrong, and I embrace that we are all continuously evolving.” Being an authentic leader helps garner mutual respect amongst the team and her leadership is what Shah deems to be her greatest success.

The Most Rewarding Work

As a mother of two, Shah navigates a thriving career, being a fully present mother, running marathons and co-running a charity. Shah says, “It certainly is not easy, but if it’s not hard, it’s not worth it.”

Orphan Life Foundation is the charity Shah co-leads. Her contribution involves supporting orphaned children in India and Burkina Faso from providing basic human needs such as food, clothing, bedding, etc to larger projects such as installing water filtration systems and providing bikes as transport to school.

As a child, Shah’s parents took her family to India every two years. They would visit an orphanage near her father’s hometown and contribute to support the children. The trips were so much more than visiting family.

“It kept me close to my roots, truly humbled me and filled me with gratitude for the opportunities I would have ahead. Those trips really define who I am today,” Shah says. Her charity work continues this tradition, including visits to India.

Shah is currently working on setting up a mentor program between the orphanage in Burkina Faso and a local school in Newark that she has spent time with over the years. She wishes to gift her own children the relative perspective of gratitude for the life they have, the hard work and effort it takes to succeed, and awareness of helping others who were not born into the same.

“This is what I do for me,” says Shah. “I love my career, my family, and the impact I can make. It’s all so exhilarating, but nothing really rewards like this.”

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