Building success in celebrating other women
Diversity, Ethnicity and Inclusion (DEI) is an important topic in the boardroom these days and rightly so. Having more women in leadership roles is good for everyone, not just in business but in society as a whole. We’ve seen the proportion of women in management positions at Swiss Re continue to grow over the past five years: women in executive or senior management positions increased from 23% in 2017 to 30% in 2021; and those in all management roles climbed from just over 33% in 2017 to 36.5% in 2021. But it’s still not enough.
As a child, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by female role models: i.e. my grandmothers who were both entrepreneurs with their own family businesses. I strongly believe that women are critical for any economy, whether they’re in the spotlight or behind the scenes, but there remains a lot of work to do to support them in their endeavors. Women mentoring women is more important than ever to opening up new opportunities and cultivating confidence in a business environment, especially in sectors such as financial services and technology where women are still in a minority.
At Swiss Re, our mentoring program for women, PowHer, supports our ambition to attract and retain female talent. And iptiQ shares the same commitment to an inclusive culture and recognizes the value of women in business. Women are the backbone of many industries but are often underrepresented in management positions. I want to help build more female talent through programs that support women, so when I was asked to participate in the Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide (FEW) Accelerator mentorship program, I felt humbled by the opportunity to help other women in their entrepreneurial journeys. FEW is a shared learning experience where veteran women are paired with up-and-comers to mentor the next generation of female leaders, providing a platform for women to learn and network.
I was assigned with mentoring Tiffany Khoo, Co-Founder and CEO of WeAssist, a digital platform connecting people to healthcare services in a fast, safe and convenient way. Tiffany is an attorney and lawyer, with experience in the financial services industry. When we met online (Tiffany is based in Malaysia while I am in Hong Kong) it was clear to me that she has a warm heart and wants to make a positive impact in her community. As soon as we connected, I could see the passion behind her business idea, and her commitment to really making a difference, not only from a business perspective but for society too.
The thing that made it really easy for me to work with Tiffany was because we shared a passion and enthusiasm for the work we do and she brought her openness and eagerness to listen and learn, not just from me but also from the team at FEW. In sharing her personal background and the founding story of WeAssist, I knew that Tiffany and I could do good things together. From Tiffany’s perspective, she was keen to learn from other successful women in business. Through our meetings we learned we have very different communication styles — Tiffany was very outspoken and open, while I tend to be quite considered and think carefully before I speak, I believe that sharing honest feedback is important for young entrepreneurs, so I was keen to step up right away and give Tiffany a helping hand.
Although I was the mentor, I think we both learned enormously from the experience. Tiffany is full of great ideas and my role was to help her execute those ideas. I think she was initially surprised when she was telling me about a particular situation and I interrupted and asked if she could rethink other options. At that point, I think she realized the value of having a different perspective, which is one of the benefits of a program like this.
Taking part in the FEW Accelerator program was an amazing journey to make an impact on the community and giving back to others. I am always interested in doing something meaningful. That something doesn’t have to be huge — it can be something small. But if everyone takes a small step, it will be a huge step for the community.
I was extremely grateful when I knew that WeAssist was named one of the Top 5 SEADragon Unicorn Winners at World Congress on Innovation & Technology (WCIT) 2022 in Malaysia. I am truly thankful that I could be with her and provide some negligible support in the past months.
Tiffany was recently invited to be a judge of an entrepreneurship competition at a local college. She said she was hesitant to accept at first, as she wasn’t sure what she could offer. However, through her experience in the FEW Accelerator program, she now believes in the value of women helping other women on the path to business success. I am looking forward to meeting her in-person in the near future so we can celebrate the success of her company.