HELEN SIMPSON, QUALITY & LOCAL RAW MATERIAL MANAGER & CO-CHAIR, WECAN EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP

Q: How are you investing in yourself, and in other women/girls, to accelerate progress and empowerment?

A: Diverse views make for very interesting outcomes, so within my everyday way of operating, it is important for me to seek feedback from all relevant stakeholders to land on the best decision. It is also very important to me that I am recognised as an authentic and genuine person because as we say “ real know real”, and you cannot be viewed as influential in a space or as a role model if you are not a genuine person.

Q: What strategies do you employ to #inspireinclusion within your own sphere of influence?

A: Not all life lessons have to be learnt first hand! I believe in creating opportunities where women and girls can learn from each other to better equip them for some of life’s challenges. On a quarterly basis the Red Stripe’s Women Empowerment group (WeCan) connects on topics related to personal and professional development as a team, where we support, encourage and learn from each other. WeCan also collaborates externally with the UWI’s EDI unit on topics important to women as they transition into the working world, thus helping the next generation navigate new and existing topics with a fresh lens or different perspective.