IWD 2023: #EmbraceEquity (Pt 2)

We asked women: “How have you been using your own sphere of influence, and are rising to the challenge to create a space for your voice, as well as that of other women and girls, to be heard?”

KAYDIA TOMLINSON, MANAGER, CLIENT EXPERIENCE AT JMMB GROUP

Turning grief into purpose and vision, with the sudden passing of her mother in 2019, Kaydia Tomlinson lives life by the philosophy, ‘Cherish the moments, they eventually become memories’. Guided by a principle of being intentional and living a purposeful life, Tomlinson brings this to bear in serving all those she comes in contact with – team, clients, friends and social media followers. She boasts over 14 years as part of the JMMB Group team where she has served as client care representative and now client experience manager, where her daily role sees her ensuring that JMMB Group delivers on its promise of ‘best interest for all, especially its clients.”

She shares her positive energy far and wide with those who she comes in contact with on a daily basis, and while this wanderlust soul goes on her adventures, via her social media pages under the moniker @TravelWithKaydz. This travel enthusiast has visited over eight countries across three continents, with plans to visit South Africa and Ghana, as part of her bucket list. A true island girl at heart, always drawn to a body of water and a chaser of waterfalls and dreams. She has chosen to live a life that inspires her and causes a ripple effect of positivity to others through every interaction. In addition, to sharing her experience travelling she makes time to share the lessons of life with young girls and other women, as often as possible, so that they too can live lives that inspire others and that are purposeful.

“I am definitely passionate about creating a space for women to feel heard and empowered; as, I sincerely believe that we allow other women to shine their light, by shining our own light. I therefore believe my sphere of influence is steeped in the little things I do daily, by spreading positive energy to everyone in every interaction, especially the women and girls I come in contact with,” she shared.

“Being encouraging and uplifting stems from my mindset and attitude towards life, as I am on a mission is to lead by example and ensure my actions align with my words, while knowing that I am still human and therefore exercise grace for me and others. It is against this background, that I use every opportunity, where possible, to mentor and motivate young girls to tap into their greatness by sharing my journey. I have also transitioned my love for inspiring women to live out loud and take up space in this world, by actively sharing my adventures and travels on my Instagram page @travelwithkaydz. My female friends aka ‘my sister friends’ serve as a true inspiration for me, and we continue to uplift and motivate each other on this journey called life.

SIAN THOMAS-MOORE, GENERAL MANAGER AT ADAM AND EVE DAY SPA

With a career spanning three decades, Sian Thomas-Moore has worked with the top elites in spa and hospitality all over the world. With over 20 years of international experience working in UK, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Thailand, India, Middle East, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Australia and Japan to name a few. Working with elite corporate brands such as The Banyan Tree, Thailand, Evian Spa, Shanghai, China, The Mandarin Oriental, Asia & Hong Kong, and The Frederique Group, Hong Kong.

Thomas-Moore is also a qualified teacher with over 30 years’ experience, global trainer and has been an international examiner for ITEC (International Therapies Examination Council).

“To me women’s empowerment is when a woman has the right to choose her journey in life, no matter the choice. It is the mere fact that they have a choice that matters. In this day and age, not all women have that right! It is my job as a team leader and teacher in the corporate world, to recognise those in my team without a voice and create a safe place for them to be heard. This is the same for students that have attended any academy I have set up world-wide,” she said.

“The beauty and spa industry is one that draws lots of young women seeking an exciting and wonderful career. I myself started as a therapist and was so fortunate to meet strong female mentors and teachers that supported me and listened to me, always giving great advice. These very women inspired my career in the spa, holistic health and the beauty industry, and taught me wherever possible, to pay it forward in life. That means to share all of the amazing things I have learnt over the years and pass it on to my team!”

She continued: “Travelling the world with my career has led me to meet many disadvantaged and even severely abused women who were part of my team. In many under developed countries women suffer in silence. Women can be subject to many atrocities, as there is much we do not see on the news. The suppression is so great sometimes, they are too scared to speak! As a women this was unacceptable to me. So I found ways to incorporate safe spaces alongside charitable ways to support my staff members. Any woman in my team within the work place, knows my office door is always open, I am here to listen and support, whilst maintaining confidentiality.

”In this day and age, more than ever, it is important that women in high profile or influential positions empower their teams and share knowledge. I tend to share knowledge within training groups or generally on a daily basis. I firmly believe we are only as good as our teachers. Therefore we must embrace and teach one another, share information that enables us to grow as women and never restrict ourselves or hold back because of bad mind or jealousy. My philosophy is, ‘to make sure all women in my team feel educated, safe, protected, equal and heard’.

TAMII BROWN, GENERAL MANAGER OF SALADA FOODS JAMAICA LIMITED

Tamii Brown is an outcome-oriented individual with over 17 years of experience in marketing, leadership and export management and is the current general manager of Salada Foods Jamaica Limited.

Brown holds a bachelor of arts in communication studies and Spanish (cum laude) from York University and an MBA from the University of the West Indies.

“Blessed with the opportunity to serve at the helm of one of Jamaica’s leading manufacturing companies, I strive to create a space where voices adding value are heard and not overshadowed. At work, I encourage collaborative decision-making, multi-level team huddles and maintain a strict open-door policy. Women are underrepresented globally in the manufacturing industry. Gender diversity can never be understated – it is a core ingredient for innovation. Future-proofing the local manufacturing industry requires us to innovate and to challenge the norms, as needed,” she shared.

“Men and women are neither better nor worse… we are just different. One example is we tend to listen differently. Our recent product innovations – the flavoured coffees – were a direct result of listening to our consumers. Our women-led innovation and marketing teams were in tune with consumer needs, open to candid feedback, and were empowered to formulate an innovative product line to the ultimate delight of our consumers.”

DANIELLE CAMERON DUNCAN, VICE-PRESIDENT – PAYMENTS SERVICES & DIGITAL CHANNELS, NCB

“Throughout my life and career, my sphere of influence has changed, and thinking about my journey to gaining confidence in my own voice inspires me to be deliberate in my efforts to encourage and promote confidence in women and girls. Growing up in a family of highly opinionated, ambitious, and resilient women and men instilled in me the values and confidence needed to pursue my own goals. It is this influence which fuels my commitment to advocating for women who do not yet have a voice, while helping to enable and empower those seeking to develop their own.

As a mother, I strive to ensure that my children understand that there are no limits to their ambition, and that self-expression and wilfulness are essential components of success. My children often remind me that they are unique individuals, and therefore require my support in a way that is tailored and evolves with time. Similarly as a friend and colleague, I have realised that how I listen is often more important than what I say in supporting others to navigate their own path.

As a leader in the digital and financial space, I have had the privilege of collaborating with many successful women who are driving innovation and leading businesses in finance and technology. For many like me, their success hinged on their commitment to excellence and hard work, coupled with well-placed support and mentorship. While I recognise the significant progress that has been made in Jamaica and globally in the last 20+ years of my career, I am cognisant there is still much to be done to in order to promote gender equity.

From where I stand, it is evident that identifying, mentoring, and promoting talented women, and being purposeful about promoting their ideas are fundamental efforts towards creating the change that needs to occur. We can all help to move the needle on gender equity daily by choosing to support women-led businesses, products, and ideas and by hiring and promoting women in our own organisations.”