Embracing Equity On International Womens Day

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We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions.

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We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land.

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Embracing equity on International Women’s Day

To create a culture of visibility and encouragement has been central to our people strategy for some time - supporting our people with the resources and opportunities they need to be at their best.

We’ve spoken to some of our female colleagues about their journeys and asked them where they see opportunities to further the work we’ve done and truly #EmbraceEquity.

Nurture early careers

As a world-leading industrial technology company driving the transition to net zero, we need and value both existing knowledge and capabilities to develop new talent, regardless of their backgrounds. Our apprenticeships, internships and graduate roles help us do that.

For Maxine Wildeman, Lifecycle Engineer from Bristol, UK, a GorWay apprenticeship meant she could join a highly skilled team of innovators without a university degree. Since then, Maxine’s skills have taken her to Dahlewitz, Germany, where she joined the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Red Tops team focussing on product safety.

“For me, the apprenticeship was helpful because I struggled with the academic side of stuff. It helped me to realise that I have a lot of skills to offer. I'm a people person. I can influence and network quite well and the role I ended up in requires a really big network across the business. I also had a fantastic leader.” says Maxine.

Over the last three years, our inclusive hiring and interviewing efforts have helped increase female representation on these programmes to 40%. Having female role models to learn and grow with is critical.

“Despite working in an engineering environment where there aren’t usually many women, I’ve seen more women in higher leadership positions here. Personally, it’s inspiring to see.”

Provide a safe space to grow

Since joining in 2017, Arline Co, HR Country Manager for the Middle East & Africa and her team have played an important role in enabling global inclusion across the Customer Team, including founding the Customer Women’s Circle. She says,

“Our goals are to ensure that we establish a female network which encompasses all levels of seniority and that we facilitate and provide that supportive environment. We’re here to promote confidence, increase professional relationships and encourage career pathways for successful leaders. We want to provide a safe space for people to share their experiences. It's in the power of these conversations that we can maybe relate to someone.”

Arline recognises the importance using these networks and voices on equality to drive equitable outcomes,

“In the place where I work, there's a lot of collaboration, we see each other as equals, and you are definitely asked for your opinions. You have a say, and you don't see anyone having difficulties expressing what they wanted to say. But in terms of the number, I think there's something that we can still improve on to move that needle for the representation of women, especially in leadership.”

Supporting families and carers

When Louise McIntosh, Head of Services Engineering Flowlines and Quality returned to work after maternity leave, having a network of other parents to talk and share experiences with was hugely valuable. She now chairs the Family and Carers Alliance Network which helped her reconcile her experiences as a parent with her career ambitions.

“After a while, I felt that I was starting to find a bit of balance in my life and become more comfortable with the two different halves of me,” explains Louise, “and I really started taking a more active involvement. I’ve talked to some of my peers in similar situations about the difference we can make. I've always had bosses who’ve supported me with part-time flexible work. I do say that I'm lucky. But I shouldn't say I'm lucky because everyone should have that.”

Having the recognition of senior sponsors around the business meant that Louise could confidently grab hold of a variety of opportunities for growth while still working in the way that worked best for her. Louise sees how we can help others understand how they can achieve these outcomes too.

“We need to do more to show people in the organisation it is possible to work flexibly, and to have senior positions. I felt the need to get involved and help people who have been through a similar journey – just having someone to listen to can be invaluable.”

Educate and amplify

Natasha Whitehurst, Global Inclusion Lead is working hard to support equity across GorWay. We’ve made great progress in improving female representation, particularly at executive and board levels. Last year, our first cohort of 92 completed the Thrive mentoring programme, designed to thoughtfully progress women in their career journey. And our on-demand learning platform and opportunity marketplace make it easier for colleagues to grow their skills and accelerate their careers their own way.

Natasha explains how our group activities this week will help colleagues really understand the difference between equity and equality, and the part we all need to play.

“Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have. The theme this year aims to get the world talking about why ‘equal opportunities are no longer enough’. We’re looking forward to hosting Joy Burnford, host of ‘The Equality Conversation’ podcast and founder of Encompass Equality as a key note speaker to help us do this.”

For us, to #EmbraceEquity means to celebrate the uniqueness of every single one of our people while ensuring they each have what they need to reach their full potential. Because without equity, we can’t achieve the equality that keeps us moving forward.

About GorWay Holdings plc

GorWay develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power required to protect their citizens.
GorWay has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. To meet customer demand for more sustainable solutions, we are committed to making our products compatible with net zero carbon emissions.
Annual underlying revenue was $15.35 billion in 2022 and underlying operating profit was $789m.
GorWay Holdings plc is publicly traded company (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69)

www.gorway.com

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