How is the marcus evans culture unique when it comes to providing opportunities to women?

marcus evans Linguarama is strong in providing opportunities for women as evidenced by our senior management team consisting of women and many of our centre management as well. Since its inception, ME-Linguarama has been part of a sector that has given women more opportunities to take on senior pedagogical and management roles.

How are you personally contributing towards providing equal opportunities to members of your team? What makes the biggest difference?

Making sure that we are developing our talent pool and giving opportunities to the next generation. Fostering a culture of openness and keeping this topic on the agenda for our strategy meetings makes a big difference but we know there is always more work to be done.

What advice would you offer to the next generation of female leaders?

I am not sure that the next generation ever needs our advice but if we recognise that we are all standing on the shoulders of the previous generation, this helps us to learn from those past leaders and to celebrate and cheer on present and future leaders.

Which women have inspired you the most professionally and personally? How?

Professionally, I am always inspired by the senior female leadership at marcus evans Linguarama for their passion, for working hard to develop the company while keeping the focus on providing excellent training and services for our customers. These leaders are supportive, fierce, unafraid to speak their minds but are also able to admit when they don't know something.

Personally, I am fascinated by women who broke through the glass ceiling and took on professions and roles that were not considered possible for women. During my career, I have seen the perception of women in leadership roles develop from "the leader who is a woman" to simply "a leader," which is a positive development.

What message would you like to share on the occasion of International Women’s Day? What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

I become more optimistic every year when we observe International Women's Day because it means that we get to revisit the topic and assess our progress. My message is, "Support the sisterhood and put yourself forward. Don't wait to be asked."