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

marcus evans is a 100% meritocratic sales organisation that only promotes from within. This is extremely rare. Anyone at the organisation can progress dependent on their potential, performance and attitude. Women aren’t held back because they may have different life responsibilities to others. Instead, the leaders in the company find ways to embrace their personal situation and adapt to create a work-life balance for what a woman might need to excel at a particular time. We have a thorough review process that ensures we align personal and professional goals for all of our employees, and enable women to grow within the organisation in a way that works for both sides. This is a key part of the reason we have so many female leaders in the company that have a 10-25+ year tenure.

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

London and New York are the most diverse places on the planet, and we screen any and all resumes for new team members. We’ve never needed to have a specific diversity hiring quota like some other organisations. Somehow it just works out and we’re truly a mix of people from all walks of life. In the NY office, we’ve had people ranging from 21 years old to 83 years old at times. With my team members, I remind them often that I can only grow as they grow and that there is no glass ceiling or dynamic that incentivises me to hold them back. There are domestic and international opportunities all around the company that any team member can fill, and I’m eager for them to do so in order to move forward with my personal and professional goals. It’s important to talk about the vision for the local office and remind the team that anybody can take on the roles for our growth and expansion plan. Equally, I endeavour to share the success of any individual team member to senior members of other divisions, including our CEO and Chairman in order to create visibility for team members internally. The biggest difference is being completely transparent with what the opportunities are, how to achieve them and sharing the progress as loud as you can.

What advice would you offer to upcoming female leaders at marcus evans?

Sit at any table like an equal, Queen! Have presence, REAL presence when walking into a room or participating in a call and don’t let stereotypes get in the way of your mindset. When I conduct client meetings at Summits with male colleagues (or sometime even internally), I have noticed that male clients will often shake the hands of my male colleague/s but not mine. I make it a point to reach out across the table and shake their hand immediately after to remind them that irrespective of whether they know me or because I’m a woman, I’m an equal and we should be shaking hands too. Women have a tool with their empathy skills. Using this in the right way can be powerful, especially to understand someone else’s situation and how you can positively impact it. Create genuine, meaningful relationships across the company because we spend a lot of time working. Many of these people will be in your life for a long time and end up becoming wonderful friends. Like with family, there will be ups and downs, disagreements and different points of view, but mutual respect, communication and understanding can conquer all. Be kind to each other and celebrate each other’s successes as women. Especially in a company where someone else’s success isn’t your loss, it’s only an opportunity for you to level up and there’s no place for jealousy or bad energy. Success is a choice. It’s up to you to make it happen. Don’t be fooled you can’t because you’re a woman

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

I am grateful to have so many women I could answer this question about, but I will limit it to my mother - my ultimate Queen. As I was growing up, she ran an international diamond company and a humanitarian trust. She flew all around the world wearing boss lady suits and accessories to conduct meetings with state heads and billionaires - fearlessly. All whilst never missing a school play or parents evening, feeding me home cooked food until I would pass out (that hasn’t changed) and showering me with love and life lessons. As a child, I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. She always told me she wanted me to see the world and accomplish my dreams as a priority, and not succumb to societal or cultural pressures around what I needed to do as a girl. She’s my biggest cheerleader and she still supports that for me as a woman, but also reminds me that success and happiness are relative to me. She was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer when I was 14 and has had a host of health issues since, but she is the most positive person I know and shows up every day with a smile, ready to conquer the world and still touching the lives of so many. This has been one of the biggest influences on my life and if I can be half the woman she is, I will consider myself winning. My sister, best girlfriends, grandmas, aunts and many of my female colleagues are all such amazing all-rounded women who inspire me to be better everyday.