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Local women from various industries were brought together at a recent EY event dedicated to female leadership.
EY POWER Up aimed to empower women in management positions and those who play a pivotal role in mentoring and sponsoring the professional growth of others in the workplace.
The experience-led programme focused on how to accelerate success and overcome self-limiting behaviours, career management and networking as well as breaking down barriers to gender equity to help women realise their potential.
Pictured: POWER Up aimed to break down barriers for women in leadership roles.
Sponsored by Aztec Group, the event formed part of EY's Women Fast Forward platform which aims to advance gender parity.
The programme feature interactive exercises and table discussions alongside spotlight speakers, including Aztec Group CEO Kathryn Purves, who shared their anecdotal top tips for career development.
Pictured: Aztec Group CEO Kathryn Purves presented her tips on confidence.
Ms Purves said: “For me, confidence comes when you are comfortable with who you are and what you want from your life.
“When I think about what has helped me build my confidence throughout my career, having great mentors and allies has been so important.
“On average, women will only apply for jobs when they meet 80% of the requirements and will often wait to be nudged or asked to take on a new role or promotion.
“Having a mentor that will push you when you don’t feel you’re at 80% and encourage you to ask questions and join conversations is instrumental in building confidence.
“Being authentic and trusting in the value that your unique views and skill set can bring is also important, and finding small things that work for you and help you to do your job to the best of your ability all help to build authentic confidence.”
Pictured: EY's Tax Senior Manager Anne-Marie Robinson focused on the benefits of networking.
Anne-Marie Robinson, EY's Tax Senior Manager, talked about the importance of building networks.
She said: “When I first took on the role, I tried to do it all on my own, but it became very clear very early on that I needed support and connections to make things happen.
"As time went on, I attended networking events and conferences and reached out to people, both within EY and externally, and built connections and developed relationships. It became clear to me during this time how willing people are to help you and see you succeed."
Ms Robinson continued: “For anyone who is unsure about networking or where to start, I would encourage everyone to be proactive and build connections with people from as many different levels and backgrounds as possible.
“It’s also important to remember that expanding your network and building relationships really is a two-way street; it’s not just what you can get from your relationships, but what value you can give to others.”
Pictured: Debbie Reeve, Co-Head of Client Onboarding at Aztec Group, provided tips on effective communication.
The final speaker was Debbie Reeve, Co-Head of Client Onboarding at Aztec Group, who shared her experiences of effective communication when managing teams.
She said: “With any communication, it’s important to be transparent, proactive rather than reactive, where possible, to tailor the message depending on audience and make sure you are using the right channel.
"Communication in a coaching environment can be used to playback messages as a way to ‘hold a mirror up’ to those you are coaching, but also to hold the space to give them enough time to come to their own conclusions; powerful communication skills can be through holding the silence as much as through active dialogue."
She concluded: “My key takeaways to anyone leading a team are to be consistent with your communication, do the things you say you will, be willing to listen and act on any feedback you receive and use your communication skills to empower others around you.
“Using communication effectively will help to build trust and confidence in you as a leader and ultimately elevate your teams.”
Anyone looking to attend similar events and support gender parity in Jersey should contact: eychannelislands@uk.ey.com.
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