I was born in Canada and grew up in a rural farming community where residents were mainly second and third generation immigrants of mixed cultural backgrounds. It was enriching to learn of their unique customs and traditions and life was more interesting when embracing our differences.
This openness to diversity was strongly reinforced when I completed an MBA at INSEAD where students came from over 200 countries. Study groups were deliberately arranged to maximise – occasionally contentious – diversity, which meant that compromise was essential to achieve consensus.
Lessons learnt there served me well during my career in the City. Giving people the freedom to express their own views always led to better decision making and allowed individuals to thrive – irrespective of their background, race or gender. It was and remains a joy to see people flourish and succeed in a diverse context.
At Brunel Pension Partnership, diversity is part of our DNA. Our Board currently has fifty per cent women and everyone – introvert or extrovert – has an equal voice. Ensuring we maintain diversity of people and perspective remains key to our on-going success.