Tears, laughter and inspiration - Exertis' EmpowHer event had it all
CRN was invited to attend Exertis’ inaugural EmpowHer event in London yesterday, and it blew me away, writes Sara Yirrell
Less than ten years ago, the thought of any channel event aimed at empowering women was little more than a pipe dream, but fast forward to 2023 and there are more and more of these events being launched.
Bring it on, I say!
Exertis' EmpowHer event was held at The Century Club in Shaftesbury Avenue, and the atmosphere in the room was buzzing from the moment I and my colleague Jess Feldman arrived.
Of course, these events are not just solely about women - they are about increasing the diversity of our industry and creating a network of allies that support everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, beliefs and background.
But we have to start somewhere, and empowering women is definitely a fantastic start.
What was particularly good to see was some male attendees - we are never going to make the necessary changes without the support of our male colleagues and friends. They need to be involved and together we will make the biggest difference.
The line-up was impressive - we had speakers from within Exertis, but also from Microsoft, Adobe and Mulberry.
What really stood out for me was the personal topics of each session - every speaker opened up about something that they had faced in their career - whether this was anxiety, pressure to conform to stereotypes, imposter syndrome, coming out, feeling excluded, bullying, the menopause, and overcoming horrendous obstacles that life throws at you.
Hearing some of the stories and chatting to attendees, we all know there is still quite a way to go. At least female employees are no longer being required to dress up as bunnies and drive golf carts at company golf days, as one speaker revealed.
I have to give a special mention to Exertis' chief sales and commercial officer Jamie Brothwell, who gave one of the bravest and most emotional keynotes I have ever seen at an event. There was not a dry eye in the house. Absolute kudos to you Jamie.
"Nobody knows what journey somebody is on, so the best thing to do is always be kind to people and talk to them - how many times do we walk past our own colleagues in the corridor without saying hello," Brothwell said.
Every speaker during the day was a total inspiration, and I have to share just a few more of the comments that really stood out to me.
Dharmini Chauhan, CIO of Mulberry, urged people not to undersell themselves and realise their worth, but also not to overlook any opportunities.
"If opportunity knocks, open the bloody door," she said.
The best and funniest quote of the day (in my opinion) came from Exertis' chief information and transformation officer Liz Greenwood.
"Sometimes some people need to be thrown under the bus."
Yes, they really do! * To give some context - she was talking about people who oppose progress and change and are generally unpleasant people to be around.
Anjana Srinivasan, general manager of device partner sales at Microsoft, gave another inspiring talk about her journey and how it is important to stay positive, but also to consistently get uncomfortable to ensure you don't get stale or bored as your career progresses.
"Optimism is a choice, be kind to others and yourself and be happier in the now - that is important," she said.
The final speaker of the day, Claire Lomas MBE, shared her incredibly personal journey after she was paralysed from the waist down in a freak horse-riding accident. Her riding career had just taken off and she had competed in the Burghley Horse Trials the same year - a personal career highlight and aspiration for her.
After discharging herself from hospital within eight weeks, she learnt to walk again with the help of a special support suit designed in Israel, fly a microlight solo, ride a motorcycle, had two children, and completed many marathons including the London Marathon and Great North Run.
Her story showed that no matter what life throws at you, it is possible to pull yourself up and achieve amazing things.
"Sometimes you think things are not achievable, but if you break it down, it really is. When you do face challenges in your life, you just need to keep going," Lomas said.
After a drink and some canapes, I left the event feeling very positive for the future - I really feel that things are starting to change for the better.
Congratulations to Hetty Roach and Negin Karimi, and the whole Exertis marketing team for putting on such a great event and thanks for inviting us. We would love to come to the next one!