On Friday 6th March, to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), Finlays hosted our second IWD Global Forum guided by the UN global theme of ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls’.
It was truly galvanizing to see over 200 participants from across Finlays come together to celebrate, share, and engage in meaningful discussion, led by our exceptional panellists, Sue Johnson, Jennifer Mason and Joe Yalley-Ogunro.
Three Key Takeaways from the Forum
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‘The importance of allyship’
Allyship is about using our position and privilege to support, respect and stand with people who are either facing discrimination or marginalisation. It can help prevent harm, challenge inequalities and promote human rights.
It means acting in ways that help elevate voices, support system-based improvement and help prevent any harm.
Allyship is also about working with partners to enable transparency and support hidden issues to be brought out into the open.
Working in this way means that women’s experiences are not devalued, dismissed or silenced at an individual level.
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‘Belonging is a bedrock to business success’
Belonging is where individuals are valued for their uniqueness, the fact that everyone brings unique skills, experience, knowledge and perspective into the workplace every day.
It means that we can speak up. We can speak our mind. We can challenge leaders. We can challenge the status quo. It means the workplace is more innovative. Belonging is a bedrock to business success.
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‘Empowering the quietest voice in the room’
It’s so important for women to trust their own expertise. Empowerment starts with an internal permission slip, and we must give that to ourselves.
But empowerment is a team sport, making it important for everyone, especially leaders and managers, to be agents of empowerment. Really focus on not just listening to the loudest voices – it’s also the quietest voice in the room that can add the most value.
It’s about creating the culture and relationships that create a psychological safety net and empowers everyone to have their say.
Meet the panel:
Thank you to our inspiring panel of speakers who shared their experiences and perspectives on Allyship, Belonging, and Empowerment. And thank you to the Finlays Women in Business networks for hosting another remarkable event!
Alongside our esteemed panellists, we’d like to thank our facilitator Annie Bowden, and Darnell Ross for his introductory remarks. And a special thank you to Tamie Hutchins, our Global HR Director, for championing and guiding the Forum as well as for sharing Finlays’ commitment to Women in Business, aligning with our values and sustainability strategy.
Sue Johnson
Sue Johnson is the Director of Superadditivity, a consultancy focused on practical, business‑driven leadership, culture and inclusion. With early career roots in Operations and Sales, she brings first‑hand insight into how high‑performing cultures drive organisational results. A recognised advocate for inclusion, she has spoken at global platforms including the United Nations, Catalyst and the Women’s Forum, specialising in educating and challenging senior leaders as they navigate cultural transformation. She also contributes her expertise through roles with Comic Relief’s Culture Committee, Cancer Research UK, and the DE&I committees of BSI and Make UK.
Jennifer Mason
A recent addition to Finlays’ Board, Jennifer brings extensive experience in safety, sustainability, and innovation. She serves as CSO and EVP of Safety & Sustainability at J.M. Huber and holds board positions at Batory Foods and the U.S. National Board of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. With leadership roles at Mars and Unilever in Global Innovation, R&D, and Technology, Jennifer provided diverse and strategic insights to our forum.
Joe Yalley-Ogunro
Joe is Group Head of Sustainability at Finlays and has over 20 years’ experience in corporate environment and sustainability roles working globally across consulting, FMCG, retail, pharmaceutical.
What’s next?
This forum was just a small part of an ongoing conversation about allyship, belonging and empowerment at Finlays. We look forward to continuing to champion women in business at Finlays and beyond!
