Women in the Channel hosted their 11th Networking and Enrichment Event at the 2016 Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas in March. The theme of the event was “Go Big with Gender Diversity” and featured a gender-diverse panel for the first time.
The discussion invited leaders from the channel and telecom, and focused on strategies for fostering female leadership within the industry.
We sat down with Helene Kidary and Nicole Hayward, both Women in the Channel Board members, for their take on the event. Helene is the VP Channel Sales, and Nicole is Chief Marketing Officer at OnSIP.
Why do you think it is important to recognize gender diversity in the telecom industry?
Helene: Diversity is a supernatural force and critical to any ecosystem. Gender blindness would allow for potential and performance that would not otherwise exist. This is especially important in the telecom space because of the weight of business communications in the fast-paced and ever-changing segment of technology.
Nicole: It makes both ethical and business sense for all organizations to maintain a diverse workforce. We live in a diverse world, and technology is driving market globalization across industries. As such, businesses must cultivate a diverse workforce, with diverse perspectives, to address market needs. It's been proven that a firm's inherent diversity is correlated to its ability to innovate and grow market share.
This year marks the 11th Annual Women in the Channel event. How has the organization grown and changed over the years?
Nicole: Since I joined the organization 3 years ago, the organization has strengthened leadership, forming a board and selecting committee heads. We've launched a new website, assembled 9 committees, and seen over 330 members to date. In addition, I think the organizaton's brand and message has matured, evidenced by our press coverage, presence at Channel Partners Conferences, and increasing requests for participation in other organizations' events.
Helene: Over the past few months, we have seen tremendous growth in our numbers. The caliber of women we are attracting is a testimony to the strength of both our concept and its members.
How did inviting men for the first time to the WiC event and panel influence the discussion on gender diversity?
Helene: I believe you need to always walk the walk. Preaching the topic of gender diversity to a like-minded audience is counterintuitive if the goal is to educate and impact change. The men who spoke, and with whom I spoke with at the event, all agree that diversity is imperative to a company's bottom line and overall culture of the organization.
Nicole: I thought the discussion on gender diversity in leadership was more well-rounded with both the male and female perspectives. I also felt it was particularly uplifting. The panel highlighted male advocacy for closing the gender gap, which is needed.
What's next for WiC? What do you hope to see at the Channel Partners Conference and Expo next year?
Nicole: We are grateful Channel Partners has been such a big supporter of WiC. We now have both the event and a booth at the Channel Partners show. What people may not know is that the WiC Board also holds an annual meeting at the conference; it’s a important time for the organization to come together.
At this year's Board meeting, we set goals to operationalize our processes and inspire future leaders so the organization can gracefully scale. We also aim to email members more consistently, build our outreach program, grow sponsorship, and support local chapters. It's a big year.
Helene: Last year, the ratio of men to women at Channel Partners appeared to be around 90:10; this year it seemed closer to 70:30 from my vantage. It is a privilege to have WiC as a vehicle, in which to support the uptick of women who enter the Channel.
I would absolutely entertain another mixed panel at our next conference. It is important, however, to invite panelists with a proactive history and proven consistency oft he topic. This way, we can establish cogent discussions while safeguarding a healthy and unimpaired environment for our members.
How can women get involved with Women in the Channel?
Nicole: Visit womeninthechannel.org to learn how to join and/or become one of our awesome sponsors!
Helene: We recently launched our new website and it is content rich! As Chairman of Membership, our Committee as well as myself are always available to speak with any potential new member about the benefits of joining Women in the Channel.