听
The journey towards a diverse and inclusive workplace can be long and difficult 鈥� especially in an industry that鈥檚 overwhelmingly male-dominated 鈥� but David Pathe, President and CEO of Canadian resource company Sherritt International, knows that the benefits still outweigh the challenges. Here鈥檚 how his organization is making change.
听
By听Hailey Eisen
听
听
When 85 per cent of your workforce is comprised of men, in an industry that鈥檚 almost completely male-dominated, making the decision to shift toward a more inclusive culture will naturally pose some challenges. Pair that with an industry plagued with difficult economic times and the challenge becomes even greater.听
听
Despite the obvious roadblocks, David Pathe, President and CEO of听听鈥� a Canadian resource company with a focus on nickel and cobalt mining, oil and gas exploration and production, and electricity generation 鈥� has remained undeterred in his commitment to change.听
听
鈥淐hanging culture is a long-term process,鈥� says David, who joined Sherritt in 2007, and became CEO in 2012. 鈥淚t takes a great deal of effort and commitment by every leader in the organization, and it鈥檚 been a tougher and longer road than I thought it would be.鈥�听
听
In an industry that鈥檚 long adopted certain ways of thinking, change hasn鈥檛 come without some pushback.听
听
鈥淥ne of our Promises to our key stakeholders, which includes our employees, is a commitment to treating people with respect and being inclusive. Taking a hard position on expected behavior, having difficult conversations and making tough decisions when we witness behaviors that are inconsistent with this promise, is a leadership behavior we expect at Sherritt,鈥� says David. As an organization, he adds, they are committed to creating an environment where all individuals feel safe and comfortable coming to work every day.
听
听
听
鈥淚f being a feminist means women and girls should have the same opportunities as men and boys, and treat one another with respect, then I would have thought everyone should be a feminist.鈥�
听
听
听
鈥淚n a period when our company, like many others in this industry, has been shrinking rather than growing, it is important to remember that change takes time,鈥� David says. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e doing all we can to ensure we have an inclusive culture, with the right policies and procedures in place and the leadership commitment to support this.鈥�听
听
鈥淚t just didn鈥檛 make sense to continue doing things the way they鈥檇 always been done,鈥� David says. 鈥淲e were finding that attracting and retaining talent was getting harder and harder, and to be systematically and unconsciously discriminating against an entire portion of the population isn鈥檛 logical.鈥�听
听
In 2017, Sherritt worked with听听to deliver unconscious bias training and support in redesigning employee onboarding programs. They also got involved with The International Women in Resource Mentorship Program, which provides women with mentors in senior leadership positions across the industry, and became a member of the听30% Club Canada, a campaign promoting the business case for gender-balanced leadership on boards and in C-Suite positions.听
听
Most recently, David stepped into the role of Co-Chair of 外国美女色情片 Canada Advisory Committee, which he says gives him the opportunity to share his knowledge, experiences, and learnings with other companies ready to make similar changes. He also continues to sit on the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board, showing his support and dedication to creating workplaces that work for everyone.
听
Sherritt is a global company with approximately 4,000 employees working in Western Canada, Toronto, Cuba, and Madagascar, so change has to be made systematically and strategically. Over the past two years, David鈥檚 efforts have been very focused. Ensuring all position descriptions accurately reflect the requirements of the job, improved parental leave and employee benefits that promote flexible working arrangements, promoting three women in to VP roles, and adding another female to the board are some of the noticeable results. Sherritt鈥檚 multi-year Diversity and Inclusion strategy will continue to evolve as the culture changes, with the short term focus on training, clear leadership accountabilities and measurable KPIs to monitor progress.
听
听
听
鈥淲hen women come into the organization and they see those role models, on the board and in senior management roles, it gives them something to aspire toward.鈥�
听
听
听
鈥淗aving female representation on our board and on our senior leadership team is important for a number of reasons, but internally it sets an example for the rest of the organization and is without question, good for business,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t starts from the board down. When women come into the organization and they see those role models, on the board and in senior management roles, it gives them something to aspire toward. Also, there鈥檚 no shortage of research around diverse groups and their ability to make better decisions.鈥� 听
听
As a father of two teenage daughters and one younger son, and the spouse of a successful lawyer, David鈥檚 motivation to continue on this journey is personal as well as professional. 鈥淚f being a feminist means women and girls should have the same opportunities as men and boys, and treat one another with respect, then I would have thought everyone should be a feminist,鈥� he says. 听
听
Meanwhile, he鈥檚 continuing to lead the charge in this direction, hoping it will not only provide competitive advantage for Sherritt, but also motivation for others to follow suit.
听
听
听
What is the role of men in gender equality?听Over the next year, 外国美女色情片 Canada and Women of Influence are partnering to听. We鈥檒l be sharing the stories of allies 鈥� men who are pushing for gender equality in the workplace, or making it happen in their own business. These Champions of Change can act as visible role models, inspiring and guiding other men to follow in their footsteps. If we鈥檙e going to level the playing field, we need men to be engaged.
