Everyone’s career is different, says former FERMA and BELRIM President Marie-Gemma Dequae. Marie has combined a successful career as an academic, risk manager, wife and mother with four children, and now non-executive director. “You have to consider where you come from, where you are and where you want to be in 5 to 10 years’ time. Do not look only inside your existing work environment, but into the broader world. There are lots of opportunities out there!”
Here are her tips for women in the risk professions. For the full story of Marie’s career see https://www.ferma.eu/diversity-in-the-risk-professions-a-view-from-belgium/
Tip1: Consider developing your knowledge when you have a young family. I was able to build my family during a fundamental period of study, which was easier to combine.
Tip 2: When you do not see the result of your investment (mine was as a full time professor), reflect, evaluate, look at all alternatives and do not be afraid of taking strong decisions.
Tip 3: Do not focus on the past, do not complain, but look at the broad future.
Tip 4: Do not be afraid to take drastic decisions in your career, but be ready to take the consequences.
Tip 5: Training and continuous development are and remain very important, together with building a good international, broad and diverse network.
Tip 6: Listen to your colleagues (all over the world), take the time needed to discuss proposed solutions and find win-win solutions. Some projects take time, but be patient and persist.
Tip 7: Find simple solutions and good internal co-operation.
Tip 8: It is important to bring people together, work in teams and lead, as the risk management process is really team based and the further the process is realised, the more collaboration is needed.
Tip 9: Be aware of what is changing in your company and convince your bosses of the need for right involvement and place of risk management.
Tip 10: Exchange of views between colleagues and partners is crucial to grow in risk management and has to be organised, so membership of associations is of utmost importance. It has to be positively valued by your company; sometimes some convincing is needed
Related Posts:
- Diversity in the Risk Professions – a view from Belgium
- Diversity in the risk professions – the view from France
- Diversity in the risk professions – a view from France (full report)
- Diversity of thought is the most important aspect of diversity