As we acknowledge International Women鈥檚 Day at Affinity Education Group, we have invited reflections and perspectives on two pledges that resonated with our community from this year鈥檚 international #AccelerateAction campaign.听听
For Affinity Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary Cathy Montesin, being gender blind is both a personal philosophy and practical approach to making women more visible in the workplace.听
鈥淎 merit-based approach naturally leads to high performing women or men being recognised,鈥� Cathy explains. 鈥淩egardless of gender, if a person working within our company is getting results, and it鈥檚 obvious they are stretching themselves to meet company goals 鈥� they have our vote and backing all the way.鈥�听
鈥淥bviously pay parity is an issue all companies need to continue to address. With 97% of employees identifying as women here at Affinity, we continue to look for ways to address any pay gap in roles held by both men and women within the company.鈥�听
Responding to the topic of forging positive visibility for women, Cathy says companies 鈥渂enefit immensely when women are afforded the same opportunities as men 鈥� at Affinity I鈥檓 really proud of how we are achieving that at the centre level as well as here in our Centre Support Office in Brisbane.鈥�听
Newly appointed in November 2024 as Affinity鈥檚 first female Head of Technology, Dee Dharamsey听joined Affinity as an IT Service Delivery Manager, having previously served as an Account Manager overseeing IT operations through an outsourced solutions firm, and then within just a few months, she advanced to the position of Head of Technology.听
鈥淗aving worked with Cathy for many years, I experienced firsthand her ability to foster strong leadership and professional growth. When transitioning into the Head of Technology role, she provided unwavering support, making the process seamless and instilling confidence in my abilities. Her mentorship, development opportunities, and guidance have been invaluable, enabling me to grow into my best self in this exciting and rewarding role,鈥� Dee said.听
Cathy defines Dee鈥檚 appointment as an ideal example of gender-blind promotion. 鈥淒ee wasn鈥檛 promoted to become our first female Head of Technology 鈥� she听had the skillset, work ethic and understanding of Affinity that made her the right person for the role, and she鈥檚 doing brilliantly,鈥� explains Cathy.听
Leading Affinity鈥檚 75% female IT team, Dee also considers gender 鈥榠rrelevant compared to ability and a strong commitment to achieving results鈥�.听听
鈥�Forging positive visibility for women starts with an assumption that the women in a company are worth listening to,鈥� says Dee.听
鈥淪ince joining Affinity, I have been inspired by a culture where every voice鈥攔egardless of gender鈥攊s valued and heard. Unlike my experiences in previous companies, where women were often dismissed, Affinity fosters an environment of inclusivity and respect, making it a truly motivating place to grow and contribute,鈥� she said.听听听
Another emerging leader at Affinity, Brittany Sandeman, recently stepped up to manage the company鈥檚 Regulatory Compliance Team as Regulatory Compliance Manager. A lawyer with more than five-years experience, Brittany reports to Affinity鈥檚 Chief Compliance and Quality Officer Dr Lesley Jones.听
鈥淭he big thing at Affinity is we have a lot of women leaders but it鈥檚 not tokenistic,鈥� explains Brittany.听
鈥淭hey are the right and respected people for the jobs they are doing, and so their contribution is valued for what they bring to the company, not on whether they are male or female,鈥� she said.听
鈥淧rogressing from more traditional law firm environments and their views on leadership, to a company with an open and affirmative leadership culture has been incredibly rewarding for me, and I am so proud to be leading my own team now, celebrating their achievements and seeing them engage with all stakeholders at the front of issues with relevant and valued information and insights.鈥澨�听
Affinity Area Manager Chloe Grech has worked in the early education sector since leaving school 鈥� progressing from trainee to educator and then to centre management roles.听
鈥淔rom my perspective, even in a women-dominated industry like ours, the culture and recognition given as people achieve career milestones and go outside their comfort zone is what really matters,鈥� says Chloe.听
鈥淚 was really proud of my achievements in previous centre based roles, but a group of people at Affinity all backed me to step up to听Area Manager, overseeing a group of centres to improve quality and business outcomes, and I鈥檓 loving growing into the role,鈥� she said.听
鈥�From my perspective celebrating women鈥檚 achievements is about giving women that chance 鈥� we just need to be given a chance 鈥� we have so much career progression here at Affinity, and as long as we keep doing that and recognise people鈥檚 talents we will do so well as a company.鈥澨�听