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On March 8, a record-breaking number of AGN professionals from across the globe came together to inspire inclusion and honour the remarkable contributions of women in the workforce and amplify the visibility of female professionals on International Women’s Day. With around 100 attendees over two sessions to accommodate global time zones, the event served as a testament to AGN’s unwavering commitment to gender equality, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace.
23% of AGN International partners globally are female.
Source: AGN Annual Return 2023
Aligned with the theme of International Women’s Day 2024 – “Inspire Inclusion,” the dynamic one-hour session provided a platform to celebrate women’s achievements while advocating for greater diversity and representation across all sectors.
Several AGN firms connected as a collaborative team. This approach demonstrates their commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture.
AGN was thrilled to welcome guest speaker Leslie G. Ungar, President of Electric Impulse Communications, Inc. Leslie’s presentation served as a catalyst for meaningful conversations and reflections on the importance of gender equality, diversity, and women’s empowerment in the workplace.
Leslie highlighted new communication patterns and effective implementation methods through several thought-provoking poll questions with multiple-choice answers. This engaging session provided seven crucial takeaways with the penultimate message of taking one small step every day – Lead the Way: Your Inner Brilliance Will #InspireInclusion.
The AGN Women of Impact (WOI) led the event, a group of trailblazing female leaders who have been driving change since 2022. The inception of WOI in 2022 marked a pivotal moment for AGN, as fifteen women leaders from AGN firms globally embarked on a mission to address a critical question: “Why do so many women not make it to partner level at their firms?” The findings and solutions that emerged from this profound dialogue feature in the AGN Global Business Voice: The Great Female Resignation…? This insightful content provides valuable data and takeaways from discussions among professional leaders in AGN firms, shedding light on barriers to advancement and strategies for fostering greater gender diversity.
“At Joannides+ Co, diversity is our strength. Joining AGN’s event as a team for International Women’s Day affirmed our commitment to equality. Our empowered women, representing senior to partner levels, lead with distinction. We are proud that all voices, regardless of gender and background, are heard in our teams. We value AGN’s commitment to these principles and are thankful for the opportunity to participate in these enlightening events.”—Davinia Joannidou, Director at Joannides + Co Limited
AGN’s commitment to gender diversity extends far beyond International Women’s Day. We remain steadfast in our dedication to collaborating with the WOI group to create opportunities for sharing diverse perspectives and driving practical outcomes that enable firms to attract, retain, and advance talented professionals from all backgrounds.
Key Industry Focus: Strategies for Winning Global Talent
A key industry issue on the AGN Member Agenda is strategies for winning Global Talent. Helping AGN firms adopt an inclusive culture to foster engagement, loyalty, innovation, diversity, and organizational resilience is a testament to retaining and attracting top talent worldwide.
As part of the global 2024/2025 strategy, the WOI asked event participants to define which one (or more) of the practical steps defined in the Global Business Voice: Balancing Gender Diversity they would commit to and encouraged to share their success stories to discover what steps AGN firms have already taken to support Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace.
The program will evolve towards implementing the challenges and opportunities of the different policies presented as real, practical steps forward. We will help and attend firms on this journey by following up on specific cases and creating sharing opportunities, mostly around the themed sessions at the World Congress and regional meetings.
Additionally, an AGN Mentorship program is in development, a professional women’s breakfast will take place at the AGN World Congress in Nashville on 2 – 4 June, and the AGN North America Professional Women Sharegroup will continue meeting and sharing their views.
Meet the Women of Impact
Angelina Milo
Meaden & Moore, LLP
Cleveland, OH
Yi Ping Ge
Gilligan Sheppard Public Accountants
Auckland, New Zealand
Zalpha Nassar
Serhal Nassar & Company
Beirut, Lebanon
Marielos de Rueda
Panchita Aguirre De Kaehler Y Asociados
Guatemala
Angie Bartolozzi
Munt Audit & Forensic
Barcelona, Spain
Marlijn Lawson
AGN International
Mireia Rovira
AGN International
Related AGN Global Business Voice:
- Balancing Gender Diversity (Published January 2024)
- The Great Female Resignation (Published November 2022)
- Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) (Published August 2021)