My biggest surprise after becoming CEO: BLOG
March 13, 2018 by Marianne Harrison
I recently moved back to Boston to lead John Hancock as our company’s first female CEO in our 156 year history, and while I’m proud to be part of tangible traction in women’s advancement in a traditionally male dominated business, I was surprised at how much attention my appointment garnered. For me, the “congratulations” highlighted just how new the concept of a female CEO is, and how far we have yet to come.
With only 32 women as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, it’s imperative we continue to empower women and set them up to succeed. Women bring diversity of thinking into the workplace and often provide a different perspective which can be very valuable in the business world.
Around my senior leadership table, fostering diversity of thought is critical and was one of my key priorities. I’m happy to report that since starting as CEO in October, 40% of that team is diverse across race and gender. Building a diverse group of people working together – not just in terms of gender, but also in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion – has tangible business results. Being able to think more broadly and creatively helps us better understand and meet the evolving needs of our customers.
In order to accomplish this, and to ensure the financial services industry keeps a pulse on the ever-changing shifts from forthcoming generations, we must embody open-mindedness to new ideas, a willingness to challenge some of our traditional ways of doing things and a fair amount of patience as we test, learn and iterate our way into the future of the financial services industry.
I’m proud that John Hancock participated in the Catalyst Skyline Takeover to shine a light on gender equality in the workplace. This International Woman’s day and every day, lets continue to focus on the importance and the need for diversity within our business and society as a whole.
