Dennis Chow, Chairman of Deloitte China and the Deloitte China Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, shares with WiFA his thoughts on diversity, mentorship, his 2021 mantra, and much more.
Please provide an example of how being an ally helped to unlock the power of diversity within your team or your organization?
Deloitte’s “4+1” culture of courage, innovation, inclusion, well-being + integrity supports every aspect of the personal and career development of our people. “Inclusion” is one of the most important elements of our “4+1” culture, which is why we formed Deloitte’s DEI Council in 2019. We recognize that diversity drives innovation and improves decision making, and that our inclusion efforts represent an enormous opportunity for the continued growth and improvement of our organization.
In addressing gender parity, we are constantly vigilant, thinking about how we do things every day to promote equality and broaden opportunities for women at every level. We continue to seek and hire qualified women, provide ample developmental, promotional, and leadership opportunities, and remain committed to fair pay for all. Our commitment manifests itself in the substantial growth of female representation in leadership roles at Deloitte. Today, women account for more than 1/3 of the partners in Deloitte China, one of the highest figures in the Deloitte Global network. We are proud of what we have achieved so far. Deloitte constantly strives to develop an inclusive culture and has been recognized for these efforts across the world and in many of the markets in which we operate.
Mentors play an important role in the development of the careers of women. Have you or are you mentoring a woman in finance? Please tell us about your experience.
Our firm values the impact women have made and fosters their career and personal development in many ways, including through Deloitte China’s partnership with Lean in China on the Women, Work and Happiness whitepaper and corporate Young Leaders Program to train future female leaders.
I have supported women to advance and express themselves through internal and external mentoring programs, networking, and participation in social and community activities such as WiFA. Deloitte shares the success stories of its women leaders, and offers various wellbeing and career coaching programs specifically for women.
What advice or guidance would you provide men so they can become an ally? What can they do better to support their female colleagues professionally?
Being a true ally means regularly listening to those around you and adapting one’s thinking. It requires self-reflection and changing what you believe to be correct to become comfortable in today’s working environment. Here is some of my personal advice:
- Recognize systematic inequalities and realize the impact of unintentional discrimination against colleagues
- Lift others up by advocating for them
- Share growth opportunities with others
- Understand underrepresented people’s experiences
What will be your 2021 mantra to keep you motivated, either professionally or personally?
Goodwill and peace begins with friendship and trust between people. A world of friendship and peace starts with recognizing the dignity and worth of all people around us and fostering the spirit of Diversity & Inclusion.