Female IR professionals who take an intentional approach to building relationships with their senior management stand to make the most of a ‘genuine interest’ in hiring more senior female IR professionals.
Last year IR Magazine uncovered a glass ceiling in IR – suggesting that women are less likely to obtain the top IR positions and earn as much as their male counterparts.
In the latest installment of IR Magazine’s Women in IR video series, Smooch Repovich Reynolds, managing director of global investor relations and chief communications officer assignments at ZRG Partners, talks about how women can position themselves for success in the workplace.
‘I think there’s a genuine interest on the part of management teams to have more women in the lead IR role,’ Repovich Reynolds tells IR Magazine. ‘But women do need to think about their careers and frame them a little differently.’
Repovich Reynolds cites relationship building as a key factor that can make or break a talented individual’s career: ‘One of the best pieces of advice I can give to women is to establish early on the foundation of the relationship with their boss – whether you’re a number two IR practitioner reporting into the IRO, or an IRO reporting into the CEO or CFO. Establishing early on that you want your boss to serve as your partner, as part of your journey to success in your career at that company, is a really key element to this.’
In the rest of the video interview, Repovich Reynolds discusses the difference between a mentorship and advocate network, how women can make sure their voice is heard, and why comparing yourself with your peers can be counter-productive.
Click here to view the full interview with Repovich Reynolds.
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