Change doesn’t happen overnight but FFL can engender it

COMMENT: Eye-opening. That’s how EG’s Future Female Leaders  programme was described to me, and what it’s meant to Aecom’s FFL Rossella Nicolin. When I think what impact this programme has more widely – challenging the industry to embrace diversity – it’s a perfect maxim. We need to have our eyes opened, and open those of others to the benefits of a more diverse working community, and the fact that we that can and must continue to create opportunities and platforms for the inspiring women in our organisations. At Aecom, we are lucky enough to have an incredible female role model in our EMEA chief executive Lara Poloni, who is herself passionate about creating opportunities for women both within Aecom and across the built environment. We need to drive the change we want; it’s not enough to just create the platforms, we need to give people the confidence and skills to step onto them. Presenting is not a skill we are all born with (though there are a lucky few who are), and for many it can be a source of great anxiety. Coupled with the fact that many public speaking opportunities only come about by invitation, often generated by an individual already having speaking credentials, this creates a perfect storm that can prevent others from gaining experience and building confidence. What the FFL programme has done is identify a community of inspiring female role models to help break down these barriers, giving Rossella and the other individuals a voice and a platform to share their stories. What I have learnt from Rossella, and what I will certainly seek to apply within Aecom, is the power that comes from combining community, confidence and capability. The community where a group of like-minded and inspiring individuals act as a support and mentoring network. The confidence that Rossella has not only in her own talents, but also her voice – one that people need and want to hear. And finally, the capability to tell a story in a compelling and engaging way on a high profile stage. At Aecom, we understand the power of a community and already have our own mentoring – female and male – network in place. But the FFL programme is a great example of how these networks can be taken to the next level. I have no doubt that on 8 October, when these candidates were apprehensively waiting backstage to do their individual TED talks, it was the support of their FFL peers that gave them the final nudge to step out of the wings. Ultimately, the FFL programme has delivered a blueprint which Aecom and our whole industry will be able to take forward. We should enable people, whatever their background, to aspire in their careers, and how we do this is key to helping the real estate industry to be the best it can be. Whatever we do, however, engaging people and bringing them along with us is essential. At Aecom we work on incredible projects, partnering with clients to help transform our cities, communities and places, but it is our people that make this happen. Through thought leadership we are able to share these stories, but there is always opportunity to empower our people more to tell their story – to inspire our clients, the industry and our future workforce. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but what the FFL programme proves is that with real focus we can engender it.  Whatever learnings we all take from this programme, the impact it has and will continue to have across our industry is an important legacy and we are proud that Aecom is part of that. Following Rossella’s and the other FFL alumni’s careers will be the evidence: my eyes are open, and it’s a story I look forward to reading. Richard Whitehead is managing director, building and places, Aecom