BMO has a long history as a champion of diversity and inclusion – it’s a core value and a key priority for us. This includes diversity of perspectives, experiences, abilities, cultures and gender.
Continue reading “Caroline Tsai, deputy general counsel, BMO”
I think it’s absolutely critical for a company to embrace diversity and inclusion. At Salesforce, we operate in a very competitive industry – one that is evolving every day and where innovation isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, but a business imperative.
To assemble an informed and representative perspective of the legal sector, our quantitative research went beyond considering purely the most senior legal figures in the United States.
It’s no secret that the United States takes diversity very seriously. Since the advent of the Bill of Rights – which in 1789 laid bare the basic personal freedoms, civil liberties and protections guaranteed by the Constitution – diversity and inclusion has been an evolving process.
In terms of gender equality, the point when women have children is still where the biggest drop off occurs. This is, however, not the only point, according to Vodafone Americas GC, Megan Doberneck.
One trend which emerged in the research conducted to support this report, was a much more serious focus on sponsorship and mentoring in the US compared with the UK and Europe.
Across the legal sector – from the partner level in private firms and general counsel in major corporates, right through to new recruits fresh out of law school – research shows that there remains barriers to entering and progressing through the sector for certain groups and demographics.
The recent launch of the GC Powerlist: Ireland Teams, hosted in association with McCann FitzGerald in Dublin, was attended by a host of companies operating across the country including Ulster Bank, Facebook, EY, An Post and Ryanair.
Although the interactivity of the online database allows users to draw their own conclusions, The Legal 500 has sifted through the millions of data points to draw out some poignant in-house and law firm findings.
That the role of the general counsel is becoming an increasingly senior and integral part of today’s businesses will be nothing new for readers of GC Magazine. From GCs and partners through to CEOs and politicians, the importance of the role to modern business – from major corporates through to emerging companies – cannot be understated.
Continue reading “GC Roundtable – business leader/business partner/lawyer?”