Being The First is not always Best
As we approach IWD2019 it has caused me to reflect on some of my career as a woman in a largely male dominated industry.
While the number of women has increased at graduate levels, there has been very little movement at the top which means the industry is still dominated by men.
This is not a "Woe is Me" because I lead a blessed life, nor is it "All Men are to Blame for …" because I have and continue to know and work with some amazing men but it is a reflection on some of the times when I have been The First and it wasn't always for The Best (for me).
If not The First female, I was certainly one of The First to undertake the "new" graduate training at (then) Hungerford's* - and I was The Only female graduate that year out of 13 new recruits.
There were funny things to deal with, including what bag would they give me? Standard issue for graduates were Tosca Gladstone Bags (Tosca was a client at the time) but such manly bags were considered not appropriate for a lady so for some weeks Shirley from the print room pondered on an appropriate bag for me to lug audit files around in.
Because I was The First, they didn’t know what was appropriate and so for a while I didn’t have anything - eventually I asked for a Gladstone Bag too!
I was also The First female to complete my Professional Year whilst employed by Hungerford's to become a Chartered Accountant meaning I was The Only female in our study groups.
Roll forward a few years and I announce I am pregnant and inform the Payroll Officer (there was no HR) of my intention to take Maternity Leave.
He said "Oh we don't do that"
I still laugh sometimes when I think how forward I was "Well you sort of have to because that's what the law says"
This threw Payroll into a kerfuffle - how were they to cope with an employee who wasn’t there? How would the firm manage clients/jobs in my absence?
I was The First to ask for maternity leave, The First to return from maternity leave and The First (five years later) to take it a second time.
On planning my first return (after 5 months) I broached the idea of coming back part time for the first few months AND I asked for the promotion I had missed out on while I was away.
Again I was The First "we don't have part time, that doesn’t work in our profession, what will the clients say?" I felt like this was another round in a boxing match so it was gloves off and I insisted I could make it work. And I did - for 17 years.
I subsequently became The First "home bred" Female partner of #Pitcher Partners and The First to be vocal on gender equity, Inclusion and Diversity but I am now not The Only as I am joined by many other women and men.
Being The First and The Only was often lonely and I needed to be the Agitator, and the Educator and a had a big responsibility for those to come after me.
Being ahead of the curve, as The First and the vanguard has been risky at times and exhausting. But there was no alternative and no path to follow - someone needs to be The First. So I made my own path - with my passion and determination to make things better for others and I am grateful that I have the ability to do so.
Here is to all the other women and men who have been The First
Vicki Macdermid, Partner/Executive Director Pitcher Parthers, Program Director EQiLead, pictured here with one of her greatest teachers Erin Elegant Isle (Ellie).
*Hungerfords became Hungerford Hancock and Offner, later into what became KPMG from which 14 partners left to form Pitcher Partners, where Vicki is currently a Partner
TEDx Speaker. EQuine Leadership Expert. EQiLead: Changing Leadership One Hoofbeat at a time. Workshops & coaching with horses, fast tracking leadership potential for leaders and teams. Daring to be Different.
This article was orginally published on LinkedIn on March 3, 2019.
