Dye & Durham Women Mark Women’s History Month in Canada: Sabrina Paglia

October is Women's History Month in Canada, an annual month-long celebration of the outstanding achievements of women throughout Canadian history.?To mark the month, we're featuring some of our Canadian women leaders here at Dye & Durham.?Next up is Sabrina Paglia, Director of Finance Integrations.

Tell us briefly about your career trajectory and how you joined the Dye & Durham team.

Even in high school, I knew I was going to get into finance and accounting; my parents, immigrants to Canada, have a family-run business and I followed this path with their guidance to support the family. Soon after graduating university and completing my CMA designation, I took jobs that helped me learn about finance, accounting and operations. I never ended up working in the family business but followed my own path in various industries, including advertising, television/film production and software in technology. I came to Dye & Durham because I was interested in the company’s growth strategy and felt my experience could help the company grow.

What was the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve had incredible role models in my parents; they instilled in me a lifelong commitment to hard work. Whether it’s the part-time job you take on during high school or a senior role in your career, hard work never goes unnoticed. But even if it does, there’s a personal reward in knowing you performed your best.

What is your advice to women who aspire to have a successful career in tech?

Don’t try to compete with or compare yourself with your male counterparts. We are genetically different in how we work, think and lead. We should always understand and be confident in the skills and qualities we bring in our roles and use these qualities to our advantage in advancing our careers.?

What’s the best part of your job?

I like to fix things; make things better, easier. My role at Dye & Durham lets me dig into finance areas that aren’t as efficient as they should or could be and implement change.?

Can you tell us about an obstacle you overcame in your career? How did you do it?

The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome was my personal health. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2008 and spent years in various medical trials. I’m happy to share that I’ve been in remission since late 2016, but there were many times during my illness when I wanted to stop working because it was incredibly difficult physically for me to leave the house and the pain and discomfort were constant at work. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to succeed without my incredible support system, particularly my husband who shared equally in the responsibilities of our home and children.

Who’s your favourite female Canadian historical figure?

Elsie MacGill, the world’s first female aeronautical engineer and Canada’s first practising woman engineer.

If you could redo your education or early career over again, what would you do differently?

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. All of my experiences, positive or negative, have helped to shape me, strengthened my skillset and arguably have made me a better leader as I try to share the lessons I’ve learned throughout my career with my team and colleagues.?Overall, I’m happy with my educational and career decisions.?

What’s your advice for staying grounded and maintaining a work-life balance?

Master the skill of turning off; work smart, not long; and take dedicated time for yourself.?I’m still working on taking time for myself; with two teenaged kids it tends to be challenging.

Tell us about a woman or women who currently inspire you.

First and foremost, my mom who was and still is the jack-of-all-trades. She worked, raised three children, never missed a school event (plays, sports, competitions), took care of our home (inside and out), encouraged us to be independent women and always found time to take on new hobbies or projects for her own enjoyment. And she did all this with grace, making it seem effortless. It’s only now as an adult that I truly comprehend the amount of work that must have taken.

Complete this statement. This Women's History Month, I want to shine a light on ________. Why?

Inequities for women, particularly around compensation. While the statistics vary across different fields, gender-based pay disparities exist almost everywhere. Just do a quick Google search to see the gap in professional sports, for example. Women are invaluable in the workforce and it’s time that this is recognized when negotiating compensation..