I am Constantly Breaking the Bias

Shreena Ghumra is the Regional Controller for Marsh McLennan Middle East & Africa. Here she shares her reflections on Women’s History Month.

Breaking the bias has been a consistent theme in my life. I am a British Asian female who spent the first 12 years of my career in white male dominant industries, and managed to climb the corporate ladder all the way to Board level.? I then decided to uproot my life and career to work in the Middle East. I’m not afraid of the challenge, I’m not afraid of breaking the bias.

My personal highlights go from being the first female and ‘brown’ hire in a successful FinTech start up, changing industries for personal and professional growth while continuing to build my career, and achieving fitness goals and training for sporting events such as multiple London Marathons, Tough Mudder and am currently part of a netball team.

There are many generic stereotypes attached to women, and more so Asian women that we are subjected to, these are the subtle daily battles. Examples of stereotyping that I have faced include questions around being married and to family planning, questions about my body and skin color, questioning the career choices which I have made which do not fit a female profile, the way I speak up, my leadership style, the resistance I’ve faced when challenging the status quo, and the list can go on.

In my experience, the most effective way to overcome any sort of bias is to stand rooted in your core values.

I have confidence in my own value set, I’ve done this through aligning my actions and building habits that define the person I am today and the person I am working towards becoming. I believe in creating a safe environment for both female and male colleagues to be able to express themselves in the way they feel most comfortable, and in turn become build their confidence.

In the workplace, I’ve found that being a team player in meetings, during company socials, and in daily life can help break the break bias. Being biased can be defined as having your go-to person, your wing (wo)man or a group of people you would typically sit at lunch with or go out with. I practice breaking the bias by welcoming those who may on first impressions be considered an introvert, a new hire, or perhaps an individual who may not always ‘stand out’.

Being the Marsh McLennan EMEA Women in Finance Lead has been facilitator to breaking the bias. The Council has held sessions such as ‘Confidence in the Workplace’ and ‘Assertive vs Aggressive’ to help colleagues overcome and handle uncomfortable situations they might encounter professionally. It is crucial to convert learnings into daily habits; as James Clear says ‘Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.’

If we really want to break bias we must start with small, single actions and decisions. As we repeat them we are entrenching a new system in its place.

This blog is a part of our series for Women's History Month in which we celebrate & spotlight women from across the enterprise and their experiences. Learn more about inclusion & diversity at Marsh McLennan visit?https://www.marshmclennan.com/about/culture/fostering-diversity---inclusion.html.