Each year on March 8 we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) to honor the achievements of women, in a variety of fields, throughout history and across nations. March also happens to be Women’s History Month in the United States.

In recognition of both International Women’s Day (IWD) and Women’s History Month, Vanguard’s Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) hosted events and programs focusing on a bold theme: “Break the Bias.” The mission behind this year’s theme was to demystify and confront one major bias against women in corporate environments across all industries: the gap between women and men being perceived as strategic thinkers.

Through live speaker events, career progression programs, and company-wide discussions, crew engaged with each other across virtual platforms. Many also participated in a #BreakTheBias campaign by posting photos striking the IWD pose to show their commitment to calling out gender bias and stereotyping.

Lastly, WILS also took this opportunity to recognize and celebrate “women we admire” through a spotlight series. Take a moment to read the insights these crew members shared about their personal career experiences in being strategic thinkers and best practices for breaking gender biases.

Nitu G.
Product Architect in Europe

Nitu opens up about the importance of building a collective vision: “As architects, a lot of our work requires shaping the longer-term strategic architecture vision. For me, formulating a strategic vision can only happen when you take the time to talk to stakeholders and subject matter experts, and take a genuine interest in understanding what they do, what our clients do, and the challenges they face. It’s important to keep focused on understanding the bigger picture and uncovering the core challenges so that you can then collaboratively and strategically figure out what needs to be achieved. Collaboration is the key to shaping your own thinking and that of others. I always remind myself that having strategic vision is meaningless unless it can be driven forward. The best way to do that is for everyone to be part of the same journey and build the vision together.”

Danielle C.
Co-head of PAS High Net Worth Advice and Advice Support Group

Offering guidance to those interested in strengthening their strategic thinking skillset, Danielle shares, “Strategic thinking comes down to how you approach making decisions and considering trade-offs. A few tips: 1. Start with growing your experience working with data. Then, determine how to use data to tell a compelling story. 2. Frameworks, like hypothesis trees, are helpful to tell a story and show how you came to a decision. Read books and articles on decision-making and hang onto memos and presentations on the subject, as you never know when they will come in handy. 3. Think about altitude, time, and scope. 4. Finally, verbalize your thought process. Don’t keep all that great strategic thinking locked up inside your head! Communicate clearly and transparently to your peers, directs, and leaders. This helps bring your stakeholders along.

Ayana P-B.
Head of Emerging Talent and Diversity Recruiting Strategy

Touching on this year’s IWD theme, Ayana shares, “The “break” in break the bias implies interruption. To interrupt patterns of behavior takes humility, courage, and an openness to both learn and teach. For women on a path to develop strategic thinking and break the bias, I’d encourage you to speak up and shine your light to the fullest! Show your expertise, share your knowledge, actively listen, and dynamically engage. You can and will make an impact and add tremendous value by being your authentic self, not questioning your seat at the table, and showing up prepared to lean in.”

Michelle L.
Senior Portfolio Manager in Vanguard’s Investment Management Group

When speaking about women in investment management, Michelle says, “It’s no secret that investment management has long been a male-dominated profession. The first bias we need to break is that women can have and build successful careers in the investment management industry. As a representative of WILS for Vanguard’s Investment Management Group, a strategic area we continue to focus on is our outreach to young women and girls on careers in investment management, as societal biases start very early. It’s empowering to help young women and girls see opportunity in investment management among their bright futures, particularly where bias or lack of role modeling may have chartered a different path for them.

Linda A.
Head of Financial Planning and Analysis and Corporate Accounting in Australia

For women looking to become stronger strategic thinkers, Linda encourages, “Be proactive. Understand the business strategy, understand the challenges faced by your leader, peers, and crew within the organization. Apply a risk culture mindset, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to bring different perspectives and insights, and don’t be afraid to voice your ideas.”