Unlocking Allyship and Empowerment: Key Insights from the Abundium Women in Multinationals Summit

Following my recent post, Setting Bold Intentions: How the Abundium WIM Summit Ignited Action for Gender Equality in Multinationals sharing some insights from our amazing summit speakers.

The day began with a heartfelt connection to country through Aunty Glendra's beautiful acknowledgment, grounding us all in a deep sense of purpose.

Preeti Bajaj, Global CEO & Managing Director of Luminous Power Technologies, set the stage with a powerful keynote. Her career reflections introduced us to three types of male allies:

1. The Encourager
2. The Enricher
3. The Engager

Preeti urged us to reflect on the allies in our own lives and challenged each of us to consider which of these roles we could play for someone else. Her message was clear: connections matter, and it’s crucial to back yourself in those pivotal moments.

A CEO panel followed, touching on everything from AI to gender equality in pharmaceuticals and the essential role of male allyship. The panelists highlighted the importance of flexible working, nurturing talent pipelines, and maintaining transparency.

Then, Jo Horgan, Founder and Co-CEO of MECCA, captivated us in a refreshingly honest conversation with our Abundium CEO, Rich Hirst. Her wisdom? Be kind to yourself and turn your inner voice into your greatest encourager. She reminded us to be “cup fillers, not cup drillers,” and that a positive mindset can make you 31% more intelligent (Quoting Shawn Achor's Happiness Advantage research)! Jo also stressed the importance of humility and curiosity alongside confidence, advising us not to let perfectionism stand in the way of action. And my personal favorite—let your north star guide you as a leader to build a healthy, happy team.

Dr. Peter Fuda then inspired us with insights drawn from his female coachee advisory board. His session, "How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Go After What You Want," (inspired by Jo!) offered actionable advice including the power of mindset as a game-changer.

Here are some takeaways from my brimming notepad:

1. Male allies should focus on building confidence more than competence (which women have lots of!), offering a sense of agency rather than answers.
2. Perfectionism is more about looking good than doing good.
3. Our imperfections make us more human—and more interesting.
4. Differentiate between facts and stories; choose meanings that serve us.
5. Assume noble intentions, and remember: those who reach acceptance first win.
6. Make expectations conscious and spoken.
7. Give feedback that softens the person, not the message.
8. Every manager shapes the culture of their team.

Our male allyship panel, moderated by Megan Dalla-Camina, CEO of Women Rising, was another highlight. The insights shared included the powerful idea, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” The discussion emphasized the importance of reshaping talent pipelines, with one male ally posing a game-changing question paid forward by a previous female leader: What have you done to shape the candidate pool in front of me? Megan shared listening is the first step—start by asking women about their lived experiences at work.

We concluded the day with a candid conversation on menopause in the workplace, featuring Ali Daddo’s personal journey. A standout moment for me was learning that, on average, women retire 7.5 years earlier than men—a significant economic and personal impact. The session deepened our understanding of perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, with insights on creating menopause-friendly workplaces. We were reminded of the creativity, intuition, and zest that often come with life on the other side of the menopause transition.

Rich and I then closed with a sensemaking and reflection session to help generate action and accountability before our wonderful MC for the day Bre (Breyonce) set up the last session of the day networking drinks.

Would love to hear what resonates from these insights for you.

It’s time for all of us to own this challenge and take action toward creating a more gender-equal world. Let's do this together!