On September 9th, ExxonMobil hosted a webinar for the Women Empowerment Council focusing on how it supports women’s career advancement and work-life balance.
ExxonMobil has made significant efforts to improve gender balance, not only through participation in external organizations like the Women Empowerment Council, but also through its own initiative, the Women Interest Network (WIN). Jolie Zhu, ExxonMobil Shanghai Tech Center WIN Leader, shared the core mission of the WIN is to foster an equal, open, and diverse workplace environment as well as to help female employees develop their potential. This vision is shaped by four pillars: Develop, Support, Balance, and Communicate.
The WIN reaches nearly 300 employees and is comprised of volunteers from many different departments such as Business Development, HR, and Site Operation. Together, they organize events in line with the four pillars such as leader forums, career development salons, family financial planning, and mental health workshops.
When asked about the most beneficial aspect of the WIN, Jolie expressed appreciation for the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with other women. Through these connections, she is able to better understand her own sense of self as a woman.
Want to establish a similar program at your company?
Tze San Koh, President of China Gas Marketing at ExxonMobil, shared three key steps. First, find passionate employees, male or female. The key here is that it is not a top-down approach—a sustainable program must come from employees themselves. Second, find a more senior supporter. This person’s role is to be a mentor and empower others to do the work. Lastly, figure out what resources are needed. It may be funding, but just as important, it could be time and guidance. To tie it all together, Fernando Vallina, ExxonMobils Lead Country Manager in China and a model male ally, emphasized the importance of advocating for the benefits of empowering women within your organization.
While the WIN has been around for some time now, Jolie reminded listeners that it is always evolving based on the needs of the community. Tze San added that it might not be a smooth sailing journey, but “if you find the right people, they will find the right solution.”