For International Women’s Day, Selina White, our Chief Executive, shares what she loves about her job and why this awareness day is so important.
Selina said:
“I love that I work for a community-based organisation that makes such a difference in our region. At Magna, we don’t always get it right, but I know that every day our amazing team is working so hard, in incredibly difficult circumstances, to make a difference to people’s lives.”
We’ve got a workforce made up of nearly 42% women, and an executive team made up of 60% women, working at Magna helping us in creating great homes together and informing change with equality in mind.
Selina has been at Magna for nearly six years now. When asked about her career, she said:
“I’ve had a very varied career, working in a range of sectors, but no other job has given me such a deep sense of purpose or aligned so closely with my personal values. It’s by far the most difficult challenge I’ve ever faced but I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
“I love the housing sector, what it stands for and how much it delivers, despite the growing pressures. I’m very proud to be the CEO of Magna and lead this incredible team.”
She continued:
“Though I feel women’s rights have progressed, I’m concerned that women still face daily challenges with equality because of their gender. If we don’t continue to speak out about this and further the conversation, the problems will affect our future generations, our daughters, granddaughters and so on. I feel we owe it to women experiencing issues with gender parity today and in the future, to raise the issued and work to resolve them.
“I know first-hand how difficult it is for women to break into and succeed in roles that were traditionally a male domain, but I also know the huge benefit of working in diverse teams with a rich mix of views, perspectives, and experience. Thankfully, this is changing as a result of more women being appointed to leadership roles and, really importantly, more men openly supporting and campaigning for this to happen.
“Women are often reluctant to sing their own praises, and we can at times be guilty of criticising rather than supporting each other. I think this is why it’s important to mark International Women’s Day; it’s an opportunity for us all to step back and reflect on the brilliant women we know and love and celebrate who they are, what they stand for an all they’ve achieved.”
We’re proud to have an amazing team of colleagues led by a passionate and inspiring Chief Executive who champions the importance of an equal and diverse future for Magna.
