Article
Choosing to Challenge In Support of International Women’s Day
March 4, 2021 3 Minute Read
International Women’s Day is a celebration of women’s strengths, achievements, leadership and contributions to our company, families and the entire world. This year’s event comes on the heels of global social movements in which many are choosing to challenge and make the world a better place. Women are both integral to and leaders of these movements.
Regardless of the progress we are making in our own lives or businesses, International Women’s Day serves as a reminder that more needs to be done to achieve gender equality and that progress requires each of us to choose to challenge.
CBRE strives to equalize opportunities, experiences and outcomes within our company, as well as across the broader industry and community.
And while we’re making headway, we also recognize that we are not as diverse and inclusive as we need to be. Our Diversity Council consists of 11 advocates for change, including six women, who have access to company leaders and information with the goal of assessing our performance on a range of topics, including hiring, education, mentorship, sponsorship, vendor engagement, employee resource groups and data collection.
The group’s initial deliverable will be a report on gaps—including the gender gap and opportunities to support women—as well as recommendations for the company to move forward with.
“This is but one plank in a broader global effort for CBRE to become a leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” says CBRE President and CEO Werner Dietl. “I’m excited to see where the Diversity Council takes our organization. It’s another way we are choosing to challenge and address systemic gender-based issues.”
Women taking the lead
CBRE made an important and long overdue announcement last month when Ruth Fischer was appointed the new Managing Director in Quebec, the first woman to lead a Regional Market for CBRE in Canada.
“Having a strong leader who knows the team and platform well was key,” says Dietl, noting that while he is proud to have a woman at the helm in Quebec, Fischer was eminently qualified and the clear choice for the role.
Fischer has forged a dynamic career over the past 20 years that spans the U.S., UK and Canada. Educated at Cornell University and the London School of Economics, she has worked in all facets of the real estate industry from analyst to consultant to a key founder of CBRE’s Client Solutions division in Canada.
She is a champion of the Canadian Chapter of CBRE Women’s Network, supports industry outreach and thought leadership as Co-Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Sponsorship Committee, and is a member of the board of the Children's Book Bank. Now Fischer will be guiding CBRE’s Quebec operation through one of the most dynamic periods in the province’s commercial real estate history.
“The world and our industry are in flux right now and there are just as many opportunities as there are challenges, and I believe that Ruth is without a doubt the perfect person to help CBRE meet this moment in Quebec,” Dietl says.
Join us in choosing to challenge. Join us in supporting and honouring the women in our lives and workplaces, today and every day.
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