Q2 SIGNER BRIEFING FEATURING Wage Equity Impact Award WINNERS
OPENING REMARKS
BWWC Executive Director Kim Borman reflected on the transformation of what is now called the Wage Equity Impact Awards (formally the Innovative Initiative Awards) and how that relates to the fight for gender and racial pay equity:
“What it takes to close gender and racial wage gaps isn’t always that innovative . . . . what ties them all together is the perseverance and intentionality that our winners have shown in their efforts.”
ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2024 Wage Equity Impact Award WINNERS
BWWC Executive Director Kim Borman and the City of Boston’s Chief People Officer Alex Lawrence, announced the recipients of the 2024 Wage Equity Impact Awards:
PANEL DISCUSSIONs
Moderated panels led by Emmy Winning journalist Crystal Haynes explored how the Wage Equity Impact Award winners’ respective programs led to advancement and pay equity at their organizations. The speakers included:
First Panel: Transformation over time
Laura Welz, AVP of Total Rewards, Sun Life
Matt Patsky, CEO and Lead Portfolio Manager, Trillium ESG Global Equity Strategy
Alison Riggieri, Managing Director in Global Human Resources and Corporate Citizenship, State Street
Second Panel: Redfining Industry Standards
Cady Audette, Co-Director, Charlestown Nursery
Cipriana Galvao, Director of Human Resources, DiMella Shaffer
Pamela Yang, Managing Director and COO, The Bulfinch Companies, Inc.
Notable quotes
“When we look at pay equity, it’s not a one-and-done, it’s something that needs to be committed to over time.”
- Laura Welz, AVP of Total Rewards at Sun Life
“Closing gender and racial wage gaps takes sustained commitment with individual initiatives building upon one another and working in concert over time, thereby enabling steady progress.”
- Alison Riggieri, Managing Director in Global HR and Corporate Citizenship at State Street
“Our call to companies is, there is a gender [and racial] pay gap, we know the gender [and racial] pay gap is very broad-based in terms of industries across US and multinationals. We’re asking you to look at that, to acknowledge that, and to come up with a plan to close it.”
- Mike Patsky, CEO and Lead Portfolio Manager at Trillium ESG Global Equity Strategy
“It is really important that women aren’t paying a passion tax. Just because they love the field doesn’t mean they should be compensated any less. We should all be able to do what we love and pay our rent.”
- Cady Audette, Co-Director at Charlestown Nursery
“ For those of you that are not familiar with the architectural field, it is very white, male-dominated; and so one of the key things we wanted to focus on was diversifying the profession. Part of that includes recruiting and hiring more women as well as staff of color. Part of our effort has included partnering and fostering relationships with different universities in Boston and throughout the country so that the folks who are interning at our firm aren’t specifically coming from one particular university or don’t look one particular way.”
- Cipriana Galvao, Director of Human Resources at DiMella Shaffer
“A few years ago there were no women in C-Suite positions at Bulfinch and now 50% of individuals who hold those positions are women; and for me, as someone who is a woman but also a minority, to be taking that role in the commercial real estate industry, it’s really a testament to what we do. If you go to all of the commercial real estate business in the Boston area, I challenge you to find another company that has a COO that looks like me.”
- Pamela Yang, Managing Director and COO at the Bulfinch Companies, Inc.
CLOSING REMARKS
Executive Director Kim Borman encouraged everyone to continue fighting for gender and racial pay equity. She discussed how she is hopeful that the data will continue to show improvements until we see it disappear all-together.
“The BWWC will continue to bring you new ideas to help solve the problem of gender and racial wage gaps. We hope that a few of them will make a difference.”
PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
