In honor of Women's History Month, Julia Hodge, Vice President, Supply Chain Management shared her personal journey, experiences, inspirations, and her take on being a women in an executive role.

Brief introduction of your professional journey 

I began my career as a financial statement auditor and management consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLP in New York.  My tenure at PwC taught me team dynamics, the importance of understanding clients’ needs, and how to navigate different corporate cultures. I served as a US subject matter expert for Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance for Allied Irish Banks and was based in Dublin, Ireland for six months. I taught corporate governance courses for GE Financial in Brussels, Belgium, and I helped Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo) launch its first Flexible Spending Account card. After 10 years as a road warrior, I sought an opportunity closer to home. I’ve held five positions since joining the Airports Authority in 2009 – in Finance, Audit, Strategy, and now Supply Chain Management.  It’s been an incredible journey.

What are the biggest challenges women face in the workplace and how can they overcome these challenges?  

I’ve worked in male-dominated environments my entire career, and, in addition to being in the minority, gender-wise, I’ve often been the youngest person at the table.  It can be intimidating for women to speak up, particularly feeling that both our message and delivery are subject to scrutiny.  As a society, we tend to value confidence, assertiveness, and competence when exhibited by male leaders, but those same traits can evoke different views of their female counterparts.  I think women leaders feel pressure to strike a difficult balance: competent, but not threatening; decisive, yet collaborative; inspiring, but not too emotional; and efficient, yet nurturing.  Research shows that we are frequently categorized as either bossy or inept by both genders.  We need to be aware of these stereotypes and actively manage our biases.  Empathy also helps. 

Why should we have more women in executive roles? 

Simply put, we are missing out on diversity of thought.  It’s no secret that men and women think differently, and organizations striving for continuous improvement recognize the necessity of having different viewpoints at the table. We all benefit from the organization’s collective success, so there’s a real need to bring diversity - in all forms - to the way we tackle business challenges.  It’s also important that we model our core values. Representation matters.  If new hires see a lack of diversity in leadership, it makes it exponentially more difficult to envision a path to an executive position.  If suppliers see a lack of diversity in leadership, it undermines the sincerity of our commitment to helping grow small, local, minority- and women-owned businesses. Losing out on high-caliber talent and qualified suppliers is completely avoidable.  It’s also costly – perception-wise and financially.

What are some of your personal and professional motivations that help you push forward? 

In everything I do, personally and professionally, I strive to make things better and protect and care for the people I love and the organizations and communities I serve. This drive is innate, and admittedly, sometimes intense, but I never set out to be a trailblazer, or to seek a spotlight and attention. At the end of the day, I want my husband and daughter to feel that I am doing my very best for and by them.

What does Women’s History mean to you?

I am grateful to those who fought and continue to fight for women’s equality and those whose actions paved the way for the discussions we are having today. I wrote my undergrad thesis on whether women could “have it all” – a successful career and motherhood. Work-life balance has been on my mind for over 20 years. Policies are evolving, perception is changing, and a silver lining of this pandemic is that we have seen the convergence of personal and professional responsibilities for men and women, alike. It’s so much easier to make progress when we recognize our commonalities. I’m grateful for the support that I have at all levels within the Authority. And while I’m keenly aware that there’s more work to be done for the next generation, I’ve never been more optimistic about our future.