In honor of Women's History Month, Wande Leintu , Deputy Vice President of Supplier Diversity, shared her personal stories, experiences, inspirations, what inclusion and diversity means to her individually and in the workforce, and her take on being a women in an executive role.

Brief introduction of your professional journey:

I started my professional journey as a Director of  Operation for a Global Procurement organization. Then, I spend a short period of time on Capitol Hill learning the legislative process and laws that govern the corporate world. Subsequently, I served as the National Manager for Council Services and Congressional Liaison for the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSCDC) where I was fortunate to be introduced to the wonders of Diversity and Inclusion and related impact on economic development. I spent the last few years managing large-scale Marketing, Supply Chain, and Supplier Diversity programs including  leading  the procurement programs for a large scale Marketing and Project Management organization; helping  Kaiser Permanente’s Mid-Atlantic region take its Supplier Diversity and Strategic Sourcing to new heights; and managing the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Department of Supplier Diversity to ensure the maximum utilization of Small Business concerns in the Airports Authority’s contracting opportunities while enabling economic impact.  As a young, black female from Mali (West Africa), each of these roles has prepared and shaped me for the leader that I’m today. A leader whose motivation is to impact the people and the world around in meaningful ways while getting the job done.

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

While society has made progress with gender equality, there are still significant challenges that continue to affect women’s abilities to secure their rightful place in society and earn their fair share of the American dream. Sadly enough, in the 21st century, women are still challenged with gender pay gap, getting a seat at the leadership table,  non-inclusive workplace policies, and  harassment just to name a few. Yet, we remain determined and committed to fighting for our rights and overcoming these challenges. We must continue demanding the appointment and promotion of more qualified women role models in leadership positions;  the creation of more inclusive workplace culture and policies; the ongoing assessment and audit of the recruitment, development, and  promotion systems; and  the enhanced transparency in the pay system. I strongly believe that, with the right level of  preparation and  self-confidence,  women can continue rising to these challenges and positioning themselves for excellence. To that end, I challenge every woman to view these obstacles as opportunities to rise and shine vs bottlenecks; and to make history in their own authentic ways.

Why should we have more women in executive roles?

According to an old stereotype, "If women ran the world, there would be no wars.".  Many studies have shown that companies with an inclusive culture are more likely to be innovative, promote more nurturing work culture, and increase their shareholders’ values.  In fact, according to a Morgan Stanley report "more gender diversity, particularly in corporate settings, can translate to increased productivity, greater innovation, better products, better decision-making, and higher employee retention and satisfaction.". Women play  a pivotal role in society as mothers and leaders. To take it a step further, more women in leadership roles simply means more educated children, more balanced families, more compassion in the workplace, and more importantly, a world free of disparities and inequalities.

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

At a very young age, my mother, who left the medical field to start the first private sector yogurt production and distribution company in Mali, exemplified that there’s nothing impossible nor unreachable for a driven and determined woman. She taught me to believe that the strength within me is greater than any task ahead of me; and that I shouldn’t let anyone define me by my gender, but by my accomplishments  and impact on society. I’ve carried these advices with me all throughout my life. They’ve helped me cross treacherous roads, harness huge storms, overcome immense challenges, and turn the impossible into possible. As a young, black, immigrant female who spoke 4 different languages, none of which was English, when I first came to the “ Home of the Brave” , in pursuit of the American dream,  failure was not an option. To every woman out there- “I challenge you to continue advancing this important mission for generations and generations of woman to come.

What does Women History mean to you?

To me , Women's History means reflecting upon and recognizing the immense contribution and achievement of women in all facets of life  from community, government, science,  art, sports, medicine, entrepreneurship, to society at large. It means pondering on all the sacrifices that other women have made to try leveling the playing field for us. It means remembering all the trailblazers, from Rosa Parks, Hariett Tubman, Mother Theresa, Tawakul Karman, Amelia Earhart, Cleopatra, my mother Assitan Diakite etc. who led the path for all women for multiple generations to come. It also means reflecting on the work that still remains to be done to ensure a leveled playing field and thriving to be the changes that we want to see in the world.