#champion - Matt Collingwood
MATT COLLINGWOOD, CO-PRESIDENT & CEO
TAMWOOD | CANADA
What makes you a champion in encouraging female leadership?
It seems early to call me a champion. However, I hope to become one through involvement with Lead5050: by working with and listening to women, improving my understanding of how we can all change to support female leadership.
Who has been your source of inspiration and role model to get where you are now?
My 11-year old daughter, Gabrielle, is my inspiration. I’m very proud of her and her dreams. Thanks to her youth, she considers her future limitless; she’s unaware of the existing challenges. I hope Gabrielle maintains those high expectations throughout her life. Gabrielle has inspired me to listen to women, and work towards eliminating barriers. I want the world to recognize my daughter’s abilities, and help her to develop her skills. Adult society must create an environment which permits individuals of any age or gender to dream big, and achieve even bigger. Furthermore, I continually encounter women who have fought hard to change the system. They’re role models, too; their courage, hard work, and dedication have enriched the lives of women worldwide.
“For a company to succeed you need ALL of your employees at the top of their game and not only the men”. How do you encourage your employees to be at the top of their game?
To ensure that they can excel, I try to create an environment in which employees feel heard, and safe to be themselves. I attempt to encourage relationships founded on mutual respect. Finally, I strive to support innovative thinking, and to listen more while speaking less.
Have women in your country enough opportunities to flourish and grow to the full extent of their potential?
Although my instinct is to say yes, Tamwood will need to undertake self-evaluation to learn whether we truly nurture women’s careers. If not, then questioning ourselves should provide answers which create additional growth opportunities.
How does your company add to gender equality in the workplace?
I tend to see Tamwood’s team members in terms of professional capability, rather than gender. Thus, I’ve sometimes assumed that Tamwood nurtures gender equality. As Tamwood grows, however, we’ll need to ensure that a culture of gender equality prevails, and that gender equality remains among our core values. I look forward to addressing these thought-provoking questions at Tamwood, and to reflecting upon ways in which my personal business practices impact women. I hope to learn more through further conversations like this one - conversations encouraging greater numbers of women to embrace leadership roles.