Inspiring Inclusion
We're proud to celebrate this year's theme, "Inspire Inclusion," highlighting our dedication to creating a truly inclusive workplace. Our commitment to diversity is not just a goal—it's an essential part of who we are and the exceptional service we provide to our clients.
We've seen remarkable growth in our gender balance, with women now representing 29% of our international partnership—an almost threefold increase over the past decade. This progress reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance female representation at all levels, particularly within the partnership and senior management roles.
Our initiatives include:
- Sponsorship Programs: We ensure that all managing associates on the path to partnership receive support from a senior equity partner sponsor. This sponsor advocates for the associate's development and continues their support until the associate reaches Equity Partner status.
- Gender Balance Committees: These committees, spanning partners, associates, and business services, are dedicated to setting goals, listening to feedback, and promoting opportunities for female advancement within the firm.
- The Number One Club (TNOC): Our gender balance network operates across multiple regions, including Dubai, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, the UK, and our recently launched new chapter in Brussels. TNOC's mission is to foster development, retention, and wellbeing, while also facilitating collaboration with our clients to address and improve gender balance.
- Flexible Working Arrangements: Our global hybrid working policy and firmwide short-term remote working policy support our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance, allowing for up to four weeks of remote work per annum from locations other than the office or home.
We are committed to nurturing a culture where everyone feels valued and comfortable, recognising that diversity in our workforce leads to innovative thinking and enhances our performance on deals. Our journey towards greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is ongoing, and we are excited about the future. By working together, sharing ideas, and empowering our employees, we are breaking down borders and driving progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
We are confident that the measures we are implementing will create a sustainable pipeline of talented women at every career stage, leading to enduring change.
Inspiring Inclusion
Six amazing women from around our global network share their experience of inspiring inclusion at Simmons.
Our International Women's Day Events
To celebrate International Women's day, we are hosting a number of events across our international network. Please see more details below.
Dublin
The Dublin office is hosting an IWD client event in The RHA Gallery in Dublin. We have a fantastic line up of speakers who will discuss how they have strived to inspire inclusion in their own careers.
Speakers include:
Claire Kilroy – contemporary Irish author and winner of the 2023 Times Novel of the Year award for her latest novel “Soldier Sailor”
Dr Rhona Mahony - consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and former master of the National Maternity Hospital
Yvonne Tchrakian - founder of Pause. Penny and company secretary and corporate counsel at Prothena Corporation plc.
Germany
Our German chapter of our women's network TNOC (The Number One Club) hosted an inspiring cinema evening in the comfortable surroundings of the Astor Film Lounge club cinema and the adjacent lounge, both exclusively ours for the evening.
On the night, the movie highlighted the biography of the female music legend and activist Joan Baez in a relaxed atmosphere: at the end of her long career, she takes an honest look back and a deep look inward as she tries to understand her big, historic life and the personal struggles she kept secret. After the movie, we had an inspiring exchange on topics such as female empowerment.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong chapter of Simmons & Simmons’ gender network hosted an inspiring film screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, "To Be Continued"《尚未完場》on 29 February. The film opens with a captivating account of the preservation of the State Theatre in North Point and unfolds the life of its legendary founder. The film has been named one of the eight recommended films in 2023 by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society.
It was a cosy gathering of both internal and external colleagues. Following the screening, we had a fireside chat with co-director Dora Choi who shared insights into the making of the film and her journey as a director.
London
On 6th March, TNOC and the Emerging Technology Group hosted an event for Microloan Foundation that recognises International Women's Day. It was a ticket only event and the £25 ticket price will help a woman living in extreme poverty in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe start a business fostering financial independence and resilience.
The fantastic Sonali Siriwardena, Global Head of ESG at Simmons was part of a wonderful panel which included:
- UK's global FinTech industry expert Alastair Lukies CBE
- Medha Wilson MiroLoan's Group CEO
- Christine Bamford CEO of Women's Coin
The panel promises to 'embark on a journey of insights and inspiration as our panel of experts and business mavericks unravel the secrets behind game-changing strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and impactful initiatives reshaping the financial landscape to be more inclusive'.
Luxembourg
On 6 March our Luxembourg office hosted a dynamic keynote speech and panel discussion on the transformative potential of mentorship in professional development. Despite the widespread adoption of formal mentorship programs by Fortune 500 companies, many females still struggle to find mentors. But what if the solution lies in shifting our mindset and leveraging the resources already available to us?
In the event, we explored this pivotal question with esteemed leaders:
- Charlotte Pedersen, Experienced Chief Executive Officer, Owner of Pegasus Consilium and Non-Executive Company Director currently serving Air Greenland, Wizz Air and Alpha Trains Group
- Marina Andrieu, Entrepreneur, Founder of Women in Digital Empowerment (WIDE) and Non-Executive Director currently serving Intesa SanPaolo.
Linzy Schaller, President of Osprey Leadership Consulting, moderated the discussion.
Spain
Once again, our Madrid office joins the celebration of International Women's Day 2024. This year, inviting clients and key contacts to an exclusive Discussion & Networking Breakfast highlighting the inspiring journeys of two exceptional women: Colonel and Doctor Nuria Olmedilla and the pioneer in sports car racing and entrepreneur, Balba Camino. Both will share their professional journey, discussing how they navigated their careers in a traditionally male-dominated world, the obstacles they encountered, the changes and progress they have observed in recent years and the key to their success.
Dr. Nuria Olmedilla, a medical colonel and Head of the Neurology Department at the Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital, brings her extensive medical and military experience. Her leadership extends to teaching at the UAH-CUD Medical School, where she stands out as a role model in both fields.
Balba Camino, a pioneer in Spanish motorsports, is the first woman in the world to win a Gran Turismo Championship. She is also the founder of the renowned Spanish events agency, Auriga Cool Marketing, which she integrated into the Acciona Group four years ago. With five Spanish championship titles, her journey stands out for reshaping the sports and business landscape.
The Netherlands
Our Amsterdam office organised a movie night with Movies that Matter. At the screening they were joined by guest speaker Margje de Koning, Artistic Director at Movies That Matter, to discuss women’s rights and how film can be used as a powerful medium to discuss social issues.
Key contacts
If you have any questions, contact a member of the International Women's Day 2024 team for assistance:
