In-Depth
Voices of Diversity: Zaileen Janmohamed
Senior Vice President of Client Consulting and Services, GMR Marketing
Steve Maller
Define diversity to you; why is it important? Any time we talk about diversity, inclusion must work alongside it — you absolutely need both to have meaningful impact. “Diversity” is building our teams to include a healthy mix of identity, experience and perspective, and “inclusion” is making sure those differences are seen, valued and supported.
Your opportunities in sports: Women of Indian descent aren’t “supposed” to work in sports. As a result, my career decision ironically required a push through internal cultural norms. The opportunities that followed were in the areas where strong project management and collaboration skills were required — typically in the areas of sponsorship and partnership marketing.
Opportunities missing in sports: Opportunities within the C-suite or front office, as well as those jobs that require strong negotiation, analytical, and/or sales skills feel limited for diverse candidates. The industry is still more about who you know versus what you know — it’s getting better but we have a long way to go.
