{"id":59725,"date":"2025-03-13T15:53:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T15:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newonclusivstg.wpengine.com\/?p=59725"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:20:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:20:47","slug":"accelerate-action-five-voices-five-journeys-one-mission-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onclusive.com\/en-gb\/resources\/blog\/accelerate-action-five-voices-five-journeys-one-mission-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Accelerate Action: Five Voices, Five Journeys, One Mission for Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t

As part of our ongoing International Women’s Day 2025 #AccelerateAction initiative, we’re proud to share highlights from our recent, internal Diversity Dialogues podcast.It brought together five remarkable women from different backgrounds and roles within Onclusive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hosted by Roxane Papagianopoulos (Senior Global Solutions Consultant) and Sen Sherman (<\/span>Senior Account Manage<\/span>r<\/span>), this special IWD edition featured Ximena Ormaechea (Chief Customer Officer), Loretta Lomanto (Client Success Manager), and Shade Chinsman (Agency Team Lead and ED&I Networks Head). Together, they explored personal and professional challenges, shared practical strategies for overcoming barriers, and demonstrated what “accelerating action” really means.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>The Urgency of Change: Why \u201cAccelerate Action\u201d Matters<\/span><\/h2>\n

International Women’s Day is more than just a celebration\u2014it’s a call to action. According to the <\/span>World Economic Forum<\/span><\/a>, at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158\u2014five generations from now\u2014to achieve full gender parity. This staggering statistic underscores why we must take accelerated steps toward gender equality, breaking down systemic barriers and biases with intention and urgency.<\/span><\/p>\n

“One of the best ways to forge gender equality is to understand what works and do it faster,” Roxane noted. “Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to implement strategies that positively impact women’s advancement and to support and elevate their implementation.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n

Global Perspectives on Universal Challenges<\/span><\/h2>\n

Cultural Barriers Across Borders<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the unique strengths of this conversation was the international diversity of our panelists. With perspectives from the United Kingdom, United States, Colombia, and Uruguay, the discussion highlighted how women’s experiences transcend geographical boundaries while also being shaped by cultural contexts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ximena, who moved from Uruguay to London nearly two decades ago, shared: “I think women, but in my case particularly Latin women, often face significant challenges in the workplace. There is obviously the gender bias discrimination, lack of access to leadership positions, stereotypes, and of course, a pay gap compared to male colleagues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These challenges intensify for women working internationally. As Loretta, originally from Colombia and now based in Brooklyn, explained: “When you are at home, you are dealing as a woman with all the patriarchy limitations… but when you are in the US or working internationally, you’re adding to that all the stereotyping and lack of education about where you’ve come from.”<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Identity in Professional Spaces: The Power of Names<\/span><\/h2>\n

When Names Create Expectations<\/span><\/h3>\n

While our first IWD blog touched on career challenges broadly, this conversation delved into the specific, often overlooked experiences related to names, accents, and cultural identity that can impact women’s professional journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Shade (pronounced shar-day), her name has been a consistent challenge: “My surname is Chinsman, which doesn’t seem to necessarily come from anywhere. So people are always expecting a Chinese person to turn up. So when I do turn up… you’ve got a half Nigerian name, which is my full name – Folashade. And then you’ve got my Chinsman surname\u2026 I also do get called ‘shade’ quite often. So my name is one of the main things I’ve struggled with. Even though it seems like quite a small thing, it’s how you introduce yourself, so it does matter.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Sen shared a similar experience with cultural assumptions: “My full name is Seniqua… when I hop on calls with clients, they expect an Asian person to pop-up because I go by Sen. And it’s really fun sometimes, but then it gets really awkward when I have to go through a whole history on what my name is.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategies for Respectful Pronunciation<\/span><\/h3>\n

Roxane Papagianopoulos shared her own powerful experience with her complex surname: “My married surname has 16 letters in it. And I’ll be really honest, I judge people when they say, ‘Oh, I’m not even going to try to pronounce it.’ It tells me two things. One, you’re calling me out to make me different without accepting and saying, ‘Hey, that’s interesting. How do you pronounce your name?’ Instead of making it about them and say, ‘I’m not even going to try.’”<\/span><\/p>\n

She emphasized the importance of making an effort to pronounce names correctly, recalling how a colleague expressed gratitude when she used the proper pronunciation of his name. “It’s a small gesture, but it carries significant weight. It shows respect, inclusion, and a willingness to meet people where they are.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The journey to correcting mispronunciations often evolves over time. As Shade shared, “At the beginning, when you first start encountering it, you don’t always correct people. Well, I didn’t anyway. I just let it happen. And then as time has gone on and I’ve become the woman I am today, I do correct people.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Roxane reinforced this point, noting that “a gentle correction is not rude. It’s not. It’s respect, quite frankly. Our name, like you said, is the first thing that people learn about us.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Accents as Part of Authentic Identity<\/span><\/h3>\n

These experiences reflect subtle but impactful forms of bias that can shape professional interactions. As Ximena noted, accent discrimination can manifest in ways that undermine women’s expertise: “There’s been many situations in which native speakers will start speaking a bit slower… It’s almost as if they’re talking to a child.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Our panelists shared practical strategies for addressing these challenges, from gentle corrections to prepared responses. Loretta explained: “I have a little compilation of answers and things to say to people about my accent and where I’m coming from to educate them.” This balance of self-advocacy and education exemplifies the kind of thoughtful approach needed to accelerate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these challenges, our panelists expressed how their international experiences have become sources of strength and unique perspective. “The accent I have, for me, is part of my identity, is part of my background, the experiences, the countries that I lived in,” Ximena shared proudly. “It’s what I want to keep as part of my authentic self.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Generational Shifts: A New Era of Confidence<\/span><\/h2>\n

Learning From the Next Generation<\/span><\/h3>\n

A particularly powerful discussion revolved around generational shifts in identity and self-expression. Shade shared how her daughter embraces her natural hair with pride\u2014something she, herself, had struggled with for years due to societal conditioning. “I still haven’t found the confidence to come into work with an afro, even though I know it’s okay. But my daughter wears hers everywhere, without hesitation. And that gives me hope.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Increasing Representation in Leadership<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ximena added that this generational shift is not just about personal confidence, but about the increasing representation of diverse voices in leadership: “When I started working 27 years ago, we didn’t see many women\u2014let alone Latin women\u2014in executive roles. But that’s changing, and it’s making a real difference.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, women make up just <\/span>29% of C-suite positions globally, and an alarming 1% of C-suite executives in corporate America are Latina<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/a> At Onclusive, we’re proud to be ahead of the curve with 37% of our Executive Leadership Team positions being held by women, including our Chief Customer Officer Ximena Ormaechea.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Creating Change From Any Position<\/span><\/h2>\n

Small Actions, Big Impact<\/span><\/h3>\n

Echoing Christina Engisch’s insight from our previous blog that “organizations can play a critical role in driving meaningful change,” our podcast participants emphasized that meaningful change can come from any position\u2014you don’t need a senior leadership title to make a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loretta shared how she influenced hiring decisions to increase diversity on her team: “I felt like it was very important that I use the opportunity to use all my powers for the best of the company.” Her conscious effort to include more women in the interviewing process ultimately contributed to building a more diverse team<\/span><\/p>\n

Mentorship From Any Role<\/span><\/h3>\n

The impact of her action continues today, as Sen shared: “I have asked Loretta certain questions about cultural matters, about my hair or things I’ve heard around the office. And she was really helpful to guide me in navigating certain situations as a woman of color.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ximena summarized this empowering message perfectly: “I don’t think it matters at which level your career you are. If you’ve just started or not, I think you can be a driver of change… from wherever anyone is sitting and listening to this, everyone can drive that positive change.”<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Breaking the Boys Club: Women in Male-Dominated Industries<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Pressure to Outperform<\/span><\/h3>\n

Our panelists shared powerful insights about navigating traditionally male-dominated spaces and the additional pressures women face in these environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shade reflected on her past experience in sales: “Naturally, when you go into a sales environment, back in the days, it was a boys club. So I was always the only girl on the team. And I always felt I had to go harder, faster, stronger, better, to prove myself.” She noted that even when excelling, recognition didn’t always follow: “Even when I did, oftentimes, I felt it wasn’t recognized and I wasn’t given the promotion.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating Space in Traditionally Male Environments<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sen shared similar challenges from her background in engineering: “I studied engineering and have a certification in that. And I was the only girl in my class. I had to do everything 10 times better because people expected me just to make things pretty.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Although our panelists were reflecting on experiences from earlier in their careers, it’s clear that significant challenges persist today. These experiences highlight an ongoing reality for women in male-dominated fields.<\/span><\/p>\n

Current Research Confirms Ongoing Challenges<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to <\/span>recent studies<\/span><\/a>, women in STEM industries (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) continue to face significant barriers:<\/span><\/p>\n