For International Women’s Day, we are featuring a crucial member of our team, Jacqueline Beatty: VP of People and Culture. Within months, Jacqueline has made significant strides in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization.
We sat down with Jacqueline for an in-depth interview about her career accomplishments in the DE&I space and to learn what’s in store for the future…
Q: How did you start out as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trailblazer?
Jacqueline: “I believe I have always been involved in the DE&I space. Being a biracial child of first and second-generation parents and growing up in a small city, I often witnessed situations that did not feel right. As I matured, I found my voice and slowly spoke up in these situations. Professionally I first started supporting DE&I initiatives when I had the pleasure of being on the first formed DE&I council at The Hudson’s Bay Company and being the executive sponsor for the BIPOC Employee Resource Group and supporting an ERG in Bangalore for women in leadership.”
Q: Can you tell us more about your work in the DE&I space over the years?
Jacqueline speaking on Girls Inc.: “Like many during the pandemic, I was searching for a greater purpose. I stumbled across Girls Inc. in 2020 and was instantly drawn by the mission of inspiring girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold. As someone who struggled with body image at a young age and did not have strong guidance to help me navigate secondary education, Girls Inc. stood out as an organization that could have helped me as an adolescent. Now a mother of 2 girls, I can fully appreciate the opportunities Girls Inc. offers. Girls Inc. offers research-based programming supporting girls from social and economic backgrounds who may not have access to information such as STEM, body image, leadership, and much more.”
On her work at The Hudson’s Bay Company: “At HBC I put my hand up to sit on the newly developed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Fortunate to be in a position of influence at the company, I wanted to ensure I was part of the team leading change. One of my proudest moments at HBC was growing the technology organization to 50% male and female employees.”
On Mentorship and Allyship: “I am grateful for my mentors and allies throughout my career and personal life, and I am always open to sharing my knowledge with others. I often take a virtual chat from LinkedIn or a coffee chat with a recent grad or newcomer to Canada interested in speaking with me. Starting out can be difficult, and having a friendly mentor or ally can often give you the confidence to keep going. Like everyone, I am always on a continuous journey of learning. I aim to keep growing my diverse network to widen my perspective. Listening and reading have also helped my journey, a great podcast I just finished was Meghan Markle’s Archetypes on Spotify. A book I just completed was No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot by Wes Hall. These and meeting diverse people allow me to learn and grow continuously.”
Q: Tell us about your vision for DE&I at Tundra and what you have accomplished in just a few short months with us?
Jacqueline: “I am currently the Executive Sponsor of the DE&I Council at Tundra and lead DE&I initiatives through the People and Culture team. Over the last 10 months, with the support of our Senior Leaders and the work from the Council and P&C team, we have been able to revamp our DE&I policy to be actionable. In partnership with Candidate X, we have launched Inclusive Recruiter training for recruiters by recruiters. We are in the process of rolling out Ant-Racism training, and we have successfully launched a mentorship program supporting women. We still have more work to do, but I am happy with what we have accomplished in a short period.”
“My vision for the future is for us to continue to support young professionals, new grads, and individuals making career changes to reach their goals. To create an equal playing field for everyone and ensure they have an opportunity to be successful, breaking down barriers that traditionally would stand in their way. We have a unique opportunity at Tundra to support entry-level associates to have a promising career.”
