Diversity in Action

Member and president of investment firm Fidelity Japan Judy Marlinski explains why Japan needs to embrace office change.

I became president five years ago, and it was almost unheard of for a woman to run a large financial services company in Japan. Little did I know that I would also take on a role model role.

Pretty early on there was an annual sales event and I had this unbelievable experience where women were meeting me as if I were a celebrity. Suddenly, I realized I had an obligation to encourage this person.

But I embraced it. I just thought, “If you can leave any legacy in a country that so desperately needs to recognize that women can ascend to these kinds of roles, do what you can.” It’s been profound, and I really had to think carefully about how you manage organizations to allow it to actually happen.

When I arrived in 2003, the executive team of around 10 members had one or two Japanese and the rest foreigners and one woman. Today, 80 percent of the executive team is Japanese…and 40 percent of the executive team is now women, so we’ve really made great progress and we’re a role model in the industry.

It’s the most educated, literate nation in the world. Women are capable and need to be given the confidence that they’re empowered to believe that they can break glass ceilings. But it’s also that they can be empowered to believe that if they want to have a family and/or be married, there are organizations that are going to support the ability to have it all, because I think today women feel the choices are being made for them.

There are definitely signs of progress, not material change in the statistics, but the fact that the dialogue is happening at the level of boards is light years different from five years ago. We need to keep working on the infrastructure to facilitate women coming into the workforce. We have to imagine that if that declining [population] rate goes through and if [lawmakers] don’t change the immigration laws, it is imperative that this agenda stay on track.

I think there will be some industries that move faster and better than others, like consumer goods companies. If these kinds of companies cannot imagine a diverse workforce against a diverse consumer base, they’re going to miss a trick [and] they won’t exist in 10 years. I think financial services [needs to change] for a similar reason, in terms of wealth transfer and needing to appeal to women.

I try not to keep this such a women-focused agenda because men need to participate and support it. It affects the viability of the companies they’re working in. If companies start to fail, men are losing jobs. We should always be mindful to be balanced in this conversation, so it doesn’t become a feminist statement. It’s about productivity, progression, the future.

As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Jones.

June’s connection: Alex Treves