5 minute read
Marc Bombenon
MARC BOMBENON
Chairman, Founder, Surecall Contact Centres Inc.
2020 Woman of Inspiration™ SupportHER™ Award
Women of Inspiration –Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
Marc Bombenon holds a university degree in business. First startup in 1982 in Paging. Second startup in 1985 in Cellular. Third startup in 1989 in Dispatch and Call Centres. Multiple companies after that. Love being an entrepreneur, I am my only limiting factor. Love to learn, love to share knowledge and experience. Equality is fundamental. Purpose is fundamental. Being positive is fundamental. Big supporter of clean energy like solar, wind, tidal. Love dogs. My life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change. I believe the best things come from living outside of my comfort zone. The road to success always seems to be under construction.
Whenever I have a problem, I just sing. Then I realize my voice is worse than my problem.
The bad news is, “Time flies.” The good news is, “I’m the pilot.”
2020 Women of Inspiration SupportHER
Jordan Stothers
Whether I think I can or think I can’t, I’m usually right and then I power through.
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who I am. I believe creativity solves everything.
There isn’t anything in life that I can’t turn positive through humour.
What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? I share the one that comes from the founder of UWN, “She is an extraordinary woman who leads by example, lives on purpose and inspires others to be more and do more.”
The four key factors to my happy life: diet, exercise, sleep and mindset.
Is it important for the achievements of women to be recognized? It’s always been important! Now there are better opportunities with changes to our culture and a younger, more insightful generation moving up. Millennials don’t have the same predisposition that older generations might have to inequality. Ask a millennial when women received the right to vote in Canada. They will quizzically look at you and assume when men had the right to vote. Good on them, historically incorrect, but delivering what should be the right answer.
Recognizing the achievements of women highlights the benefits and strengths of women for others to appreciate and take note of. The more recognition, the more the influence and impact of women’s equality. As an ally for women, how do you see your role? Demonstrating what is needed and what is expected. Expanding on the benefits of women in business, their core strengths and competencies.
Men as role models are of pivotal importance. We are in a slowly declining, maledominated culture. While equality is coming, it is at a glacially slow pace. The male role models have to be the ones that embrace it and insist on equality.
How does it feel to be recognized as a SupportHER™ champion for women? I appreciate the recognition and believe it is important for men to understand how pivotal our role is to recognize and champion women. Men must support women in business and criticize the nay-sayers. Men who are true leaders are supportive and vocal about women’s equality.
What role can men can play to move the needle for equality, diversity, and inclusiveness? My opinion is that we can literally “pin” the needle when men want to support women and become gender agnostic. Having a desire to be fair, supportive and speak out to those men (and women) who want to maintain an unequal and dismissive attitude toward women.
We know mentorship is critical to advancing personally and professionally. How do you feel about mentoring women? I am a firm believer and strong supporter of mentorship. Mentorship benefits both participants as everyone learns new and important lessons. The most important thing we can do is share experiences so that others can benefit from it. I am an advocate of mentorship for both women and men, equally. What advice would you give to business leaders navigating today’s issues with diversity in the workplace? Make equality and diversity a cornerstone of your personal and business values. Include it in core mission and value statements, then walk the talk. Become a change leader.
How does your company lead by example to SupportHER™? My President and CEO is an inspiring woman. She rose to the position through hard work and dedication, and we were vigilant to preserve her right to succeed and not limit her due to gender or ethnicity. Our company tribe has more women than men working with us, and our leadership is very equally split. This is not because we seed positions for women, we have recognized their right and ability to lead based on their attributes, their commitment and their talent. Our compass is equality. We pay the same rate for any position. We are not gender-driven. in terms of supporting gender equality, the recipe is simple. Believe in it. Support it. Want it. Make room for it. Step in and push back hard on those who do not.
