Accenture’s Abigail Zaballa-Oria on Being One Step Closer Toward a Gender-Balanced Workforce

Originally published at accenture.com. Abigail Zaballa-Oria is the Managing Director, Technology Delivery Lead – Philippines. Accenture ranked No. 5 on The Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2020.

 

As we prepare to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, this year our celebrations will include something extra special.

Our commitment to reach a gender-balanced workforce by 2025 is one step closer, as a record percentage of women are promoted to managing director and senior managing director positions.

Now, 25% of our managing directors globally are women—a goal we set ourselves to achieve by the end of 2020.

It doesn’t stop there—and it won’t stop until we reach all our goals. Transparency is critical, and our new goal of achieving 30% women managing directors by 2025 is in motion.

Breaking new ground

With a laser focus on accelerating equality for all, our commitment to reach a gender-balanced workforce drives us. This means a workforce that is equally 50% women and 50% men, for those whose gender is binary.

Abigail Zaballa-Oria from our Philippines Advanced Technology Center began her career at Accenture right out of college.  She was promoted to Managing Director last year—a major career milestone that she’s celebrating. She shares her advice and insights on how to break barriers, every day.

Career journey to tech delivery

I am the Philippines Advanced Technology Center (ATCP) Financial Services Lead for our Australia and New Zealand accounts. I’m also the ATCP Account Lead for one of our global insurance provider clients.

I work with an incredibly committed, global team of leaders and subject matter experts that deliver 360-degree value to our clients.

I have worked in many technology delivery roles. I’ve been an engineer, business architect, release manager, account delivery lead and portfolio lead. Accenture has provided me with opportunities to grow in each role and to mature into my next one.

I’ve been lucky to receive personalized guidance from my leads and to have been given the opportunity to work side by side with clients early on in my career. Having the ability to work at client sites enabled me to always put myself in the client’s shoes and strive toward shared success with them.

Skilling up in technology

I’ve worked in the financial services industry for most of my career using traditional, legacy technologies. But the past few years have been particularly exciting as our clients accelerate their journey to modernize their technology and become open to new ways of working.

There are a multitude of ways to cross- and upskill with these new technologies. Accenture’s vast library of training materials, mature assets and capability building engines make a difference.

If you ask a question, there will undoubtedly be someone or something out there, within Accenture’s global network, that can provide an answer.

“You are unique and have your own set of strengths, so know yourself and always bring your authentic leadership skills to the table.”

Committed to diversity

I’m very proud to be part of a company that is fully committed to promoting inclusion and diversity. I’m especially proud to be part of the ATCP team, which has incorporated a strong focus on gender diversity with half of its managing directors being women.

I have been very fortunate to have worked with many strong leaders and role models, both locally and in other geographies. These leaders have supported me through my personal milestones and have believed in me and in my capabilities, often even before I have believed in myself.

I strive to pay it forward with every team I work with.

Aspire to lead

You already know the leaders you want to model, so make deliberate connections with them and learn from them.  Accenture is such a great organization with diverse leaders who are always willing to share their knowledge and experience to help grow the next generation.

You are unique and have your own set of strengths, so know yourself and always bring your authentic leadership skills to the table.

Accenture’s commitment to promoting women at all stages of their careers—as well as investing in targeted support, flexible work arrangements and comprehensive training programs—helps people thrive. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve been recognized on Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index for four consecutive years.

Be a changemaker at Accenture. Find your fit.

Related

Trending Now

Follow us

Most Popular

Join Our Newsletter

Get the top workplace fairness news delivered straight to your inbox