International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8th of March and it’s that time of year again! While every day is an opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, call for changes needed and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by women in various countries and communities.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day is Changing Climates: Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow. This theme recognises the contribution of women around the world who are working towards changing the climate of gender equality and breaking the gender bias. We’ve sat down with our General Manager, Tina Krokos to speak about her experiences of being a woman in leadership and her experiences in #breakingthebias.



Question: Hi Tina, could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
Tina: Hi. I’m a soon to be 47 year old mum of 2 and stepmum of 2. I’ve been in the retail / wholesale industry for over 20 years now in various roles.   At the moment, I’m General Manager here at CWM.  As GM, I oversee the day-to-day operations of the business, connecting dots between departments and making sure each area is clear on what we’re trying to achieve big picture.  A big part of my role is creating a great culture - supportive, inclusive, fun and performs at a high level. 

Q: What keeps you happy and motivated in the workplace?
T: I like achieving business outcomes.  I like a good sound strategy to be in place and for us all to be clear on our piece of the pie that will make the plan a reality. 
It’s taken me a few years to realise what makes me most happy at work is knowing that I’m somehow making the workplace better.  We work hard here to create an environment that people feel good about.  I think we nail it in the main but I’m sure there is an opportunity for us to do this better and figuring out how we do that, is a motivator for me. 

Q: As a woman in a leadership position, have you ever experienced gender bias in the workplace and how were you able to break the bias?
T: It certainly happens more than we’d like it to.  A meeting where the male at the table will answer your question but look at the other male at the table. Or someone calls to talk to a manager and feels that this inherently means a male manager.  But I think it’s getting better.  With each of these moments, I tend to feel that it’s my job to step up, speak louder, act bolder, call it and hopefully create change as a result, so that the next female at the table has less of a barrier to deal with.   

Q: What’s the best thing about working with a team of women in the workplace?
T:  The best thing is the feeling that someone has your back.  Feeling like whatever is going on for you, there will be a work pal that you can call upon for support.  Working with these women is such a joy.   We come together in our day-to-day adventures, and we share a bond that is pretty special as the CWM team of women.   Overall, there is a camaraderie to what we do and it feels like what I imagine a footy team feels like.  We enjoy the highs and cheer each other on and support each other on the challenging days.   

Q: Who or what has had the greatest impact on your career journey?
T:  I’ve had the good fortune of working with some great people.   I love the idea that each person I’ve come across has something I can learn from.  Could be as much about what I don’t want to do as a leader as much as the good stuff.   The managers that have made the biggest impact on me are the ones that always had empathy for the people around them.  An appreciation that each person has a certain magic that they bring, regardless of the role, their position in the company etc.  It’s the manager that takes the time to connect with their teams that I have most admired. 

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self today?
T: Not to take myself so seriously.  It’s amazing how much I thought the smallest work problem was going to devastate my life and of course that was never the case.   The adage, ‘This too shall pass’ is something I needed to tell myself when I was younger, but I was so stubborn, I wouldn’t have listened! So maybe it would be to tell me to stop being so stubborn! 

Q: How would you encourage other people to break the bias and create a more inclusive and diverse environment in their lives?
T:  I want to say to every woman who finds themselves dealing with gender bias, if you can, find the strength to move forward.   Don’t let other people dictate your journey and don’t shrink around a gender bully.  Easier said than done I know, but I’m prepared to say this a million times to a million different women if need be.  Move forward, Keep asking questions.  Voice your opinion.  Make your mark in your own way and don’t let other people's outdated views on gender, impact your progress. There are some astounding women who we know will make their mark, they just need to believe in themselves and if they’re not there yet, they need others to believe in them until they are.    It breaks my heart to think that gender bias might preclude them from achieving their desires or have them question themselves. It’s up to each of us, whatever our gender, to watch out for this and call it out if we see it happening.     Encourage, motivate, empower her when you can see she needs it, so that we can change the script.  

Q: What does international women’s day mean to you?
T:  Having a day where we take stock of the women in our lives or in the community, herald their achievements and celebrate their success to ensure that we are paying forward positive vibes and continuing the momentum for change is brilliant.   I love the idea that my daughter will not have to answer the question on gender bias in whatever she chooses to do and it’s days like International Women's Day that will play a part in making sure that this is the case.