SKYCITY shines light on Suffrage 125

A 13-metre high projection of the Suffrage 125 - Whakatū Wāhine logo will grace the Sky Tower this week to mark the 125^th anniversary of New Zealand becoming the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the vote.

From 18-23 September the Sky Tower will light violet with the Suffrage 125 logo projected on the eastern side of the Tower base.

As a Global Women Champion for Change, SKYCITY Chief Executive Officer Graeme Stephens says Suffrage 125 is an opportunity to reflect on New Zealand’s proud history as a leader but to also recognise that the journey is by no means complete.

“It’s important we continue to challenge the status quo, and at SKYCITY we have a clear focus on encouraging diversity and inclusion across our business. This is about reflecting the diversity of our customers and of New Zealand, and about recognising that diversity is a competitive advantage that will provide long term sustainable success,” says Mr Stephens.

This year SKYCITY became a principal sponsor of Global Women, an organisation that aims to change the face of business to be as diverse as New Zealand itself.

Group General Manager, HR, Claire Walker says that there have been some very pleasing results over the past year which indicate SKYCITY has a strong foundation for inclusion; and working with Global Women has provided additional strength to that.

“We’re delighted with how our partnership with Global Women has supported our work in this space. They have provided us with a range of professional development opportunities for our people.’’

Ms Walker says that while analysis of employee data has found no evidence of a gender-driven pay gap across like positions, the business remains focussed on increasing the representation of women in senior roles through a gender balanced talent pipeline and development programme.

“The key is to have a range of diversity and inclusion initiatives, starting with a clear picture of your organisation through measurement and analysis and ensuring any potential issues are raised and managed. Then it’s about focussing on the talent pipeline and developing that talent through targeted professional and leadership development programmes,” says Ms Walker.

SKYCITY this year participated in the inaugural Deloitte Inclusion Survey conducted in partnership with Global Women, achieving a score of 4.9 which was above the average score of 4.5 (out of 5).

SKYCITY Chairman Rob Campbell is a strong advocate for greater diversity and inclusion and a passionate Global Women Champion for Change.

The SKYCITY Board of Directors sets measurable objectives for diversity and inclusion such as maintaining a gender balance across the most senior levels of the organisation and continuing to ensure strong female candidates are identified in the recruitment process for all Board and Senior Executive roles.

SKYCITY announced its partnership with Global Women on International Women’s Day in March 2018, and on the same day held its inaugural Winning Women staff event. Attended by over 120 staff members, the Winning Women: Your Future Your Way event included a presentation by Dame Jenny Shipley, a discussion with a panel of leaders from our business, and activities to support attendees to take charge of their careers. The second instalment of Winning Women is scheduled for 19 September and focusses on how to nurture a professional network.

Suffrage 125 is a Tier 1 commemoration led by the Ministry of Women and supported by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, with events held nationwide.