Onbe Celebrates Female Leadership

As an organization committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Onbe has made gender parity an essential part of our agenda. And as a fintech company—an industry in which women have long been underrepresented—we understand that we have a lot more work ahead of us. Just 30% of fintech professionals are women, and less than 20% of those women have executive roles. The payments industry and the world are changing, but there’s more we need to do to position women and others with underrepresented identities for success.

When more women take on leadership positions, everybody wins. Companies gain value from diverse perspectives and innovative ideas, and women who are just starting out in their careers benefit from having mentors and role models who identify as female. Women’s History Month is an important time to reflect on what we can do to support, celebrate, and advance women at work—and to ask for leaders who are as diverse as our world.  

That’s why Onbe is spending the month of March sparking conversation among employees about what Women’s History Month means to them and what they can do to #BreakTheBias—the theme of International Women’s Day 2022. We’ll wrap up on March 31 with a forum in which female leaders at Onbe will discuss their experiences with navigating challenges to advance their careers. I hope Onbe employees will come away feeling supported and inspired by hearing others’ stories and sharing their own. I also hope they’ll take the time to consider whether a path of leadership is for them—and what steps they can take to elevate women at work, whether that’s by encouraging a colleague to pursue career advancement, mentoring a direct report, or making it a priority to hire and promote women.  

At Onbe, we’re committed to creating a workplace where women can be themselves while pursuing their goals. That means developing policies that empower women and families—such as paid maternity and paternity leave, unlimited vacation time, the flexibility to work from anywhere, and support for mental health and wellness through the platform Holisticly.  

And it’s working! I’m proud of the progress Onbe has made to build an inclusive and equitable culture. Today, 52% of Onbe employees are women (38% of whom identify as BIPOC), as are 50% of our management team (20% of whom are BIPOC). That’s a true rarity in fintech. Now, we need to keep the momentum going. Women’s History Month is a great time to talk about the important issues that still face women and, just as importantly, to commemorate all those women have achieved. But to drive real change, advocating for equal pay, opportunity, and recognition for women needs to happen every day, not just in March. I hope you’ll join Onbe in empowering and celebrating female leaders all year long.  

Jennifer Garrison, Chief People Officer