Paul Raben-Christensen, Regional Head of Leadership and Talent for Bloomberg LP, shares with WiFA his motivations to be a male ally, advice to others to become a male ally, and much more.
Tell us about yourself.
I have been living in Hong Kong for over three years now along with my husband Lance, and our two (now three!) dogs. I am also the co-lead for BPROUD, Bloomberg’s LGBT+ community in Hong Kong.
What motivates you to be an ally in the financial services industry?
Being openly out for over 30 years in my professional career, I have experienced how important it is to have allies so I guess it’s about giving back.
What is one characteristic you would say that all women in finance share?
Resilience – the ability to persevere and achieve many things despite the challenges that are put in front of women in finance.
Please provide an example of how being an ally helped to unlock the power of diversity within your team or your organization?
Very difficult to answer without being specific and breaking confidentiality.
What advice or guidance would you provide men so they can become an ally? What can they do better to support their female colleagues professionally?
Stop overthinking what being an ally is, and start being one. Being an ally is really simple – it’s about being inquisitive and curious around other people’s worlds. Don’t be afraid or shy to ask questions – this is the only way that you’ll build that understanding that is key to being an ally. Most importantly become an advocate – speak up when you hear people being biased, this is the only that collectively we can educate people around different communities.