Diversity – my personal journey

28th January 2016 |   Claire Edmunds

When it comes to diversity, are we asking the right question?

A decade after setting up my business I won a “Women in Business” award. I was intrigued by my reaction: I was delighted to be recognised but uncomfortable with the notion of being singled out because of my gender. I remember a rush of indignation when asked in the interview: “So, how do you positively develop women in your business?”

“I positively don’t,” I answered. “We develop people.” This sparked a shift that threw me (and my team) on our diversity journey.

What does feel right is to ensure the culture we create feels comfortable and safe for everyone.

My company works with the technology sector, yet I genuinely feel I have been treated with respect. No one has ever told me I cannot run a business because I’m a woman; it has never been an issue. Consequently, when I first joined the discussions about the challenges women face, I approached them with a level of scepticism.

Claire Edmunds

Founder and CEO of Clarify | + posts

Claire Edmunds is CEO and founder of Clarify, a specialist in strategic business development. The company works with global B2B enterprises that take high-value consultative propositions to market.

She chairs the Diversity Steering Group on behalf of the Association of Professional Sales, which aims to increase diversity in the sales profession and build high-performing and inclusive sales cultures.