Blog

The People’s Cabinet (Blog Post)

November 12, 2015

 I wrote this post about a week ago on a flight from Tokyo to Toronto, where I was headed to celebrate Catalyst Canada Honours  with my colleagues and Canadian business leaders.

The inspiration for the blog came earlier that day when I picked up a copy of an English-language Japanese newspaper and found myself staring with pride at a front page headline and photo of the Government of Canada’s new Cabinet. I saw Canada reflected in that photo, and Prime Minister Trudeau’s simple response to explaining why he had chosen an equal number of men and women to serve on his team—“because it’s 2015” —said all that needed to be said.

The beauty of Canada’s new leadership team is that it looks like the market—the people of Canada—that it is intended to serve. It is the people’s cabinet, and the intentionality that went into its construction offers an important lesson for leaders from every sector.

My colleagues know that I have become tired of justifying gender diversity with data that is intended to compel business leaders to act. The business case has been documented by Catalyst since 2004, when we released our groundbreaking Bottom Line study. While some might wish to dismiss this research as the expected result from a women’s organization, our findings have been replicated in similar studies by McKinsey and Credit Suisse. So my new answer to inevitable questions about why we need more women in leadership, inspired by Prime Minister Trudeau, is this: “You give me the business case for an all-white male leadership team in 2015, and I’ll give you the case for diversity. You go first.”

The views expressed herein are solely those of the guest blogger and do not necessarily reflect those of Catalyst. Catalyst does not endorse any political candidates. The post and the comments are presented only for the purpose of informing the public.

Deborah Gillis

Former President & Chief Executive Officer

Growing up in a tiny village in rural Nova Scotia, far from any center of power, Deborah Gillis was inspired by a group of women who successfully advocated for gender equality rights to be included in the Canadian constitution. As a result, her high school debate topic was, “Be it resolved that women earn the same as men.” And so began a career dedicated to giving everyone equal opportunity to succeed. Her early work in the public sector focused on social justice policy issues: employment equity, anti-racism, and LGBTQI rights. As a consultant and practice leader for two global professional services firms, she advised clients on strategies for aligning talent and business priorities, and championed initiatives to mentor women. Then as a candidate for elected office, Deborah first truly understood the power of role models to inspire girls and young women. That experience and surviving breast cancer motivated her to seek out more deeply meaningful work. Deborah found it at Catalyst, a global nonprofit that works with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Joining in 2006 as Executive Director of Catalyst Canada, she became Chief Operating Officer in 2012, and then President and CEO in 2014. In her time as president, she put her passion to work as a tireless advocate, opening doors for other women so that we can change the world—one fair, diverse, and inclusive workplace at a time. A recognized thought leader and global influencer, in 2016 Deborah was named as one of Canadian Business magazine’s 10 most influential Canadians, and that same year she received the Foreign Policy Association Medal. Most recently, in 2017, Deborah accepted an honorary Doctor of Laws honoris causafrom Cape Breton University for dedicating her life’s work to advocating for women’s rights and equality. She serves on the Board of Governors of St. Francis Xavier University.