I come from a family lineage of strong and hardworking women who have always reminded me that being female is powerful and never an impediment to success. At an early age, through a passion for dance, I also discovered that discipline and hard work encouraged confidence. These reminders and principals set the foundation for me to believe that anything was possible.

I went on to receive a bachelor's degree in business administration and furthered my education with an MBA in international business. I enjoyed my time as a student. I studied abroad in multiple continents, which provided exposure to different backgrounds and cultures. Upon graduating and pursuing a career, I soon realized that women were a minority at all levels of most companies. Over time, I was disheartened to learn that many highly qualified women in the financial services industry felt that gender discrimination was stopping them from progressing up the corporate ladder.

Eventually I found Capco - or Capco found me. Capco's excellent reputation in financial services, commitment to supporting career development, and focus on community services and giving back were very appealing to me. Soon after joining, I became a member of Women@Capco, our gender-oriented affinity network. Through active involvement and a passion to help women reach their full potential, I grew to take on a leadership role within the community.

I believe these traits make me better equipped to solve the real-life problems, that are at the heart of consulting.

It is encouraging to realize just how much the Women@Capco network has grown over the past few years. Event participation levels are many times higher, including International Women's Day, as more women and men actively come together to promote and inspire change globally.

While there has been progress made toward achieving equality, the journey for women, and many other under-represented groups in the workforce, is far from over. In today's world, assertive women can still be perceived as 'bossy' or 'overly aggressive', and the gender pay gap globally is real, as is the lack of proportionate female representation in boardrooms and at senior management levels across many industries and sectors.

Capco's Affinity networks provide a platform and a voice to support people who understand these challenges and strive to make a difference. Our Affinity networks promote the concept of 'allies' to fulfil our mission of equality. We define allies as those who do not align to a minority group, but support and empower those who are. Allies can be critical to helping ensure that under-represented voices are heard.

Today at Capco, we are making a commitment to be more inclusive and to increase the number of diverse leaders across the organization through a multi-year, results oriented plan to develop and attract talent. This gives me hope about the future of Capco and the wider financial services industry. When diversity and inclusion are embraced, anything is possible.