Welcome back to the Bryq Blog where we shine a light on many of the influential female leaders making waves within our workforce. Featured today in the final installment of this series is Lina Valmas, Bryq's VP of Customer Success! 

To those who know her - it's no secret that Lina is an expert in all things HR. In her three years at Bryq, she has streamlined the HR operations of dozens of companies, helping them reach new levels of success thanks to her guided integration of the Bryq product into their teams. When Lina isn't helping companies make data-driven talent management decisions, she is often found mentoring or lending a helping hand to more junior members of our team. 

Read her full interview below for more on her goals and experiences as a working woman, a working mom, and a determined workplace leader!

What obstacles have you faced in your career that you wish to eradicate for the next generation of female leaders?

Lina Valmas: As a Gen Xer, I am already in a position where I have seen a lot of progress in how women are treated in the workplace which is a good feeling.

My major challenge was always working for male-dominated companies and having to balance my personal life and my career goals. It always felt like I had to try harder for being a woman, and then later, for being a mom. The bright side is that there has been noticeable progress in this area. For example, the flexibility of working from home now exists, whereas 5 years ago this was not on the table. Simply not having to commute to the office is a game changer.

There is still progress to be made and what I want to see in the future is a true level of gender equality in the workplace and the eradication of unconscious bias. A few points to raise that I see as important milestones in realizing this goal are:  

• Everyone must feel safe to do their job without workplace discrimination

• Diverse employees feel safe and empowered while working among teams 

• Everyone receives equal opportunities and employee appreciation

• Eradication of the Gender pay gap 

• Strict company policies that prohibit abuse of power
  

What woman inspires you to be the leader you are today?

Lina Valmas: My mom. She left her country in search of a better life in the US. She had no savings and didn’t speak a word of English but left Greece with a lot of determination to make things happen in New York. She is the definition of a true boss lady, who in the end did manage to make things happen in partnership with my dad. Because of her, it was instilled in me that there is nothing that can stop you and you can accomplish anything you set your mind on.

How can we all be better allies and advocates for women in the workplace? 

Lina Valmas: In the workplace, we should all be working towards a common goal in order to succeed, and at the end of the day know that we’re all in this together. When women in the workplace amplify each other’s ideas, defend each other’s styles of leadership, and coach the next generation of female employees - everyone benefits.

Mentor her:

My personal goal is to mentor other women (both inside and outside of my workplace). As a Gen Xer, most of my life mainstream culture cultivated competition amongst women. I, myself had to learn from such mistakes when I started as a leader. We grow, we learn. It is extremely important for us as senior leaders to mentor younger women on how to stand up for themselves, suggest projects they can lead, and provide actionable feedback on how they, themselves can be good leaders.

Center her:

• Empower a woman to take on that challenging assignment she may be afraid of.

• Make it known that it is acceptable for her to sit at the head of the table instead of gravitating toward the middle.

• Give women ample opportunity to have their voices heard, it could be as simple as inviting them to initiate the primary topic of discussion at a meeting.

Promote her:

Many women are empathetic, nurturing, and selfless but sometimes this may be perceived as weak. On the flip side, we should support this since women tend to lead through teamwork. This should be recognized as a legitimate leadership style worthy of promotion.

With that being said, it is great to be part of a workplace like Bryq that does have a culture of advocating for women.