WHN Miami 2024: Panel Discussion—Women as Pioneers and Pathmakers in Competitive Fields

Speakers

• Lorrie-Ann Diaz, VP Business Communications and Social Responsibility, Miami HEAT
• Madelka McCalla, Chief Corporate Affairs and Impact Officer, The AES Corporation
• Alejandra Pavon, Managing Director, CMPC USA 
• Moderator: Gabriel Torres-Brown, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs, Kenvue

Women leaders in male-dominated spaces spoke at a panel at the 9th Women's Hemispheric Network Conference in Miami. 

For the AES Corporation's Madelka McCalla, "there is this vision that because you work in a male-dominated environment, you have to compete. Part of my success throughout my career has been walking in and just being a woman. And that has brought me, I think, to where I am. And it’s also part of that education that needs to happen," she said. "Men need to start valuing us for what we bring to the table. It’s not because we’re gonna speak louder. … It's because we add something. And it’s not always easy." She also talked about how her gender has affected her workplace experience in different sectors as well as in Cameroon.

"We need to have more people making decisions who support women," said CMPC USA's Alejandra Pavon to moderator Gabriel Torres-Brown. "Hopefully, one day, those women will be the ones making those decisions. But nowadays, we need those allies. We cannot just do this on our own," she added.

Lorrie-Ann Diaz—who works in men's basketball, for the Miami Heat—noted there is still progress to be made despite noting that the industry and team have come a long way. "Even as we've made strides in all of the years that I've been at the Heat, I can still look out around the company and say to myself, we still have more work to do," she said. While she reckons there won't ever be a 50-50 split, there's a "very strong network of women" at high levels who "have each other's backs."