RSM's Women with SASS

Women with SASS

RSM is a progressive and diverse firm of audit, tax and consulting experts with offices all over Australia and the world. As an integrated team, we share skills, insight and resources as well as a client centric approach that’s based on a deep understanding of our client’s business. This is how we empower our clients to move forward with confidence and realise their full potential. This is the power of being understood.

A local initiative being launched by RSM Australia called ‘Women with SASS’ (Strength, Ambition, Sophistication and Smarts) is creating a stir.

It has been developed from the grassroots level and is aimed at empowering women to move forward with confidence, whether it be in business or government.

Probably the most universal challenge that women face in their professional life, is confidence – confidence in themselves, their own abilities and competencies.

RSM want their clients, staff and members of Women with SASS to embrace their ambition and success and help others along the way.

RSM’s Women with SASS is a whole of firm approach to drive diversity of thought and ideas to bring better outcomes through the provision of networking opportunities

Through quarterly networking events, RSM aims to spotlight and recognise role models and current leaders, promote clients and Canberra businesses and challenge and encourage work life balance and flexible work arrangement initiatives.

Jamie O’Rourke, National Chairman of RSM Australia says “whilst Women with SASS has started as a local initiative in Canberra we believe there is a broader applicability for initiatives like SASS across our Firm. A key strategic focus for our Executive Team is diversity and we will be investing in this area with a range of initiatives including this one”. 

Frank Lo Pilato, Canberra Managing Partner says that, “When the Women with SASS proposal was put forward, it was something that our partnership group whole heartedly supported. RSM’s focus is firmly set on attracting, retaining and advancing women. We are conscious that gender balance is critical to any high performing business.”  

“We as a firm are working hard to challenge gender bias by employing various strategies nationally. In these economic times organisations are forever being asked to do more with less, simultaneously innovating whilst building a workforce for the future. RSM sees gender equality, flexible work arrangements and diversity of thought as critical to becoming a service provider and employer of choice” 

To officially launch Women with SASS, RSM held a launch event on 10 November 2016, with guest speakers - David Morrison AO, the 2016 Australian of the Year, Kate Carnell, Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman and Louise Curtis, Owner of gift companies Lollypotz and Hamperesque. 

RSM in Canberra is at the coal face of business growth in the marketplace, and in working closely with their clients, they understand the challenges that women face as they aspire to move forward in their careers. Apart from access to finance and funding, business women are often balancing primary carer responsibilities with work commitments. Women are often doing this alone and report on the lack of female mentorship and support from within their organisations.

Emily Bowd, Senior Manager in RSM’s Audit and Advisory Division, says that, “Since joining RSM, through various discussions with the partnership group and other wonderful women in the firm, the Women with SASS initiative was born. I have been truly humbled by not only the support, that the partnership group have shown towards this initiative, but also the passion behind the team of women who are working alongside me in turning this idea into a reality.” 

“We believe that RSM's Women with SASS will provide a platform to empower business women and women in government to move forward with confidence. We hope to use it to influence the discussion on diversity, within RSM, our community and in the industries and sectors participants operate. We are incredibly excited for what is to come’” says Emily. 

It is easy to see why gender diversity continues to keep boards up at night.  According to Workplace Gender Equality Agency August 2016 statistics at a glance, women hold 14.2% of chair positions, 23.6% of directorships, as well as represent 15.4% of CEOs and 27.4% of key management personnel in Agency reporting organisations. 

One-quarter (25.1%) of Agency reporting organisations have no key management personnel who are women. The average superannuation balances for women at retirement are 52.8% less than those for men. Whilst the winds of change may be in motion with the Australian Institute for Company Directors (AICD) revealing that women account for 40.0% of new appointments to ASX 200 boards in January 2016, there is still a lot of work to be done. The AICD has set a target for all boards to ensure that at least 30 percent of their directors are female by 2018. 

According to the Australian Bureau Statistics, 30 per cent of small businesses are owned by women in our country’s capital. Women make up 39 per cent of sole traders. These numbers are growing. In some industries and sectors in Canberra, such as community services, there is a shift towards female executives and board representatives, however in other areas, female representation is lagging significantly. 

Professional services firms have struggled in recent years with diversity and equality, with a large proportion of senior leaders, whether they be partners, directors, or principals dominated by white middle aged men. The larger firms have been putting work into ensuring that there is more diverse memberships in their partner and executive groups through various strategies which is having some success. 

RSM want to take these initiatives one step further – in addition to focusing on internal drivers such as providing flexible work arrangements, RSM is investing in our local communities to empower women to break down these invisible barriers and helping them achieve all they can. 

RSM intends on providing tailored support to women in business including financial advice, coaching, mentoring and workshops as well as connecting with local communities and charities to drive innovation.

Stay tuned for more on RSM’s Women with SASS initiative as it evolves.