Margaret SpenceFounder, The Inclusion Learning Lab · AI Governance Strategy for CHROs | Author, When AI Breaks the Law | SXSW Speaker: Human+AI CoLab and AI Skills Gap for Women | Substack: AI Governance for HR & The Undisruptable Woman

Margaret Spence Keynote Speaker ISSA Diversey Hygieia Network 2018

7 Dec 2018 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

3:00

The video captures a segment of the 2018 ISSA Foundation and Hygieia Network event, featuring opening remarks, a keynote by Margaret Spence, cultural reflections on women's roles, an overview of the Hygieia mentoring program, the announcement of the 4th ISSA Hygiene Network Awards winners, and a rallying call for women’s empowerment. Speaker A highlights the ISSA Foundation’s 30‑year history and its $4 million in financial aid to over 1,000 students. Margaret Spence emphasizes that one’s starting point should not limit future achievement, shares her habit of reading 30‑40 books a year, and stresses that knowledge is an enduring asset. A speaker from Morocco recounts a local saying about women’s two traditional “exits” and introduces education as a third, empowering path. The Hygieia mentoring program is presented as a unique platform that links mentors and mentees across the industry to develop leadership, coaching, and confidence. The ceremony then announces award recipients such as Gabriel Strano (Diverse Brazil), Paul Bedborough (CNW Services), and Meredith Rubin (EVP Supply Works). Finally, Margaret urges women in the audience to support one another, emphasizing inter‑generational empowerment for daughters, sisters, aunts, and nieces.

Chapters

As a new kid on the block, I'm happy to be with you tonight at this wonderful celebration, and I'm honored to be kicking it off. The ISSA Foundation is 30 years old this year. And over the years has awarded nearly $4 million in financial aid to over 1,000 hardworking and deserving young students.
What I want to say to all of you today is pretty simple. Where you start out should never be where you end up.
And there was a saying in Africa, in Morocco, that girls have two exits in their lives. First one is to your husband's home, so you needed to have— to make a good marriage and have the right husband and be a good spouse. And the second one was to, to the cemetery or the grave. So find your third exit. My third exit was education.
I read 30 to 40 books a year, and the reason why I read is because my mother instilled in me that knowledge can never be taken away from you. Knowledge is something that once you have it, it can never be removed.
So tonight I'd like to give you a quick overview of the Hygieia mentoring program. This program is unique because we're able to connect mentors and mentees across the industry that normally wouldn't have a chance to connect or meet each other. Mentors who join the program will have the opportunity to advance their leadership, develop coaching skills, drive change, and help others. And mentees will benefit from this guidance by developing and enhancing their skills and capabilities, building confidence, and making progress on their goals.
Now, without any more delay, the moment of the night. That we've been waiting for, the winners of the 4th ISSA Hygiene Network Awards.
Gabriel Strano of Diverse Brazil. Kimberly Clark.
Paul Bedborough of CNW Services.
Chris Klopper, and on behalf of Chris, we met Sarah.
Meredith Rubin, CEO of EVP Supply Works.
I say to all of you, especially for you women in the room, sometimes when we get to high places, we forget that there's a woman struggling behind us. I empower you as women in the room to empower each other. It's important that we send the message for ourselves, for our daughters, for our sisters, for our aunts, for our nieces, that we can be empowered and we can empower each other.