Women Leaders Expand Influence Across Business, Workplaces
Women Leaders Expand Influence Across Business, Workplaces
Anonymous
Key Points
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Rachel Eng founded the Singapore Women Entrepreneurs Network in September 2021 after noticing that Singapore was the only ASEAN member state at a regional meeting without a women’s business chamber representing its entrepreneurs.
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Before launching SG-WEN, Eng became the first woman to serve as managing partner of a Big Four law firm in Singapore and was named Her World’s Woman of the Year in 2014. She later left WongPartnership at age 50 to establish her own firm, Eng and Co.
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Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must disclose in job postings whether artificial intelligence is used to screen or select applicants; workplace experts have warned that the technology may not yet be reliable enough to avoid creating liability and discrimination risks.
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Ontario’s salary-range disclosure rule took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, but compliance remained well below universal levels six months later. Indeed’s Alexandra Tillo said pay transparency is most effective when treated as a trust-building strategy rather than merely a legal requirement.
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The Northern Ireland conference will feature Margot Slattery, a business leader and board adviser known for promoting social sustainability, diversity, inclusion and belonging in corporate strategies. Women in Business Managing Director Caroline Coyle said modern leadership requires vocal attention to inclusion, sustainability and investment in the future workforce.
Women are reshaping business and workplaces worldwide, but their advancement hinges less on education than on how jobs are structured. Her World profiled Rachel Eng, who founded Singapore's Women Entrepreneurs Network in 2021 after noticing Singapore lacked a dedicated chamber for female business owners. The network has swelled from 50 members to over 850 in just five years, reflecting surging demand for women-led representation.
Structural barriers remain. Economist research shows many women abandon leadership tracks not due to lack of talent but because jobs demand rigid schedules incompatible with caregiving. In Northern Ireland, the Women in Business Voices of Leadership conference marks its 10th anniversary this year, bringing 300+ leaders together to tackle inclusion, sustainability, and workforce investment—signaling that systemic change is finally on the agenda.
Rachel Eng's Path From Law Partner to Entrepreneur
Her World reported that Rachel Eng became the first woman managing partner of a Big Four law firm in Singapore, then walked away at age 50 to start her own practice. In 2014, she earned Her World's Woman of the Year award. But her most lasting impact came in September 2021, when she launched the Singapore Women Entrepreneurs Network (SG-WEN) after attending a regional ASEAN meeting where Singapore alone lacked a women's business chamber.
The response was swift. SG-WEN grew from roughly 50 founding members to 850 within five years, proving hunger for a dedicated platform. Her World noted that Eng's decision to leave a prestigious firm to build her own reflected her conviction that systemic change requires active leadership. She modeled the bold career pivot she wanted to see more women embrace.
Why Workplace Flexibility and Job Design Matter
Nobel Prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin's research reveals the real bottleneck: most high-paying jobs demand uninterrupted availability and long hours. Women don't leave careers because they lack ability. They leave because jobs don't reward part-time contributions, unpredictable schedules, or caregiving breaks. Redesigning roles to reward outcomes over presence would unlock talent currently sidelined.
Ontario began testing structural fixes. In 2026, employers with 25+ employees must disclose whether artificial intelligence screens job applicants. Indeed cautioned that AI hiring tools may harbor bias and discrimination risks. Ontario's salary-range transparency rule took effect January 1, 2026, yet compliance remained patchy six months later—but Indeed found that pay transparency works best as a trust-building strategy, not just legal compliance.
Northern Ireland Marks a Decade of Women-Led Leadership
The Women in Business Voices of Leadership conference celebrates its 10th anniversary by convening 300+ leaders to address inclusion, sustainability, and workforce investment. Women in Business Managing Director Caroline Coyle argued that modern leadership demands vocal commitment to diversity, belonging, and investing in the next generation. The event signals that women's advancement has shifted from individual achievement to systemic redesign.
Featured speaker Margot Slattery, a board adviser and business leader, champions social sustainability and inclusive corporate strategy. Women in Business highlighted that her approach—embedding diversity and belonging into boardroom decisions—represents where leadership is headed. The conference reflects a regional push to ensure women don't just enter boardrooms but reshape how they operate.
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