As part of our International Women’s Day series, we sat down with Sian Toumazou, an Associate at Recruitment Accountants to gain insight into her experiences and thoughts on this important day.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally?
I love International Women’s Day because it highlights strong, empowered women who make a real difference. It’s inspiring to see stories of women shared on this day and discover new role models. In a world often filled with negativity, hearing about women working to make the world a better place offers hope. Many of the stories I read are about women from history who were overlooked during their time but are now receiving the recognition they deserve. It’s shocking how much was overlooked or downplayed simply because a woman was the genius, entrepreneur, scientist, etc.
As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry like accountancy, how has your firm empowered you to take on leadership roles both within the organisation and in the wider professional community?
My firm has supported me from day one. My manager asked about my long-term goals and provided a clear career progression plan, which I am actively working toward.
Have you faced any challenges or barriers as a woman in your profession, and how did you overcome them?
In my previous roles, I had the opportunity to work with colleagues and clients from various countries, including those in the Middle East. I observed that, in some situations, cultural dynamics and societal norms led to a preference for interacting with male colleagues. Interestingly, my email style was perceived as ‘male,’ and the team assumed I was a man.
My role often required me to request detailed information with very tight deadlines, so it was imperative that teams abroad respected these deadlines. Given the importance of this, I didn’t correct the assumption that I was male, which, in hindsight, worked to my advantage—I experienced fewer issues and a higher response rate than my female colleagues. Eventually, I started having video calls with the team, and they were surprised to learn that I was female.
Over the years, I had provided them with valuable financial reporting advice, which helped me build respect within the team. I believe this is why my relationship with them remained strong. In terms of other barriers, I have been fortunate to have strong male and female leaders in both my current and previous roles who have served as role models. I’ve always felt supported in my ambitions and career progression
How do you see the future of gender inclusivity in the accounting industry, and what changes would you like to see?
I believe that to have gender inclusivity we need to see more women giving talks and interviews on accounting issues. Having previously worked within the WPP Group I saw many talks from women leaders within the media industry and it was very empowering. They also had initiatives for female leaders to gain advice and insight.
How has the accounting industry evolved in terms of gender equality, and what steps do you think still need to be taken?
Steps to be taken should include mandatory training on microaggressions, this would help to prevent and reduce negative talk that affects all diversity and equality issues, not only gender. By empowering both men and women to challenge derogatory comments, such as ‘she’s a diversity hire,’ we can weaken the power of such remarks and encourage people to think twice before making these comments, even ‘in jest.’ Many people don’t realise the impact of their statements and training like this is essential to make everyone more self-aware and improve the work environment for all.
I also believe there should be more equality given to men for paternity leave as this inequality is often a reason to hire a man over a woman and because fathers deserve the right to bond with their children for more than a mere 2 weeks which goes in the blink of an eye.
What advice would you give to women looking to build a career in accounting, especially in leadership roles?
My advice would be to always ask questions and to make it known if you are ambitious and want to progress. Use one-on-one meetings to inform your managers of your desire to move up the ranks and seek their advice on how to achieve this. Take action based on this advice and provide regular updates on your progress.
Women are often overlooked simply because they may be quieter than their male counterparts, so it’s important to make your intentions and goals known
As a woman in the accounting profession, how do you see your firm or organisation actively contributing to gender inclusivity and equality? Can you share an example of this in action?
TC East has several female leaders and celebrates all strong employees. This is demonstrated clearly in our annual awards where our core values of enthusiasm, integrity and teamwork, are all praised for everyone to see. The nominees were a healthy balance of men and women, and other diverse backgrounds, with everyone being celebrated for their hard work.
During a recent company offsite, men and women shared stories of how they had gone above and beyond for their clients. These stories demonstrated compassion—a trait often associated with women—yet this was recognised and celebrated by all. It was heartwarming to see how the firm values softer skills like compassion and empathy, rather than just the traditionally male qualities of dominance and assertiveness.
