Meg Whitman: Educate girls, it's the shortcut to a gender-equal society

Many words can describe Margaret “Meg” Whitman, the US ambassador to Kenya. Assured, emphatic and sharp just to name a few,  yet full of humility.

A dollar billionaire, Ms Whitman has led some of the top technology companies in the US, including eBay, Hewlett Packard (HP), FTD, and Quibi.

With a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University, Ms Whitman wishes she concentrated more on science, technology and mathematics (Stem). Regardless, she is in the tech and business world.

In the world of politics, Ms Whitman ran for governor of California, US, in 2010 and won the Republican primary. Prior to that, the New York Times, in 2008, cited her as among the women most likely to become the first female president of the United States.

When she was nominated as ambassador to Kenya, the White House said of her: “Among numerous honours, Meg has been inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame and the US Business Hall of Fame. She received an Honorary Doctor of Business Practice from Carnegie Mellon University.”

After the Senate confirmed her nomination, she moved to Kenya alongside her husband, Griff Harsh, to take up her ambassadorial role. Her official title is "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Kenya".

Nation.Africa recently spoke with Ms Whitman, and she had a lot of advice, which sounded like a continuation of the counsel she shares in her 2010 book, The Power of Many: Values for Success in Business and in Life.

What did your family think about your decision to come to Kenya?

Well, we did talk. We have two adult sons who are 34 and 37, and we said to them, ‘What do you think about dad and mum going to Kenya?’ And they stopped for a second then said, ‘You know, life is about experiences and we think it would be a great experience for you. Go ahead and do it.’

You’ve obviously had a distinguished career as a business executive and corporate leader in leading multinationals. What would you pick as the highlights of your career?

A couple of things…one, I was a female pioneer in business. About 10 per cent of my class at Harvard Business School was women. I went into marketing. Every year, there would be hundreds of people in a class who would eventually be the new brand assistants, the entry-level job. And there were four women in that class of 100.

Stem subjects are very important for a career in technology, but there weren’t as many women graduating from that discipline. I was often the only woman in the room, from very early times. So, I’m proud of that because I think people need role models, everyone needs a role model.

A recent UN report says it will take another 300 years to achieve gender equality. Kenya has grappled with gender parity for years and the 12th Parliament didn’t pass the two-thirds gender rule. What is your view on the issue of gender parity?

Well, it starts with the education of girls. Whether it is politics or business or law or community leadership, we’ve got to educate girls and prepare them to think about themselves as equal members of society.

And I hope it won’t take 300 years. If I look at the American example, my mother who was born in 1920 did not have many opportunities when she graduated from college; she didn’t have many opportunities to work. Today, the girls graduating from college think they can do anything. And they can. Colleges are now 50 per cent women; many are actually 60 per cent women in the United States.

So, it’s a slow work but between my mother’s generation and my generation, and now the generation of girls, it’s a remarkable change.

In 2014, Forbes listed you as one of the most powerful women in the world. In this regard, what would you advise a young woman going into a leadership position for the first time?

First is to make sure you choose a field you love and would want to work in. Most of the time we are better when we do something we love as opposed to forcing ourselves on something.

Assuming a woman has found her way into medicine, or retail, or whatever she loves; and now she is in leadership for the first time…the number one question should be: Do you have the right team? Make sure you have the right team, because you will only be as successful as the people you work with.

Secondly, make sure you have a strategy for whatever you are doing and then be accountable for results. One of the great things about business is that there are results; revenues, profits and return on invested capital. It’s a little bit more challenging in politics, but be accountable for the results.

So, what would you tell a 25-year-old Meg?

Can I go to what advice I would have given a 14-year-old Meg? Well, science, technology, engineering and maths. I was pretty good in science and maths in high school, and I should have been an engineer.

But it was harder. I was an economics major. Engineering was a lot harder than economics, but I wished I had made myself an engineer. I might not be one today, but that discipline and how technology has transformed the world is exceptional. So, the first thing I would tell myself is science, technology, engineering and maths.

The second thing I would have told myself is get the right training. So many people today want to leave college or high school, and go to a start-up. There is something beneficial about going to a place where you can get good training.

One thing I did not do that I would, if I had to do it all over again, is be a better networker. I was so busy. I was married to a neurosurgeon and had to run my businesses. You get so much from keeping up with friends, keeping up with people you’ve worked with in the past.

In your many years working with different organisations and now as US ambassador, have you ever felt that you were treated differently because of your gender?

Yes. When I started, I was a novelty. There were just not that many of us around. And so, people didn’t know exactly how to treat us. I don’t necessarily think in most of my career it was malevolent. I don’t think people were trying to be mean or to discriminate.

Have you ever suffered impostor syndrome?

No, I haven’t. And I think my mother was a very influential figure in my life. Had she been born at a different point in time, she might have been a doctor, a lawyer. She would have done something I think quite remarkable.

You mention your mother a lot. Did you have other mentors or role models?

I did. Frank Wells, he was the chief operating officer at the Walt Disney company when I joined Disney.

I would sit in meetings and would almost be intimidated to say something. It sort of seemed like everyone knew what they were talking about all the time.

And Frank said to me, ‘Meg, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This is the place where we say what we think, even if we are wrong. And don’t worry about it.’

I said, ‘Frank, I feel like if I say something, it needs to be right.’

He said, ‘Not necessarily.’

And so, he taught me to speak up. And I think that’s another important thing for women in particular. Sometimes we don’t speak up.

As US ambassador to Kenya where gender parity remains elusive, do you have plans for policies around the issue?

Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility are core values of the Biden administration, or Secretary Blinken’s administration, and of this embassy. So, I am very conscious of making sure we create an environment where everyone feels welcome; that we run an interview process that includes people of all genders, races, beliefs.

There is something in America called the Rooney Rule, where if you are going to hire someone, you have to have a diverse slate of people. You can’t just interview all your friends. And so, we are trying to adhere to that for hiring both locally engaged staff, as well as the Americans.

What motivates you?

Experiences. And I would say getting things done and figuring it out. I love to figure it out. I love problem-solving, I love complicated problems. And in business, in politics and in journalism, [there are] lots of complicated problems. And I love figuring things out and having those experiences of figuring it out with the team.

Mike Owuor contributed to this interview: [email protected]
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