At Regis, we’re proud of all the inspiring women we have working across our company. Today, we’d like to highlight Catherine Buttigieg, our Executive General Manager of People and Culture. This International Women’s Day (IWD), Catherine reflects on the sacrifices made by women of the past and her own experiences as a woman in the workplace. To Catherine, IWD is “a time to recognise the women of previous generations who enabled us to take for granted many of the freedoms they needed to fight for.”
The theme for this year’s IWD is #BreakTheBias, which highlights the need to actively call out inequality in our communities, workplaces, and schools. Noting the importance of breaking down stereotypes and challenging bias, Catherine says that she has “worked in some sectors where biases have been more evident than in others,” but at Regis, there is “a great ecosystem of support and wonderful peers to bounce off.”
Catherine says it is excellent to “have a great team who are inspired to make a difference to elderly Australians through what they do.” Colleagues, family members, women and men have all been inspirational to Catherine’s life and career. When asked if any famous people have inspired her, Catherine responds that it’s the people closest to her that have left the more significant impression and that they’re “famous to me, of course.”
Catherine highlights the everyday challenges of being a mother and having a career in her personal life. This significant act of juggling these important commitments does not go unnoticed at Regis, where we aim to provide our employees with a work/life balance that allows them to be there for the special moments in their family’s lives.
To other women in the sector and beyond, Catherine says, “Be proud of who you are and what you do every day. Expect to be treated in the same way as anyone, irrespective of title, job scope, gender, and what sector they belong to.”
As a final note, Catherine says that “it’s up to the women of today and the next generation too, to continue to break down remaining biases and inequalities when we see them. My lovely daughter, Eve, is photographed with me, and I’m so proud of the woman she is already.” We think Catherine sets an excellent example and is a great role model for future generations.
At Regis, we’re proud to support IWD and highlight the remarkable women in our organisation.