Illustration Campaign Celebrating International Women's Day with Stories of Passion and Inclusion
(From left) Katrina Burns of Samsung Electronics Australia, Banisri Jalapelli of the Bangalore Research Institute in India, Yumiyoung Jeonmu of the Home Appliances Division[Photo by Samsung Electronics]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] On the 8th, Samsung Electronics introduced the stories of three female employees who practice the values of diversity and inclusion in their daily lives through its newsroom in celebration of International Women's Day. They are Katrina Burns, who is in charge of user experience (UX) design at the Retail Experience & Operations Group of Samsung Electronics Australia; Banisri Srikrishna Jalapelli, a Technical Program Manager at Samsung India Bangalore Research Institute; and Yum Young, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics' Consumer Electronics Division.
They emphasized, "Respect and communication among team members are essential to achieve the best results as a 'team.' Accepting the thoughts and opinions of others who are different from oneself and achieving common goals is not as easy as it seems. At such times, what is needed is the attitude of recognizing and embracing the 'differences' between oneself and others."
Katrina: "Open Communication and Respect for Diversity"
Katrina believes that better results come when conversations flow freely and opinions are shared openly. When ideas are needed, she holds meetings while taking walks in scenic parks. To understand her team members' preferences, she creates a music playlist every Friday, selecting different genres each time. They also hold a "Thank You Friday" event to express gratitude for things that happened during the week.
She said, "Team members build trust in each other with the belief that they can always receive help when needed." She added her aspiration, saying, "Women should remember that they can be anything. I want to be a leader who helps many people improve their quality of life and achieve great results."
Banisri: "Punctuality and Genuine Communication Are Important"
Banisri officially joined Samsung in September 2008 and has been working there since. She introduced that thanks to Samsung's internal atmosphere that respects diversity and inclusion, she was able to focus on her work and continue to take on challenges. In particular, she emphasized, "The prejudice that 'women cannot excel in technical fields' does not apply at Samsung."
Banisri pointed out that the important factors for collaboration with others are "punctuality" and "constant genuine communication." She stressed, "When helping other members, I also learn a lot from that and grow together." Her goal at Samsung Electronics is to become a leader in the field of technical program management.
Yum Young: Mentor to Software Developers
Compared to the past, corporate maternity protection systems have improved and paternity leave for men has increased. Executive Vice President Yum emphasized the need to "consistently pay attention to the voices of diverse people and continue efforts toward a 'culture that embraces diversity'" to keep driving these changes. This advice comes from her own experience of struggling to balance work and childcare while raising two children.
She explained, "The advice from seniors that 'It may be difficult now, but there will come a time when you can laugh about it later,' and the 'passion' to never give up on dreams and goals helped me stay grounded."
Samsung Electronics has prepared a campaign that captures the passion and inclusion stories of these three women and 12 other female employees from various regions and roles through illustrations. The International Women's Day commemorative campaign can be viewed on Samsung Electronics' website starting today.
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