The integral role of allyship at Vertex

As we commemorate Women's History Month, it is important to highlight the power of allyship – the vital role we ALL play in supporting, uplifting and advocating for the women in our lives, workplaces and communities. As the Chief People Officer, it is critical to leverage our collective power to make a stronger impact on creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can thrive. Allyship, a conscious act of utilizing our privileges to advocate for underrepresented groups, has become a cornerstone of fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at Vertex.

Over the course of my professional career, many of my direct managers were significant advocates who have been champions and promoters of my personal growth and advancement. As a human resources executive building global diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) practices, CEOs and executive peers have been critical allies. This is through their active embrace and championing of DEIB strategies, supporting policy implementation, partnering on initiatives and taking leadership roles on councils and business resource groups (BRGs). Allies have also served as sounding boards for strategic brainstorming and feedback. Their voices help amplify mine, a true testament to how support can restructure executive spaces and knowledge sharing.

At Vertex, allyship is central to creating a truly diverse and inclusive culture which translates into several positive business outcomes:

• Uplifting Unique Viewpoints: Allyship elevates underrepresented perspectives, initiating open and inclusive dialogues and embracing a spectrum of voices within the Vertex team – fostering collective respect and value.
• Stimulating Innovation: An inclusive workforce, strongly supported by allies who break down barriers and create supportive environments for all backgrounds, encourages free idea-exchange that propel creativity, inspires innovation and ultimately drives revenue.
• Improving the Quality of Decision Making: Having a diverse team embeds multiple perspectives into our business decision-making processes. Allies aid in addressing unconscious bias and foster healthy debates, driving toward fair and objective decision making.
• Building Stronger Community Connections: Serving our diverse customer segments and the communities where we live and work becomes easier when our team understands and shares those experiences. Allies can actively lead and participate in DEIB-sponsored customer and community initiatives and engagements to enhance understanding, alignment and impact.
• Engaging Employees in a Meaningful Way: Being seen, heard and valued – a characteristic of a supporting environment, augments employee engagement, productivity and performance. Allies can use their positions of influence to advocate and promote inclusive policies and practices. At Vertex, we strive to provide a work environment where every individual can be their authentic self. We believe this allows our team to bring their best to their work – and ultimately to our customers.
• Supporting Development to Maximize Potential: Allies can mentor or sponsor colleagues from underrepresented groups. As an advocate, they can highlight their colleagues’ excellent work, guide them through challenging situations, and help open doors for career advancement.
• Shaping an Enviable Corporate Brand: Companies known for fostering diversity and allyship attract wide-ranging talents, improving customer satisfaction and advancing the corporate brand.
• Driving Business Growth: Diverse and inclusive businesses, in which allyship is a core element, are linked to higher revenues, agility and efficiencies, demonstrating the importance of DE&I in an organization's financial health.

Allyship is truly integral to building a diverse and inclusive culture where we all can bring our whole selves, thrive and maximize our potential. During this Women's History Month, I invite you all to become active allies. To embrace the unique, impactful potential of women.

We welcome you to explore our culture and find all that it offers for everyone in our diverse, dynamic team. Learn more about Vertex and view all our open positions by clicking here.