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Hemant Shah
Assurance Sr Manager
McLean, VA |
I am waiting. Waiting for my Acela Express train to take me back home to Virginia. While I wait for my gate to be announced, I am trying to reflect on the last four days at the Ascend conference.
Ascend is the largest pan-Asian organization with 60,000 people, 34 student chapters and 17 professional chapters located in both the United States and Canada. The organization had its 8th Annual National Convention and celebrated its 10 year anniversary this year. This year’s theme was, “Agile, Innovative, Bold.”
I was among the 50 fortunate McGladrey employees sponsored to attend the convention and represent our firm. I was able to broaden my perspective, personally and professionally, meet great leaders from all walks of life and connect with fellow McGladrey employees who share the same passion as me - representing our individual culture and heritage.
McGladrey has recently launched the Culture, Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) program, led by Richard Caturano and Tracey Walker. There are various Employee Network Groups (ENG) that have been formed under the CDI umbrella, one of them being the Asian ENG led by our fearless leader, Alfred Ko.
McGladrey leaders Richard Caturano, Tracey Walker, Hussain Hasan, Brett Friedman and Karen Jong were all at the conference. Meeting them made it obvious to me, a new employee who has been with McGladrey for less than a year, that the firm is committed to this new initiative. It is here to stay, it is not going anywhere. Apart from the huge capital investment the firm is making, it is also encouraging to see firm leaders invest their time and experience to mentor the ENG leaders and groom them to be tomorrow’s leaders. For me personally, this was a humbling experience, to see our firm leaders really support us, lead by action, see them “hang-out” with us during the convention and singing karaoke to their favorite tunes as part of team bonding.
Let me share this leadership in action story with you all. It’s five minutes before Ascend’s 10-Year Anniversary Benefit & Awards Dinner Gala. Everyone is waiting outside for the doors to open. As soon as it opens people rush to find a seat and a table. It was like people rushing into stores on a Black Friday Sale! I was late to the “sale” and didn’t get a seat. Richard Caturano saw that I didn’t have a seat and offered me his seat. I insisted that he sit and that I would find another seat somewhere, but he insisted that I take his seat, telling me not to worry, that he will find another seat. I caved in.
Fast forward to the end of the dinner gala. We all gather again and I inquire about the seat situation. I learn that he stood with two other McGladrey employees for a good part of the dinner until the hotel staff organized new tables for the standing crowd at the very back of the room. Did he have to do that for me? Don’t leaders usually sit in the front? What a powerful action. What a humbling experience. A small gesture, but so powerful. Is this McGladrey? Are those our leaders? Is this the power of being understood? You be the judge.
Let me share a selfless act story with you. Before the convention started, McGladrey had a kick-off dinner for all McGladrey attendees. We are walking from our hotel to the restaurant and this man is following us with a nice DSLR camera taking shots of us walking to the restaurant and then at the restaurant during our event. He was working so professionally. I was so impressed. I thought, “Wow, McGladrey hired a photographer to cover the whole Ascend event.” This person is following us through day two now and so I inquire to know more about this gentlemen. He is sweet, nice and courteous. When I learned his identity, my jaw dropped. He was Karen Jong’s husband, Bak. He was not hired by McGladrey to cover anything. In fact, he is not even a professional photographer. He is not getting paid for it. He is not attending the Ascend convention. He is just accompanying his wife on this trip. He would come in on events where needed and then disappear. Now think about it, why did he have to do so? Is this the McGladrey Family? Again, I will have you be the judge.
The convention invited well recognized senior executives who spoke on various topics with a common theme of being Agile, Innovative and Bold. I learned a lot from these sessions, on how to be a great leader, how to overcome my weakness, how to be true to myself and be authentic. But, I learned more from my fellow McGladrey employees in action. It is commonly said, action speaks louder than words, and to me, action did speak.
Check out this
video from McGladrey’s CDI group at ALPFA and Ascend this year!
