This article appeared in The Star on 08 March 2022.

 

BEING in the male-dominated telecommunications industry, Zuraida Jamaluddin feels strongly about wanting other women to have more opportunities, particularly in the digital economy.

Zuraida, who is chief corporate affairs officer at Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), said while corporate culture has improved over the decades, the glass ceiling still exists, and so does the so-called “boys club”.

“The gender pay gap, for example, is a persistent issue not just for Malaysia, but all over the world. Improvements have been made, but we’re still a long way from closing the gap. Furthermore, leadership and board positions remain heavily male-dominated. However, I think the mindset is shifting to be more progressive and inclusive,” she told StarBiz.

It is encouraging to note that there are many corporations that are embracing diversity and inclusivity across the globe. According to a Grant Thornton report on women in senior leadership positions, Malaysia recorded 37% of women in such positions in 2021 as compared to just 31% in 2020.

“The government’s directive to encourage greater female participation at the boardroom level is a move in the right direction. I am pleased to have the opportunity to be on the board of HSBC Malaysia, an organisation which places an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity,” said Zuraida.

Meanwhile, DNB is in the process of putting in place its environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy which will cover issues like diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as how the organisation can foster equal access at a national level to Malaysia’s 5G network.

DNB is wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Inc and mandated by the government to be the single neutral party to undertake the deployment of 5G infrastructure and network nationwide.

Zuraida pointed out that women are the backbone of the digital economy, particularly in rural and outlying areas.

“For example, Pasar Siti Khadijah in Kota Baru, Kelantan is run by enterprising women. The same can be seen in other parts of the country. It is important that we empower these communities and give women the access and tools they need to better participate in the digital economy to help improve their socioeconomic standing,” she said, adding that through national programmes such as Jendela and the 5G deployment, the barriers to entry for women to participate in the digital economy will be significantly reduced.

Zuraida, who has spent more than seven years in the telco industry, is actively involved in various social programmes with the aim of helping underserved communities embrace digitalisation and adopt digital tools to improve their circumstances. These demographics consist of underprivileged students, the Orang Asli community, single mothers, and the urban poor.

“Obviously with DNB being only a year old, we are still in the midst of instituting our various ESG initiatives. But I’ve always felt very strongly about businesses giving back and doing their part for society,” she said.

Kindness starts at home

Zuraida credits her passion for philanthropy to her parents who were willing caretakers for many relatives, both young and old, staying at the family home.

“My dad was a wise, firm and honest man with a good heart, and I’d like to think I’ve inherited these traits from him. He was also an avid tennis player and golfer. Unfortunately, I did not inherit his athleticism.

“My mother was an angel who instilled a sense of familial responsibility and grace in us (Zuraida is the youngest and grew up with two sisters and a brother). Together, my parents instilled in me a sense of integrity and sincerity,” she said.

Zuraida, who was born in Kuala Lumpur, recalled “moving around quite a bit” as her father was a civil servant. She spent her primary school years at Sultan Ibrahim Girls’ School in Johor Baru and later on, went to Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.

She attended George Washington University, United States on a Majlis Amanah Rakyat scholarship, and graduated as an electrical engineer.

Zuraida landed her first job as systems engineer at Mesiniaga and recalled being one of two persons who passed a series of assessments and IQ tests that Mesiniaga conducted to select graduate trainees.

She said an inspirational mentor in the early days of her career was the late Ismail Sulaiman, Mesiniaga’s former managing director.

“He shared many traits with my father. They were both highly disciplined, intelligent, uplifting and charismatic. I was in awe from the start. The experience working there shaped my leadership style where reward and opportunities are based on merit, and one should not compromise on values and “butter up” in order to advance one’s career,” said Zuraida.

Following her career in Mesiniaga, she joined boutique consulting firm Renoir Consulting Malaysia as the managing director where clients included telecommunication companies.

Zuraida said her career has felt like a very natural progression, moving from a technology company like Mesiniaga into consulting, before venturing into the telecommunications industry with Celcom and now DNB.

“The telco industry – which requires innovative thinking, and problem-solving acumen – is really interesting. It’s obviously a very fast-paced environment that constantly shifts and transforms to cater to the demands of their customers,” she said.

Regarding transformation or improvement initiatives, Zuraida pointed out that the most important factor is to get the buy-in from internal stakeholders.

However, she noted that change is oftentimes uncomfortable and even scary, and when new initiatives are mooted by third party consultants, internal stakeholders tend to abide by them only at a very superficial level.

“At the first sign of stress or difficulty, even the best initiatives that fail to receive real buy-in will be abandoned, and stakeholders will revert to old and familiar practices,” said Zuraida, who has found it helpful to loop in key stakeholders and employees right from the planning stages.

“Let them know right at the start that their thoughts, opinions – and even worries – are being taken into account when developing new initiatives and strategies. When employees are involved in crafting the solution, they are much more likely to follow through,” she said.

Meanwhile, Zuraida’s present role at DNB involves overseeing the entity’s regulatory, corporate communications as well as policy and public affairs departments.

This entails engaging in regular discussions with the regulator which is the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission, the industry, and relevant government agencies.

“Being at a start-up with very ambitious 5G network rollout targets, it’s been a very intensive experience, rolling out the network in parts of Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur within just nine months of DNB being formed in March 2021. I’ve spent more than 25 years in the corporate world, and I can say this has been the most unprecedented challenge I’ve been a part of,” she said.

Leading by example

Zuraida said she has adapted to a generally “male-dominated” telecommunications industry by embracing her quintessentially feminine qualities.

“A quote from Disney’s Cinderella is basically a personal motto of mine: ‘Have courage and be kind’”.

She said such an outlook has served her well over the years, and it has helped her to learn and gain valuable experience.

“Now that I’m in various positions of leadership, I’m driven to encourage other people to take risks – calculated risks – in order that they too may grow professionally and personally. As a leader, I’ve learnt to not just provide guidance to my team, but to also empower them to be independent and take charge where possible,” she said.

Zuraida pointed out that no one has perfect knowledge and thus, everyone, no matter how hardworking or high up in an organisation, must rely on others.

“In order to be able to do this consistently, it means being humble, sincere, empathetic, and trusting in the quality of your people. Leaders try not to play favourites and where possible, provide opportunities for everyone to shine,” she said.

Regarding her journey in the corporate world, she said it has been exciting, challenging and fulfilling with “some sacrifices along the way.”

“A song which resonates well with me and can closely describe this is Martina McBride’s In my daughter’s eyes. At the end of the day what it important is to stay true to oneself and to one’s purpose,” said Zuraida, who is a proud mother of a son and daughter.

“My children are my everything. My son is working in Malaysia after graduating from the United Kingdom. My daughter is currently studying at a university in London and has already received a job offer to work in London after graduation,” she said, while acknowledging that she had been privileged to not have to make drastic trade-offs between family and career.

Zuraida is fortunate to have struck an optimal work-life balance, and always had a support network to rely on, whether as a working professional or a mother.

However, she is also aware that not all women in Malaysia enjoy the same privileges, and they can sometimes be forced to prioritise their jobs.

“It is my hope that more women leverage Malaysia’s ongoing digital transformation to improve their socioeconomic wellbeing. Women should not have to make impossible choices between family and career,” Zuraida concluded.