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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1365499
MAY 2021 BCBUSINESS 25 MAY 2021 BCBUSINESS 25 W I N N E R JENNIFER TWINER MCCARRON C E O , T H U N D E R B I R D E N T E R T A I N M E N T JENNIFER TWINER MCCAR- RON IS enjoying an awards run akin to that of mid-1990s Tom Hanks. The revered actor reeled off back-to-back Best Actor wins at the Academy Awards in '94 and '95 for his work in Philadelphia and For- rest Gump, respectively. It's not quite as hallowed territory, but soon after her company picked up this maga- zine's Business of Good Award for Diversity and Inclusion from a separate, independent panel of judges, Twiner McCar- ron takes another inclusion- oriented honour. What makes Vancouver- based Thunderbird Entertain- ment and its CEO so worthy of recognition? The answer can be found in the internal and external operations of the 1,000-person content studio. On the former, some 45 percent of the team is female (another 45 percent is male, while 10 percent identify as gender-fluid). "We really want to make sure that each and every voice is heard and honoured and that no one feels like a num- ber," says Twiner McCarron, who has worked at Thunder- bird since 2011. "And that we create a culture of excellence where people feel safe to innovate and safe to make mistakes. When you make mis- takes, innovation will arise." Externally, Thunder- bird is proud of shows that highlight characters from diverse backgrounds, like Kim's Convenience, Queen of the Oil Patch and Molly of Denali, which it worked with some 60 actors, writers and producers from the eponymous Alaska region to produce. "We know we're not saving whales, but we just want to do our little bit to make the world a better R U N N E R - U P YABOME GILPIN-JACKSON C H I E F P E O P L E O F F I C E R , B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A L O T T E R Y C O R P . AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER at SFU's Beedie School of Business, Yabome Gilpin-Jackson sometimes teaches there and at Montreal's Concordia University. Her courses, which fall under the umbrella of leadership and organizational develop- ment and are often attended by professionals, tend to involve discussions of Deep Democracy–a theory that advocates for more inclusion in decision-making–and privilege. And they often get emotional. "By the end of the modules, people are in tears, and I'm like, What's going on?" Gilpin-Jackson says. "Because to me, this is par for the course. But they say, I have some tools for this work, but it's mostly Western-oriented ways of thinking and colonial- oriented ways of thinking. And you're the first Black or person of colour that we've had who is going deeply into the issues." Gilpin-Jackson, who was born in Germany but spent much of her life in her parents' native Sierra Leone, took her current role as chief people officer with Kamloops-based British Columbia Lottery Corp. around the same time that COVID-19 came to North America. At BCLC, which has roughly 1,000 staff across the prov- ince, the question of inclusion has been a chief focus of her work. "I came with that lens of, in spite of the pandemic conditions, how do you support people to be included, how do you foster inclusion and engagement in all conditions?" says the longtime workplace consultant and facilitator, whose four degrees include an MBA in leadership and organizational change from SFU and a PhD in human and organizational systems from California's Fielding Graduate University. The result has been "not only hav- ing virtual meetings and town halls," she explains, "but having engagement sessions and walk-through sessions, and employee conferences that allow people to connect to the BCLC." Even though she holds a top position at one of the province's biggest public agencies, Gilpin-Jackson knows from experience that there's still a long way to go when it comes to inclusion, even in her industry. "I show up for conferences, and people mistake me for foodservices until I get up on the stage," she says with a wry laugh. "And they go, Oh my God, she's the speaker." place with what we produce," Twiner McCarron says. "I think it can provide such a happy space for people." Fast Company recognized Thunderbird last year as one of the world's most innovative companies—largely due to its work in showcasing diversity in an industry that often struggles with it. "It starts with a mindset toward service leadership—we work for the people," Twiner McCarron argues. "And diverse, inclusive companies do better. It's not just the right thing to do, it's good for business." –N.C. EQUIT Y AND INCLUSION CHAMPION