Leading broadcaster and journalist Jon Snow has long been an advocate for diversity and wage parity in the workplace.
He recently took a voluntary 25% pay cut to help close the pay gap at ITN, and has spoken eloquently about the Grenfell Tower disaster – he had met one of the victims, Firdows Kedir, at a schools debating competition at which he was a judge.
“Grenfell speaks to us all about our own lack of diversity,” he says. “It’s not the whole answer, of course, but we need to open all of our organisations to the unconventional, the different, the diverse.
“There are considerable benefits to embracing a variety of points of view. At the moment, our outlooks and experiences are somewhat limited.”
Snow, who will be delivering the keynote speech at the ACT Annual Conference 2019, believes that this lack of diversity within business, the media and politics is responsible for much of the current geopolitical climate.
“It’s difficult to tell whether Trump and Brexit are the ultimate consequences of the financial crisis of 2008,” he says, “or whether it says more about the divisions between the wealthy and those in poverty, which is a longer-term issue.
“I believe that both Brexit and Trump have commonalities, which we need to understand and address.”
Brexit is a highly complex topic, he explains. In particular, it’s hard to find a balance when people feel so strongly about it either way. And the issues around exiting the EU are hard to untangle.
“It’s such a mess of truths and lies,” says Snow. “There are many oversimplifications, but the complexities are immense.”
We’re sort of living through the best and worst of times
In such an uncertain climate, exacerbated by the disruption caused by rapid technological advancements, it pays to be a little bolder in your thinking, embrace new ideas and take a few calculated risks.
“I would think it would be quite an advantage for treasurers to embrace the opportunities that arise from the technology we have available now,” says Snow.
“It can deliver considerable efficiencies,” he points out, “which I imagine would be quite a boon for that profession. Personally, I find it all fascinating. I think technology can be a great liberator.”
He notes: “When I think about how things have changed within journalism, everything is so fast now. It liberates us to do more with news, though I do think that technology has its dark side if not properly utilised. It’s made the spreading of misinformation much easier, for example.”
So, what can we expect from Snow’s keynote speech? A lot of enthusiasm, a keen curiosity and more positivity than you might think.
“I think we’re sort of living through the best and worst of times at the moment,” he says. “While it certainly poses some challenges, I do tend to think there are plenty of things that we should be very positive about.”
Among many entertaining anecdotes from his years being present at some of the most important moments in history, Snow will expand on his views on the importance of moving with the times. He will, inevitably, touch on Brexit, and where we go from here.
He will also wax lyrical on how to harness the benefits of new technology – what it’s given us and what it might offer us in future.
“So much has changed in my lifetime that I find it quite astounding,” he says. “The technology available now is so far beyond what I could have imagined when I started out. And for the most part, it does allow us to do more.”
How much of a benefit this new technology will prove to be depends on the people who use it. In which case, he adds, it’s best to embrace it to ensure that we have control of its impacts.
“We have an enormous opportunity to be better – in our workplaces, in society – but we do have to make an effort to be better.”
For more information on the conference and how to book, please click here.
This article was taken from the Deals Edition 2019 issue of The Treasurer magazine. For more great insights, log in to view the full issue or sign up for eAffiliate membership