Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson: "Filipina Disrupters are Super Sheroes"
All these Filipina Disrupter stories are there to help inspire and motivate us to do what we can to achieve our goal, which should include gender balance. A true sustainable world is only possible with equality for all.
The following is the opening remarks given by Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson (Global FWN100™ 2017), Senior Managing Director Digital Accelerator Retirement Experience Client Experience Technology at Charles Schwab & Co, Inc., at FWN’s 2019 International Women’s Day event— DISRUPTing SAN FRANCISCO—held on Friday, March 8 in San Francisco.
Good evening everyone my name is Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson, I am an FWN member.
Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson
Senior Managing Director
Digital Accelerator Retirement Experience
Client Experience Technology
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc
Global FWN100™ 2017
I am truly excited to be here and to share with all of you how FWN, especially the FWN DISRUPT Book series is contributing to the movement to build a gender-balanced world.
A number of the women whom I love and admire for their strength and grace shared their stories in this book series. You will hear excerpts of some of their stories this evening. You will hear about their challenges, struggles and their strength You will hear about how they handled obstacles that were very difficult, but also strengthened their resolve and purpose. It’s inspiring to me how they used their ingenuity, spirit and intelligence in a thousand different ways, in a thousand different days. These Filipina disrupters are my super sheroes.
The FWN DISRUPT book series fills the gap in the leadership literature that has missed the opportunity to survey the leadership competencies of the women of Philippine ancestry. This series documents the leadership stories about victories over poverty, domestic violence, incarceration, discrimination and harassment which shaped these Filipina women’s world view, leader identity, life purpose, power and influence.
It is key to FWN’s strategy in building its pipeline of qualified leaders that will rise to the leadership position in all sectors of the economy. The authors and contributors are recipients of the Filipina Women's Network's 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World™ award.
I wrote a tribute to my mom, my personal superhero, in the second volume of this series. It wasn’t easy to write. Writing made me miss my mom because of all the memories it brought back. When I finally completed writing my chapter, I did feel good about being able to share my mom’s life and how her leadership style influenced who I am today. I aspire to emulate her all the days of my life. I try to be about others just as she was. It’s not easy. However, I think, as long as I remain a student of life and of my profession I will get better at it.
All these Filipina Disrupter stories are there to help inspire and motivate us to do what we can to achieve our goal, which should include gender balance. A true sustainable world is only possible with equality for all.
Let me end with a quote by Susan B. Anthony, who was a pioneer crusader for the woman suffrage movement.
“The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race.”
We Filipinas all have a part to play – all the time, everywhere. We believe balance drives a better working world. Currently, it is absent and so together lets disrupt to achieve balance.
Our hope is that you all are inspired by the excerpts you hear this evening from these Filipina disrupters.
Thank you.
Charles Schwab Managing Director of IT—Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson—Honored As 2017 Global FWN100™ Awardee
Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson from Technology Services in San Francisco has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women's Network. Gizelle was honored with the Innovator and Thought Leader award, which recognizes women who have delivered new and unique applications of emerging technology transforming the way people think.
Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson from Technology Services in San Francisco has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women's Network. The award recognizes women of Philippine ancestry who are changing the face of leadership in the global workplace. Gizelle was honored with the Innovator and Thought Leader award, which recognizes women who have delivered new and unique applications of emerging technology transforming the way people think.
Global FWN100™ 2017 Awardee, Gizelle Covarrubias Robinson
Gizelle is an award-winning transformative information technology leader with broad based global experience across multiple industries and over 31 years of experience in this field. A strategic, visionary, driven, results oriented leader with a consistent record of successfully leading multiple initiatives across various platforms and several enterprises. Gizelle delivers solutions and innovative services that enable firms and the business to improve their clients’ ability to achieve their financial goals. She implements process improvements and creates a culture of efficiency. A person known to deliver client focused solutions that turns into cost savings for the firm. These actions support revenue growth and adherence to compliance and regulatory policies. She is an accomplished change agent with strong influence and collaboration skills. And is recognized for her motivational leadership style.
She majored in Industrial Management Engineering and minored in Chemical Engineering. She believes it is important for girls to get engaged in STEM so that they can be positioned to influence positive changes in the world. She was named one of the 10, 2013 Professional Business Women of California Industry Leader Awardees.
She is a strong advocate for gender equity, diversity and inclusion. She believes the best way to achieve this is through partnership across the board and to generate sustained awareness of its importance for a high functioning society early and often.
Gizelle served as chair for the Women’s Interactive Network at Charles Schwab for 8 years and has since transitioned into board roles for several women and girls non-profit organizations.
Her first board membership was with GirlVentures, a non-profit organization that empowers adolescent girls to develop and express their strengths. She chaired the Breakfast Committee that hosts the Annual Empower Breakfast event and was External Committee VP.
At Alliance for Girls, Gizelle was a member of the Advisory Board. She brought an important and unique perspective to the committee, as well as a passion for Alliance for Girls’ work. Alliance for Girls is a growing movement that is working to ensure girl-serving organizations are more connected, more effective and better able to prepare today’s girls to be the leaders, agents of change and thriving women of tomorrow.
She also served as board member for Filipino Women’s Network: Serving to help their mission to enrich and inspire Filipino Women as they continue to develop the talent pipeline nationwide and globally. She was VP for Marketing and Communications and one of the keepers of the flame in 2014.
She currently serves as Board Treasurer for Professional Business Women in California. A non-profit organization whose mission it is to provide skill development, networking opportunities and inspiration to women at all levels to achieve their own ambitions and collectively advance gender equity in professional settings. She is also a Board Member of Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club and is part of their Audit Committee. She believes that educating and exposing the next generation to the merits of these principles will pay dividends for their future and will create a better and kinder society.
She is one of the authors of Disrupt 2.0, the second Leadership book by the Filipina Women's Network. The chapter she wrote is entitled Roots and Wings and is about her mother's leadership story and how she influenced her own leadership style.