“Women are the greatest untapped source of talent in the world”, said Jonathan Kolber, ILAC’s Founder and Co-President, as he accepted the Mentor of the Year and Enlightened Employer Awards at the Women in International Education Awards 2017 by Lead5050.
These awards represent a tremendous honour for Jonathan and ILAC, as they recognize the company’s values and commitment to women’s leadership and support through various initiatives.
ENLIGHTENED EMPLOYER AWARD 2017: Supporting women in the workplace
This award was created for “companies of any size that have shown exceptional commitment to gender equality in the workplace. They will be able to demonstrate a forward-thinking, proactive and creative approach to enabling women to realise their full potential.” (source: Women in International Education Awards)
ILAC began as a partnership among 4 men, and over 20 years of growth we have seen ILAC’s transformation from the leadership of a small group of men, to one that is dominated by women leaders across the organization. Today, more than 75% of our management team at all levels of the company are women. With increased women leadership, ILAC as a company has had incredible growth, has become more human, caring about our social responsibility, our human resources policies and balanced in its vision. ILAC’s values today are Canadian values of gender equality, peace and human dignity.
“ILAC’s founders have shown a strong commitment to build a company based on the values of employee integrity, inclusion, diversity and work-life balance” comments Paula Fajardo, Director of Client Services at ILAC.
MENTOR OF THE YEAR 2017: Going the extra mile
In the Mentor of the Year award category, Jonathan Kolber was selected as the winner among individuals who have demonstrated leadership and support towards women in the international education industry. “The winner will have shown willingness to volunteer their time to supporting one or more individuals in their chosen career. They will be inspiring and dedicated to diversity and inclusion.” (source: Women in International Education Awards)
Throughout ILAC’s history, Jonathan has shown unconditional support to many employees and partners of the school.
“If anybody should be recognized as a man who supports females at work with a huge hart, I can’t think of a better person than Jon,” said Su Choi, Director of Teacher Recruitment and Training at ILAC.
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AT ILAC: Real Stories
As part of ILAC’s initiatives to promote and support women in leadership, we created the People & Culture – Women in Leadership booklet to highlight the stories of 35 women who in one way or another have been encouraged by ILAC to pursue their goals and dreams.
We thank Lead5050 for the recognition and support, and everyone who has walked by our side in this journey of becoming the #1 Voted English School in Canada and partaken in our initiatives to support women in leadership and scholarships through education as a path to world peace.
