photographer: carly wollaert © | make-up artist: sharmila vooren
sharon hesp(she/her)
diversity & inclusion lead at van doorne
about
my whole life i’ve been put into boxes where i don’t belong. that does give me the element of surprise, when i turn out to be quite different than people initially imagined. being highly educated and coming from a privileged background, helps me being a proud queer person of color. i also realized my “superpower”, being able to relate to many others as there is always something we have in common. i use my ability to connect people to together build a society in which we can all be who we are without having to compromise on opportunities in life.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
seeing someone that looks like you being successful, tells you that you too can be successful. role models show us what is possible, so we can aspire to the same things. they can even course correct. too often, leadership and success are linked to stereotypes, making people believe they need to be a certain way to succeed in life. by putting a variety of role models forward that do not fit the stereotype, i believe we can inspire different types of leaders to stand up. this is exactly what we need for a more just and equal world.
van doorne
when it comes to equality (or rather equity), whether it’s political, social or economic, we are far from there yet. for equality to come about, we need to make some changes to the system. today, some clearly have advantages over others to become successful. through the diversity & inclusion committee we, albana & sharon, work to remove barriers and create opportunities for historically marginalized groups within van doorne, to enable them to contribute with their unique talents. it’s the only way forward, to stay relevant and innovative, and offer the best service to our clients.