The Year That Was: W@C Ireland - 2024 Highlights

Women@Cadence Ireland is one of Cadence's employee resource groups, which includes all women employees and their allies across our three sites in Cork, Dublin, and Galway. The goal of this team is to promote unity and support in the workplace. The efforts of the W@C Ireland team were defined by the three drives: Workshop2Inspire, Active Wellness, and Fun Fridays.

As Women@Cadence Ireland begins their journey in 2025, let's take a moment to look back at what we achieved together in 2024. The year 2024 proved to be a remarkable one for Women@Cadence Ireland, marked by significant achievements that underscore our commitment to connect, inspire, and empower each other.

In this special blog post, we'll provide an overview of the major accomplishments of each of the drives in the past year.

Workshop2Inspire

Throughout 2024, the Workshop2Inspire team hosted a series of impactful events that were focused on mental, physical, and financial well-being to cultivate a professional, creative, and growth-oriented mindset among employees.

• Kicking off Q1, a live chat with Tina Jones, senior VP of Global Human Resources, was hosted as part of our International Women's Day celebration. Tina shared leadership insights about resilience and professional growth while stressing the importance of being a learner for life to avoid stagnating in one's career journey.
• Q2 saw Rob Cummins, education application engineer director, deliver an interesting session on time management focusing on improving efficiency and promoting a healthier work/life balance.
• In Q3, Liz Gustafson, a senior business system analyst, attended the Society of Women Engineers' "Be a Woman Be Successful" (WoW) workshop in Munich. Upon her return, Liz shared some of her key takeaways with employees at the Irish sites.
• Finally, Q4 featured an interactive chat with Rebecca Dobson, VP of Sales and executive sponsor for Women@Cadence EMEA. Rebecca provided valuable insight into the industry, customers, and her personal journey as a woman in senior leadership. This session sparked interest from the finance team, who are now pursuing regular sessions with Rebecca's team to get a snapshot of the industry.

Active Wellness

In 2024, our committed team achieved remarkable milestones in promoting health awareness and physical fitness within the organization. A key component of this initiative was implementing a comprehensive program focused on strength-building exercises specifically designed to enhance our employees' physical fitness and overall well-being.

• Menopause Awareness Sessions: We recognized the importance of addressing menopause in the workplace and held sessions accessible both in-person at our Dublin and Cork sites, as well as virtually, to ensure participation across our workforce. The discussions provided valuable insights regarding menopause in the workplace, encouraging open conversations about a topic that directly or indirectly affects all our employees.

• Chair Yoga: Recognizing the nature of our work environment and the importance of employee well-being, we introduced chair yoga sessions as a readily accessible resource. These sessions offered an opportunity for employees to step away from their desks and engage in gentle, restorative movement. This provided a much-needed break during the workday, allowing participants to mentally and physically de-stress and unwind.
• Coffee Walks: One of our standout initiatives was the introduction of Coffee Walks across all our sites. These informal gatherings provided a relaxed and accessible platform for employees to connect with colleagues from different teams. Participants enjoyed a leisurely walk to a local coffee shop, using the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with individuals with whom they might not interact on a day-to-day basis. Adding an engaging element to this initiative, our Dublin Eastpoint group incorporated a fun scavenger hunt, making the experience memorable and team-building oriented.

• Workplace Well-Being Day 2024: For this day, we highlighted the comprehensive offerings available through our private health insurance provider, Laya Healthcare. Employees were encouraged to dedicate time during the day to engage with these resources, which included options like sunrise yoga sessions, informative seminars, and insightful podcasts.
• Running Club in Cork: Our running club brought together employees for training sessions, which not only promoted physical fitness but also created a sense of community as participants celebrated each other's achievements and progress together. A special thanks goes to Andrea Aza Villamor, principal solutions engineer, and seasoned runner, who developed a tailored running plan for participants, providing invaluable guidance and support to runners of all levels.

Fun Fridays

The achievements of the Fun Fridays team in 2024 have been commendable, with a series of events that highlighted the incredible range of talents within the Cadence community. The team organized interactive sessions that not only encouraged participants to connect and socialize but also fostered a deeper understanding of each other's interests and passions.

• We kicked off the 2024 Fun Friday events with an online quiz called "Name that Dame." The quiz contained images of famous women with their faces obscured, and the participants had to guess their names. It was a fun event in which many employees participated.

• In the second quarter, we had the privilege of experiencing a transformative meditation session. The pre-recorded session included a beautifully crafted meditation infused with calming music, creating an atmosphere that fostered relaxation and mindfulness. The session provided a much-needed pause, allowing everyone to clear their minds and re-focus their attention on the present moment.
• Q3 saw a session on mobile photography, a modern approach to photography which is a result of significant advances in smartphone cameras. Abha Rawat, senior principal technical communications engineer, shared some great tips on how to frame a photo. She walked us through some of the features on your mobile phone to enable better image capture. This session was hosted live in the Cork office and also online.

• Our last fun Friday event of 2024 was held in November, just before Thanksgiving. Komal Johar, senior principal technical communications engineer, made us play with chocolate and bake some delicious chocolate delights. It was an interactive session where others could join in from their homes and bake along with Komal.

Giving Back to the Society

At the Cadence Women Conference, we talked a lot about doing something to help someone else. Inspired by this conversation, Women@Cadence Ireland sought a meaningful way to utilize its unallocated budget towards the end of 2024. Collaborating with the Dublin site, the team decided to support the Ronald McDonald House at Dublin's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. The charity provides accommodation and a caring, supportive environment for families whose children are undergoing medical treatment at CHI. Recognizing that families often arrive at the house in emergency situations, requiring immediate necessities, W@C collected essential items to restock the Ronald McDonald House's storeroom. The donations included crucial items for adults and children, such as toiletries, sanitary products, and individually wrapped snacks. The intention was to provide comfort and ease the burden on families facing challenging times while their children undergo medical treatment.

Conclusion

Reflecting on these activities, we learned the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable participating. Each event sparked conversations and connections.

As we move forward, we are committed to incorporating feedback from participants to shape future initiatives. We will continue to explore new initiatives that promote wellness, understanding, fun, and teamwork. Our goal is to ensure that our workplace provides a supportive and rewarding environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

Thanks to everyone who actively participated and contributed to the success of our initiatives. Let's continue this journey together, building a workplace where we can all connect, grow, and contribute our best selves.

Parul Agrawal, on behalf of W@C Ireland