Hostin and Husain discuss having ambition for yourself, for others, and for the future.
Photo: Safeena Husain (left) and Sunny Hostin (right)
To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, American Express hosted virtual conversations throughout the week with Sunny Hostin, author, three-time Emmy® award-winning journalist, and co-host of “The View”, and Safeena Husain, founder and executive director of Educate Girls, a non-profit organization that aims to bridge the gender gap in education in India. Both women shared their perspectives on the importance of ambition and allyship, driving change in their communities and the barriers women leaders face.
Since American Express first set out to drive an ambitious culture through the introduction of The Ambition Project in 2020, the company has made great progress in creating an environment where women’s ambition is embraced and they feel supported to reach their full potential. In fact, according to a company survey, 70% of global women colleagues surveyed in 2022 have reported that they consider themselves to be ambitious, an increase from only a third in 2018.
As part of the two-part Ambitious Conversation event series, Hostin spoke to Courtney Kelso, EVP and General Manager, Global Card and Consulting on her experience navigating the intersectional nature of her identities, sharing that, “As a woman and a woman of color, it has been an ongoing challenge to fight to get into spaces where I’m perceived as being underqualified and underestimated. It’s something that has been front and center for so very long and it has been important advocating for myself, knowing my value, and taking action – not just standing up for myself but for other women.” For the next generation, Hostin reflected on her personal journey and shared advice, saying, “When looking back on my journey, I’ve learned to be less fearful. When you’re driven by fear, you miss out on a lot. Today, my perspective is that there are more lessons in failure than there are in success. When you feel something is against you, keep going and give grace when mistakes are made.”
Safeena Husain took the virtual stage with Ruchika Panesar, VP and Head of Technology, Asia Pacific and shared that one of the things that drives her is having ambition for others, with a mission to ensure every girl is empowered by helping to bring education to girls where it is not accessible. “Gender equality is key to our future, and we need to be ambitious for this – from a cultural perspective, it’s a fight for a shift in mindset.” As part of this fight for advancing ambition, Husain shared a personal anecdote on the importance of mentorship in aiding women’s success. “Growing up in difficult circumstances in Delhi, my mentor has helped me to drive this vision by actively listening, building my confidence, and reminding me that ‘of course I can’ – all of this is exactly what a good mentor is. I’ve experienced the power of having a network and I’ve also learned the importance of being ambitious for everyone watching us – demonstrating what strong women look like and encouraging women to follow their passion when they find what that is and finding the meaning in what you know you don’t want to do.”
This year’s International Women’s Day celebrations demonstrated that ambition comes in many forms and is a key driver for professional and personal growth and accomplishment. American Express remains steadfast in its commitment to back the ambitions of women everywhere.
