Leaders of Women's ERG SPOTLIGHT

Wanda Reeves Belem (Sedgwick)

About Wanda Reeves Belem

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrbelem/

From pharmacy technician to senior data analyst to thriving entrepreneur, Wanda Reeves Belem's 26-year career is a masterclass in adaptability and a testament to her unwavering commitment to growth. Beyond her expertise in data analytics, Wanda is a passionate advocate for women's empowerment and a champion of inclusive workplaces.

Her journey began by cultivating business acumen in Mississippi's healthcare sector and quickly expanded to prominent companies like Walgreens, RNA Health Information Systems, Discover, and Sedgwick. This "unconventional" path has forged a unique and valuable skillset, blending technical expertise with exceptional communication and analytical abilities. Each industry pivot has only sharpened her resilience, deepened her personal growth, and broadened her perspective across
diverse sectors.

For 15 years, Wanda has been a transformative leader at Sedgwick. As a Global Chair for the Women's Colleague Resource Group, she spearheads inclusive culture efforts, guiding over 2500 women with insightful thought leadership and a genuine drive for positive change.

Beyond the corporate sphere, Wanda's creative spirit comes alive through Bella Craft Designs, her company launched in 2021. This venture is a heartfelt dedication to uplifting and inspiring women, especially women of color, by promoting positive self- image and celebrating inherent beauty and worth through beautifully crafted products.

While she effortlessly balances roles as a daughter, sister, aunt, entrepreneur, and spiritual leader, Wanda's greatest joys are as a devoted wife to Jose for 16 years and a proud mother to Joey and Breanna. When not making a difference in the world, she finds serenity by the beach, excitement in travel, and fulfillment in cherished moments with loved ones.

Wanda Reeves Belem's story is a powerful narrative of resilience, compassion, and an unyielding dedication to improving the world. Her diverse experiences and steadfast commitment make her an inspiring voice for positive change, encouraging others to embrace their individuality and use their talents to impact the world.

Transcript

 Introduction to Wanda Reeves Belem 

[00:00:00] 

Ivna Curi: Hello and welcome to the Woman ERGs Leadership Spotlight series with Wanda Reeves. Beum. Wanda plays such an important role in creating an inclusive culture at Sedgwick, where she's the global chair for the Woman's Colleague Resource Group, and leads and guides more than 2,500 women worldwide.

With her transformative leadership style. She's clearly passionate and an advocate for women's empowerment. And I've been seeing what she's been doing and it's incredible. Wanda is also very adaptable, and over the last 26 years, she's worked as a pharmacy technician as a senior data analyst and a successful entrepreneur.

So many hats. Welcome, Wanda. Thank you Ia. It's a pleasure to be here. Yeah, I'm excited. 'cause I've seen, I've heard that you've done such exciting things with [00:01:00] your woman's group and I look forward to hearing what you have to say today. 

Wanda's Leadership Journey With The Women's CRG

Ivna Curi: What's your role and connection to your women's ERG?

Wanda Reeves Belem: As you mentioned, I'm one of two global chairs of the Women's Colleague Resource Group at Sedwick. In that role, I help shape our strategic direction. I lead the programming. Probably the most important thing is I help create meaningful opportunities for the women at Sedgwick to connect, grow, and lead with confidence.

Ivna Curi: What inspired you to get involved and take on this leadership role? 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Like many women, I've had to navigate different challenges throughout my career, and I'm sure we've all had those experiences where things like fear dim are like, and oftentimes we feel like there's no clear support system.

For me, I joined the CRG during a particularly challenging time in my professional journey. [00:02:00] And the support I received through the CRGs helped me to move past my fears, and it helped me find my voice again, something that I had lost along the way. And that experience really reaffirmed my belief in the power of community.

And that helped me to step into a leadership role because I saw it as an opportunity to not just help other women to do the same, but to really help anyone regardless of their identity or background to feel seen, heard, and empowered. 

Ivna Curi: Feel seen, heard, and empowered. Absolutely the world would be much a better place if everybody felt seen, heard and empowered.

Much better and empowered to find and use their voice just like you were able to find and use your voice despite fear and challenges when it comes to speaking our truth to the world and in the workplace. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: It's so liberating too when you're able to [00:03:00] get to that point and that you're on the other side and just having that freedom to be liberated in a sense is that feeling, I just want people to experience that over and over again.

Ivna Curi: What do you mean? My freedom in liberated? Because that's exactly how I feel when it comes to. Finding my voice and being able to express myself. And I know that's part of your mission for the woman at Sedgwick and the community that you've helped create and form and part of your mission.

But what does that freedom actually look like for you? 

Finding Freedom Beyond Challenges

Wanda Reeves Belem: For me, when I was experiencing challenging times, a lot of that was rooted in fear. Fear of the unknown fear of accomplishing what I set out to accomplish, fear of doing something different. When I felt like maybe I needed a change it was easier for me to stick with what I know versus trying something new and maybe being out of my depth for a while.

But [00:04:00] it was stifling it stifled my creativity, it stifled my joy. And it just didn't make work a pleasant place to be. So once I found my voice again and realized that I would have to step out of my comfort zone, I would have to push past. The fear in order to do something different. It opened so many doors for me that it's unbelievable.

And I would say looking back at that time versus now, my life looks completely different. And not only did it affect my work life, it spilled over into my personal life as well. So it, it made a difference in my life overall. 

Ivna Curi: Wow. That's powerful. When you were able to overcome the fear, and sometimes it's not even overcoming fear of the unknown and the different simply being able to move past it.

Then that freedom happened for you at work, but also at home and in other [00:05:00] circles. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Absolutely. And you're absolutely right. It's not necessarily about overcoming the fear. I think it's Lisa Nichols who says, when you have that fear and you want to do something, hold that fear in one hand and that something else in the other and leap anyway.

It's all about reframing what you're saying to yourself because a lot of times that fear comes from internal. Dialogue that you're having with yourself, what will people think what'll happen if I fail? Those types of things. So once you're able to reframe those things and change your mindset again, no better way to describe it than being liberating.

Ivna Curi: It is liberating. 

Empowering Women Holistically

Ivna Curi: And how does the woman at Sedgwick, help women? Being able to feel the fear and move past it anyways, and do it anyways and find their own freedom and be liberated to express their ideas. And that creativity that you were talking [00:06:00] about. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: I think a lot of it comes from the type of programming that we provide to support our members.

We really take a holistic approach professionally. We offer workshops, speaker series, mentorship, opportunities that help members grow their skills and confidence. But on the personal side, we also provide safe spaces for dialogue where it's important, like self-care, balancing caregiving and career expectations.

Things like overcoming imposter syndrome. We are very committed to nurturing the individual as a whole and not just solely their career. 

Ivna Curi: The imposter syndrome does affect our ability to perform at work and the mindset and the wellbeing do as well.

So they're all interrelated. What are you most proud of achieving through your leadership

Achievements and Vision for the Future

Wanda Reeves Belem: Our CRG is still in its infancy stages. There are so many things that we've accomplished that [00:07:00] we are proud of.

Our ability to build an inclusive culture that spans across the organization. So whether you live in the us. Singapore Australia, our programming speaks to you. We've welcomed allies as well. We have many men who participate in our activities.

We've equipped them to listen. We've equipped them to learn and to lead alongside us. The thing I'm probably most proud of is the engagement that we've activated in such a relatively short amount of time. Our initiatives are currently reaching, as you mentioned, 2,500 women across the globe.

Our programming goes beyond professional development. We. Address the multifaceted needs of women from building executive presence to navigating menopause in the workplace. Beyond the [00:08:00] skills and development, we have cultivated an environment where we can have honest, authentic, and often overlooked conversation about topics that matter most to women.

Ivna Curi: That's so important. And usually there aren't that many places to have those conversations.

Wanda Reeves Belem: We often think that when we're going through things that we're the only ones going through it.

Ivna Curi: Yes. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: So when we talk about things such as menopause in the workplace, you may think that you're the only one who's having the hot flashes, who needs to go outside for breath of fresh air, when in fact there are probably two or three other people in the same building with you who are experiencing the same things.

But if we don't talk about those things, we don't find, support. We don't find answers, so a lot of times in speaking with other people, we find out new information or things that we haven't considered before. So getting those diverse perspectives also helps us to grow. 

Ivna Curi: It does. It [00:09:00] absolutely does.

And you mentioned that the woman CRG is at its infancy still in your mind, that means that you have a vision. And I'd love to hear what your vision is. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Our vision is to continue to impact. All of our women across the globe. As I said before, Sedgwick has a global footprint and our membership reflects that.

We have people from Canada, from the uk, Singapore, Brazil, different places. So cultivating cross border connection and inclusivity is paramount. We're committed to building pathways for women to step into leadership roles, and that means within the CRG itself and throughout the organization.

So just to be able to have our programs resonate seamlessly across diverse cultures and time zones is probably our biggest goal.

Engaging a Large Global Community

Ivna Curi: And what are some of the [00:10:00] challenges or gaps that you have seen when it comes to supporting your members or some of the opportunities? 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Our most significant challenge is sustaining consistent engagement across our global membership. The diversity of our membership means that we have to navigate varying regional needs, cultural nuances, and vastly different.

Time zones. So sometimes it is challenging to create consistent, congruent, and conveniently accessible programming for everyone. So our focus is to ensure that our initiatives resonate universally and still accommodating the practicalities of our worldwide audience. 

Ivna Curi: It's a huge challenge 'cause the needs are different and like you said, there's the convenience factor and it's a very large group to be able [00:11:00] to cater to their needs and bring all these opportunities and make them available across the globe.

You've been doing so much already, and I understand it takes a lot to build community. Especially of the size and nature and scope of yours.

Wanda Reeves Belem: Yes, I think we've done a good job of it so far. 

Ivna Curi: Yes. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: But we still have a ways to go. We wanna forge a path so that leaders who come after us can push it even further and keep those connections in place as well. 

Ivna Curi: Yeah.

Different Programs for Different People & Gamification

Ivna Curi: And what are some of the types of programs or events that have had the most impact and engagement in your CR? 

Wanda Reeves Belem: One of the beauties of our programs is that there's different things for different people because of the diversity of our membership, what impacts one person may impact someone totally different.

[00:12:00] But whether you're. Interested in our book club or the engaging panels or our lunch and learns, there's an opportunity for every person to find something that resonates with them.

Ivna Curi: Often I see ERG leaders looking for almost like a one size fits all. And what you're saying is you have different offers for different people with different needs and different interests, and I think that's a great way to do it. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Yes. And we're constantly looking for new things to offer our members that they will find a value so that we keep it fresh, that we keep it new, that it doesn't get stale for them as well.

Ivna Curi: And what are some of the initiatives that you feel like are most creative or interesting that your members have really enjoyed? For example, the bingo. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: That is one of our newest initiatives that we brought gamification, 

Ivna Curi: yes.

Wanda Reeves Belem: To [00:13:00] our professional development. Our leadership team developed a bingo game where you had developmental activities some social activities as well to get people connected. And it went over like gangbusters. They were really into it in terms of making sure that they completed their bingo card.

We had a big town hall meeting for our first round and we selected our winners. But it was. Overwhelmingly successful in terms of the engagement, the people who participated, the number of people who completed their cards. And we got a lot of great feedback also in terms of how the game spurred people to meet some of the professional goals that they had in line for the year.

And this helped them to accomplish some of those things. 

Ivna Curi: It's gamification with challenge, and a competition element to it. [00:14:00] Which gets people excited and it also contributes to the community and connecting people. So it has a lot of benefits.

I thought that was a really great idea. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Yeah. And we made sure that we could. Created activities that encouraged you to connect with other people. Say for instance, we might have had a bingo square that said, have a virtual lunch with someone that you don't normally work with.

So it. Ask people to network, make those connections, put yourself out there, build those networking skills, and maybe you'll come out with a friend or connection to that as well. 

Ivna Curi: And it was very satisfying to check those boxes.

Wanda Reeves Belem: Yes. And they were excited. We offered several different cards.

We had people that tried to complete all of the cards, so it, they got very competitive. 

Ivna Curi: Wow. That sounds like fun, educational, and very productive. 

Wanda Reeves Belem: It was. 

Advice for ERG Leaders: Seek Collaboration Internally & Externally and Experiment New Ideas

Ivna Curi: [00:15:00] And what's one advice that you'd give to other ERG leaders out there,

Wanda Reeves Belem: oh, there's so many pieces.

One piece of advice I would offer is to actively seek collaboration, both internally within your organization and externally with your networks. As they say, two heads are better than one. Collaborating with internal CRG leaders can reveal synergistic opportunities. It can reveal best practices.

The answer that you may be seeking for challenges within your CRG may lie in another group. Someone else has already tackled it and come up with an answer for that challenge. Collaborating with external CRG leaders can offer different perspectives innovative strategies. I think it also brings a broader understanding of how others are approaching [00:16:00] similar challenges.

Another piece of advice I'd like to offer is don't be afraid to experiment with new ideas. Bingo cards was not on my radar. One of our other leadership members. Came up with the idea and it was a fantastic idea. Your CRG has to have the willingness to innovate and adapt in order to continuously improve and remain relevant.

The landscape of colleague resource groups is changing daily. We need to encourage our teams to shoot for the moon when it comes to their ideas. And even if. It doesn't hit because everything is not going to be a home run. If you miss the moon, at least you'll be among the stars. And I'd say that's not too bad either.

Engaging Leads In The Community

Ivna Curi: You mentioned that this idea came from one of the other leads in the group. How have you [00:17:00] best leveraged and. Engaged the other leads in the group. 'cause I have heard from other ERG leaders that sometimes it's hard for them to find volunteers. To help out in some of the verticals and to get people committed and engaged in the leadership activities as well.

Wanda Reeves Belem: What we have tried to do with our leadership team is to give them the reins. This is an opportunity for them to be able to expand their leadership experience. So what we do as a chairperson, what I try to do is just give them the vision. And this is what we want to accomplish. And then let them come up with the ideas of how do we get there?

And I just try to guide them as [00:18:00] we work through whatever plans that they come up with to meet that particular goal. And we just try to let them have the reins without interfering too much, hopefully. I hope they feel that way. This is an opportunity for them to grow as well.

And that's how we present these roles when we ask people to volunteer or really apply for these roles. In my company, women want those leadership opportunities, so they're looking for ways to broaden their horizons, and this is a good way to do that. 

Ivna Curi: And that may also be part of the community and the energy that is present where people feel empowered and safe to apply and try out new things within that leadership role.

Wanda Reeves Belem: And it's a good way. Even if you trip and fall, you're not gonna hurt anything necessarily. It's a [00:19:00] good way to test your skills, to build your skill. If you're a little weak in one area, this is a good way to work on those areas as well. 

Ivna Curi: Absolutely. 

Honing Voice And Heart

Ivna Curi: And what does self-advocacy or speaking up mean to you personally?

You mentioned in the beginning how it's liberated you and brought you some freedom to find your voice. What else does it mean to you? 

Wanda Reeves Belem: Really become a driving force in my life. Self-advocacy. Transcends merely honing your voice. It's about honoring your heart as well. You can be unequivocally clear, intentional, and unapologetic about your inherent values and the principles that matter to you.

And perhaps for me, the most important thing is consciously creating space for others to be able to do the same [00:20:00] thing. 

Ivna Curi: When you say honoring your heart, that is so true because our voice is our tool is our interface often between who we are and everything we experience inside, and our principles and our values and our purpose and the world around us, and the people around us.

So I love that you said that in how it's created that connection with the world. Coming from your heart, that's beautiful in your 

Wanda Reeves Belem: heart. In your heart, you bring those things to work with you every day. Yes. If you're going through something, you're bringing that to work. As much as you'd like to think that you aren't, it does affect you.

If you. Are in a workplace where it doesn't align with your values, that's gonna be an issue for you. So advocating for yourself positions you to be in a place, like I said, that's in line with your heart and where your values and your principles [00:21:00] are.

Ivna Curi: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Wanda? 

Final Thoughts and How to Connect

Wanda Reeves Belem: I would just like to encourage anyone who has a colleague resource group available to them to participate not only as a member, but support your leaders. It's not an easy job to do and for most places it's voluntary. So people are putting in effort and work for you to make the workplace more inclusive.

Better in general and I just say support them. Encourage them and participate. 

Ivna Curi: Yes. Those communities are there. For them. Absolutely. So it's the best way for it is to leverage those opportunities and engage and like you said, experiment their own leadership and grow through it as much as possible.

Where can people learn more about you, Wanda? 

Wanda Reeves Belem: You can find me on LinkedIn under [00:22:00] Wanda Bellum. I'm always happy to connect with others who are passionate about community equity leadership and just lifting other people up. 

Ivna Curi: Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing a little bit more about your leadership and your lovely CRG community.

Wanda Reeves Belem: Thank you for inviting me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And like I said, if you wanna learn more, if you wanna connect with me just reach out to me on LinkedIn.