Meet Molika Meas, the force behind iCare Group. iCare, guided by her, is committed to empowering low-income women factory workers in Cambodia. Molika, also the vice-chairwoman of the Garment & Manufacturing Committee at EuroCham Cambodia, shares her experiences and perspectives, offering valuable insights into her journey from the international sector to entrepreneurship, her leadership philosophy, and her strategies for promoting diversity and women’s empowerment.
Women’s Tabloid: What made you decide to start iCare after working with organizations like UNICEF and World Vision, and how have your past experiences shaped your leadership style?
Molika Meas: For me, it was a really important decision to step out from the international organization and UN sector to launch iCare. Deciding to start iCare was a leap of faith for me. Stepping out from the international sector required me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. My experiences shaped me as a leader, making me comfortable with vulnerability, open dialogue, and understanding the needs of my team members on a personal level. Not assuming what they need from me either. I try to observe, listen and support each individual in a tailored way
Women’s Tabloid: Can you share a significant moment in your career that influenced your approach as the Group CEO of iCare?
Molika Meas: No matter where a company is located or what it does, a leader must develop a guiding, over-arching philosophy about how we can best add value to the company. Furthermore, once you put your heart to make the best, then you can do it.
Women’s Tabloid: What special qualities do women bring to leadership, and how have they helped iCare succeed?
Molika Meas: It’s important to recognize that leadership qualities are not inherently gender-specific, and both men and women can possess a wide range of skills and attributes that contribute to effective leadership. Personally, I’ve found that qualities like empathy, collaboration, communication skills, adaptability, inclusivity, and strategic thinking contribute to effective leadership. These qualities have fostered a positive and supportive work environment at iCare, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving.
Women’s Tabloid: Balancing work and personal life can be hard. How do you manage your personal well-being while leading iCare?
Molika Meas: Setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks, delegating responsibilities, and setting realistic goals have helped me maintain a healthy work-life balance. While achieving perfection is challenging, making intentional choices and adjustments can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Women’s Tabloid: What strategies have you implemented to cultivate diversity and inclusivity within iCare Group’s workplace culture?
Molika Meas: Embracing multicultural diversity and inclusion is vital for fostering innovation and competitiveness within iCare or any business. By welcoming a diverse workforce, companies tap into a wealth of unique perspectives, experiences, and ideas.
This diversity fuels a dynamic and creative environment, where teams are better equipped to understand and serve diverse markets, giving companies a competitive edge in meeting the needs of a globalized world. At the same time, inclusive practices ensure that all voices are heard and valued, creating a safe space for individuals to express their ideas freely.
Women’s Tabloid: For young women aspiring to leadership roles, what advice would you offer based on your experiences in the business world?
Molika Meas: Confidence, continuous learning, building a strong network, developing leadership skills, embracing challenges, finding an authentic leadership style, advocating for oneself, and maintaining work-life balance are key for aspiring women leaders.
Women’s Tabloid: How can mentorship and networking help women achieve their career goals, especially in fields like social enterprise and finance?
Molika Meas: Mentorship and networking provide valuable knowledge, guidance, skill development, confidence building, networking opportunities, access to opportunities, navigation of challenges, promotion of diversity and inclusion, insider knowledge, work-life balance, leadership development, and long-term career planning.
Women’s Tabloid: Can you talk about a tough moment in your career and how you handled it?
Molika Meas: In my leadership role as CEO of iCare Group, challenges are part of the journey. Staying calm, assessing the situation, prioritizing tasks, effective communication, seeking support, adapting, learning from the experience, and staying resilient are essential in navigating tough moments.
Women’s Tabloid: What can companies do to help women advance in the workplace?
Molika Meas: Establishing equal opportunities, implementing flexible work policies, offering mentorship and sponsorship programs, providing training and development opportunities, creating a supportive network, promoting gender-inclusive leadership, addressing unconscious bias, ensuring a safe and inclusive environment, promoting work-life integration, regularly evaluating and adjusting strategies, transparent communication, and providing access to leadership opportunities are essential for supporting women’s advancement.
Women’s Tabloid: Given Cambodia’s unique socio-cultural landscape, how do you navigate cultural nuances and traditions while promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment within iCare Benefits Group and the broader community?
Molika Meas: Understanding cultural context, building local relationships, implementing education and awareness programs, conducting cultural sensitivity training, promoting inclusive policies, engaging the community, partnering with local NGOs, creating leadership development programs, offering flexible work arrangements, continuous evaluation and adaptation, and leading by example are key in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Cambodia. At iCare, the percentage of women employee is over 50%, which is a part of promoting gender-lens investing in Cambodia.