Join Ascend Midwest and CIBC for an engaging panel discussion: From Cultural Habits to Career Strategy. This panel explores how deeply ingrained cultural tendencies—such as hesitation around self-advocacy, over-reliance on hard work over visibility, and differing views on work-life balance—can unintentionally limit career progression and leadership presence.
Rather than focusing on cultural differences at a surface level, this session reframes these tendencies through a workplace lens—looking at how they impact performance, communication, retention, and advancement.
Key Themes
Navigating self-advocacy in environments that expect visibility
Balancing performance with executive presence and relationship-building
Redefining work ethic to support both impact and sustainability
Recognizing how cultural patterns influence team dynamics and retention
Panelists
Mona Asra - Associate Manager Director, Manager Global Inclusion, CIBC
David C. Souza - Managing Director, CIBC | Member, Ascend Midwest
Hollina Ung - Principal DE&I Consultant, Boston Scientific | Co-VP, Community Relations, Ascend Midwest
Moderator
Kwan Segal - Founder, ICAway | Co-VP, Student Affairs, Ascend Midwest
Time Zone: Central
Please read the Ascend Terms of Registration and Participation carefully.
