Tell us a bit about yourself, background, and your current role?

My name is Ronnie. My childhood saw me live near Washington because my father was a Bodyguard for the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a truly diverse group of people. I began my military career 22 years ago in the Parachute Regiment and served for 6 years in 2 PARA as a Machine Gunner. I have since worked in other areas of Defence across a broad range of specialist and niche roles. In my current role, I am the Artificial Intelligence Implementation Lead for the Futures Directorate responsible for the end-to-end delivery of a concept Artificial Intelligence system. I have a Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree, I am a Cyber Security Career Mentor, and I lecture at Buckingham and Cambridge Universities on contemporary technology application.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

I never planned my military career. Instead, I went after roles that interested me and where I could add value. My focus was always on operational and strategic outcomes for the unit or group I was in, as opposed to taking jobs or doing courses to tick a promotion box. When I joined the Army, I noticed that several senior soldiers were leaving the service with little idea as to what would come next. To avoid a similar fate, I have been planning and preparing for a career after service for almost 10 years. 

What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?

Undoubtedly, autism is the biggest factor in any success I have had. Autism is different for everyone and in my case, it presents many challenges for everyday life in the armed forces. I can shield most of these challenges when required but it is exhausting. I have always felt that shielding was necessary in a traditional military career where you must interact with others. However, the major upside is that autism allows me to see solutions to highly complex problems almost immediately. 

What does being a male ally mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

It is an honour to be a male ally. Most women whom I have worked with in Defence have proven to be a force multiplier. One of the key benefits of having women in your team is that they provide a different voice. I believe, based on my experience, that this different voice must be listened to if we are to best leverage our most important strategic asset – our people. I would prefer it if there was no requirement for male allies but unfortunately, we are not where we should be – yet. Personally, it is important for me to do anything that I can to help.

How do you actively support and advocate for gender equality in your personal and professional life?

In both my personal and professional life, I treat everyone the same. Regardless of who I am speaking to, I make sure that everyone feels like they can say what they think. Importantly, I make a conscious effort to listen to what people say as opposed to just hearing them. This is an important distinction for two reasons. Firstly, because listening requires you to actively pay attention and absorb and understand the other persons point of view. Secondly, when you listen to someone, there is a much greater chance they will leave that situation feeling valued and respected. 

Professionally, I am responsible for building the teams that I work with. This allows me to demonstrate the effectiveness of diverse teams and I advocate for this as much as possible. I urge anyone in Defence with the same luxury to look around your own team – if the people you see are reflections of yourself, then your team will not be as effective as it should be. Shinning a light on our amazing people is one small thing that anyone can do. My colleague, Libby, is a Specialist Reservist in the Army and she is the most determined, talented, and capable person I have had the privilege of working with. 

What are some common misconceptions about male allyship, and how do you address them?

I didn’t have any pre-conceived ideas about being a male ally or what it would entail, but nothing negative has happened as a result. My personal conduct reflects who I am and what I believe so I try not to concern myself with the misconceptions of others. Misconceptions, biases, and unacceptable behaviour have reduced over the course of my career – but there is still work to be done. 

Have you encountered any challenges or resistance while advocating for gender equality as a male ally, and if so, how did you handle them?

I have not faced any resistance whilst advocating for the importance of women within teams I have worked in. That said, I advocate for female inclusion in such a way as to make challenge unacceptable. In the last 3 years, I have not worked in a team that does not have a female voice and I would not do so in the future. This of course will not be possible across all teams because we do not have enough women in Defence. 

Do you think the armed forces are where they need to be in terms of gender equity? 

Focussing on what I believe we should be pursuing, equality of opportunity, I have witnessed much progress over the course of my career. However, until all women in Defence have a lived experience that is equitable to that of their male colleagues, we still have work to do. 

How does the armed forces address gender diversity and inclusion within its ranks?

We need to highlight the magnificent work currently done by women in Defence and we need to supercharge female recruitment. We can only retain and recruit more women if the working environment is truly inclusive. Policy and legislation are not enough if we do not hold ourselves, and each other, to account. A good next step would be to all of us to understand the importance of team diversity. Diverse teams will always outperform non-diverse teams, particularly in a technical environment. We will only address gender diversity and inclusion successfully when all our people have a lived experience of equal opportunity.

How does the armed forces support servicemembers who may be balancing military duties with family responsibilities, particularly considering gendered expectations and roles?

Everyone in the armed forces has a personal life that requires varying levels of attention at various times. The best people I have had the privilege to work for during my career have all understood this and have been flexible and sympathetic to their colleagues. I am only following the lead of those who I was fortunate enough to learn from and I would not consider any family responsibility or gendered expectation to fall outside of this approach. 

What advice would you give to other men who are interested in becoming allies but may not know where to start?

Continue to lead by example. Defence has values and standards which are comparable with any large organisation, but that does not mean that we all live it. If enough men behave in the right way, empower women, and truly listen to their voice, then everyone will reap the benefits.