With a workforce of almost 50,000 employees, leading apparel manufacturer Gildan is no stranger to the immense talent that it hosts – from employees on the factory floor, to leadership.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we interviewed one such leader – Andrea Pirie Woodbridge, Chief Financial Officer of Manufacturing, located in Honduras. In her role, Andrea leads the finance function for the manufacturing group at Gildan, driving business performance while balancing costs and output in Gildan’s various facilities around the world. With a dynamic career spanning over 25 years and 5 countries, Andrea’s contributions to Gildan have been influential, both for the business and for its people.

What led you to pursue a career in finance?

I would describe my pursuit of finance as a combination of hard work and serendipity. I graduated from university with a Bachelor’s degree in business, and then acquired a Master’s of Business Administration. As a young professional with a business background, I landed my first ever internship in finance, and from then, there was no looking back.

I went on to work with a large manufacturing company, where I had the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from people from all around the world and support various business functions including marketing, innovation, IT, and manufacturing. As I experienced and learned more, the scope of my role grew, and eventually, I was ready to take on higher level leadership roles.

Can you talk about some of the opportunities and challenges you’ve encountered working in the fields of finance and manufacturing?

Even from very early on in my career, I realized that finance, especially in positions above the managerial level, was a field dominated by men. In my experience, most women would either slow down or completely drop out of the workforce after a certain point due to conflicting priorities and lack of proper accommodations of these priorities. Moreover, in manufacturing and finance specifically, there are often limited opportunities for flexible work, adding even more barriers to women’s development.

To circumvent these barriers, I sought out opportunities to reach the potential I knew I had. I fondly remember when, as a junior employee reporting to a leader, I offered to take responsibility of a task intended for someone at a much higher level. This simple act of asking for an opportunity and then delivering helped accelerate my career. To this day, I continue to employ this strategy of taking ownership and encourage my team to do the same.

Can you tell us more about your experience leading the finance function in Honduras?

In my five years leading finance for the manufacturing group at Gildan, I have constantly been impressed by the sheer amount of talent that our Company attracts, and with my role as a leader, I strive to strengthen the pathways that can allow this diversity of talent to collaborate and thrive.

I create an atmosphere in my teams where employees can bring their true selves to work, where diversity can interact to bring the best out of each individual. In fact, one of the most rewarding parts of being a leader is seeing my teams come up with creative solutions to overcome challenges, something which I believe is possible largely due to our diverse talent.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you, and why do you think it is important to celebrate?

In addition to celebrating the contributions of women across different industries and areas, Women’s History Month is a chance to bring to the forefront gender parity and equity issues that still exist in today’s society and workplace. One size does not fit all, and this celebration allows us to participate in the larger conversation, as well as take collective action to accommodate talent and diversity of all types. After all, diversity encourages innovation and makes groups stronger.

In your opinion, how can we create a workplace that’s more inclusive towards women?

In my experience, inclusivity begins with good leadership, and in this regard, Gildan is impressively ahead of the curve. We have strong female employees at all levels, and it is our role as leaders to nurture this talent by levelling the playing field.

For instance, one of my most effectivities strategies is encouraging candidates, right from the interview stage, to be outspoken and take credit for their work, shedding expectations that society often has from women, and instead creating an environment where they may be their true selves. Small steps such as these can make large differences in fostering inclusive and transparent environments, where employees really thrive on their merit. 

To meet more of Gildan's employees, visit the Careers page.