ASTM International’s Heidi Turley discusses her career path and the changing attitudes she sees toward women in the field of finance — and the world of standards development organizations.

By Jaime Martorana

Mar 02, 2021

For organizations in 2021, diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives are important to keep up with industry trends and workplace needs. But for Heidi Turley, ASTM International’s vice president of finance and administration, it has never been about checking boxes. Rather, she has spent the better part of her career advocating for women in finance. 

When Turley started her career at public accounting firm Deloitte, female representation at the partner level was less than 10%. It was then that Turley was inspired to become active in Deloitte’s efforts to retain and elevate female talent in the firm. 

She continued her campaign for women in the workplace with the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants as chair of their women and accounting committee, before joining the organization as their chief financial officer and director of operations. “I wanted to get involved with women from other firms and continue to drive that initiative at the state level and across all organizations, not just my own,” she says.

Recently, Turley sat down to discuss her experiences with D&I and her hopes for the future of women in the workplace.

Q. D&I has become a major movement in the business world and in society. What does it mean to you for an organization to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive?

A. There was an article in the Journal of Accountancy that said, “Leaders who might be reluctant should understand the business value of a diverse company. The evidence is there. Deloitte found that organizations with inclusive cultures are three times more likely to be high-performing.” So there’s a compelling business reason to promote diversity. 

But for me personally, it comes down to authenticity. I want every individual to be able to work with their peers and be their authentic self. To be accepted for who they are and what they bring to the table. To express themselves and not be judged differently because of their ethnicity or gender. That’s the best possible work environment, when you can show up every day and truly be who you are.

Q. Have you seen the impact of D&I in your own experiences in the finance industry?

A. I have seen movement in terms of the male-female diversity ratio. Firms in the financial area really have paid attention to female leadership and involving women in more senior roles. That’s starting to pave the way now for these other lines of diversity. Firms need to be sure that they have the right culture in place to allow people of different backgrounds and ethnicities to be successful as well. While progress has been made, there is still work to be done.

Q. How do you feel a company benefits from embracing and promoting diversity in their staff?

A. There’s documentation on how companies can be successful when they have different voices represented at the table. But for me, I look at it more simply. I want people to embrace where they work and be passionate. Have you ever met a sales associate who really loves the product they are selling? You can feel their energy. I want that for all of the ASTM staff. 

I want them to be tied to our mission, understand what we’re doing, and to have that passion. Again, you have to feel free to exhibit your authentic self. For me, if we can create that “it” factor by people being authentic and true to ourselves and passionate about the mission, the organization will be that much more successful. That’s because people who truly believe in the work their company does are going to make the company successful.

Q. Katharine (Kathie) Morgan became the first woman to lead ASTM International’s staff in its 120+ years when she was named president in 2017. How does it feel to see other women represented in leadership positions and does that differ from your experiences at other organizations?

A. I think Kathie’s promotion is aligned with the times. The work that has been done to allow women the opportunity to become the top leaders in an organization is really starting to come to fruition. 

Women have opportunities where previously they might not have. The same can be said for Kathie’s position. Regardless of her gender, Kathie is an exceptional leader. She leads with a level of authenticity that I think is unparalleled in any other leader I’ve worked with. She cares deeply about all of the the staff at ASTM. She cares deeply about the success of the organization, volunteer members, and customers. And that just feeds into the culture. It’s fantastic that the board recognized Kathie for all her positive leadership qualities.

And I’m delighted to be working with Kathie as co-chair of the new Diversity and Inclusion Council to continue to expand representation here at ASTM. But to accomplish this, we’ll need the help of everyone in the organization through active participation in D&I initiatives. I’m confident that together we’ll make great strides on our journey and promote an inclusive environment
for everyone.

Q. The U.N. Economic Commission for Europe’s Gender Responsive Standards initiative suggests, “Prevailing gender norms present barriers to women’s participation in the development of standards.” What advice would you give to women working in the field of standards?

A. I would say just do it! If you want to get involved, get a little bit of fire in that belly. Accept people for who they are or work around their norms and nuances but continue to drive your own path. You can make it happen. Just have confidence in yourself.

And know that here at ASTM International there is a seat for everyone, and your voice will be heard. So come show up. We’ll help you create that environment where you’re comfortable, we’ll be working with our volunteers to further ensure that they understand that every voice matters. It’s a great, inclusive environment. ■