Opening the Executive Door: Data, Dialogue, and Action from the Ascend Executive Roundtable

January 2, 20260Articles

Opening the Executive Door: Data, Dialogue, and Action from the Ascend Executive Roundtable

Senior leaders from across Canadian industries gathered for the Ascend Canada Executive Roundtable. The purpose was to hear and absorb data about Pan-Asian leaders and come out with clear actions to address the underrepresentation of Pan-Asians at the executive level – actions intended to carry well beyond the room. The conversation blended lived experience with fresh data and ended with specific commitments designed to move from representation to strengthening the pool of Pan-Asian executive talent in Canadian companies.

Why this group was convened

Everyone in the room had experienced meaningful success in their careers, often while navigating headwinds that are still present for many Pan-Asian professionals. The mandate for the session was to turn that experience into concrete measures that expand access, sponsorship, and opportunity across organizations. Throughout the day, participants emphasized accountability: doing the work now and reporting back to the broader community with results.

“I know personally how difficult it is to get to senior levels,” noted Wes Hom, Ascend National Executive Advisor and former vice president and managing director at IBM. It’s up to the people in this room to help make the road easier for the next generation of Pan-Asian leaders.”

The data, in plain sight: understanding parity

The discussion was grounded in a three-year analysis of representation and parity trends compiled by Hom and Amy Shang, Ascend National Executive Advisor and former executive vice president at HSBC.

Due to limited public data on senior-level career progression in Canada, the team synthesized insights from four AI engines and benchmarked findings against more comprehensive U.S. data.

A central measure used in the session was the Executive Parity Index (EPI) – this is the ratio of a group’s representation at the executive level versus its representation at the professional level:

EPI = 1.0 indicates parity
EPI < 1.0 indicates underrepresentation
EPI > 1.0 indicates strong representation

Findings presented to the group included:

The EPI across sectors for Pan-Asian often ranges from 0.3 to 0.6, demonstrating a significant decrease in representation from professional to executive levels.
Public commitments by organizations do not necessarily equate to stronger executive representation.
Companies led by Asian American CEOs did not show higher levels of executive representation.
Representation at the professional level is not the challenge; the drop-off occurs on the climb to the executive ranks.

Leaders affirmed that these findings mirrored their own organizational professional experiences. The call to action was clear: companies should examine their own metrics and understand their respective causes and effects.

What we heard from leaders in the room

As the discussion unfolded, themes emerged that spoke to both personal experience and structural barriers. Participants were candid about what they see working, and where the system still falls short.

1) Early Identification and Career Acceleration

Across industries, particularly in the tech industry, most companies have strong early-career representation. Where outcomes break down is in the lack of early investments, such as coaching, confidence building, and sponsorship. Talent is often managed through siloed pipelines (for example, by business line or functional line), which may limit cross-functional experiences that often serve as stepping stones to more senior roles.

So, what can be done? The group aligned around a clear recommendation: identify high-potential employees earlier and create opportunities for exposure and rotation before they reach the executive level. “If we work with them sooner and earlier, we can start nurturing them – start building the scaffolding for them to become executives,” noted one participant.

“A lot of [professionals] are very strong, very hardworking and effective, and thoroughly capable of moving up. But they don’t get the right level of coaching and visibility. They often lack confidence, and investment isn’t made by leadership – or at least it’s not made early enough.”

“When we hear, you don’t have executive presence, or you don’t have gravitas… that is often code for you are not seen as a leader.”

2) Leadership Labels and Unclear Criteria

Language matters – and vague leadership labels can have a lasting impact on an individual’s career progression. Participants spoke about how feedback such as “lacks gravitas” or “insufficient executive presence” is vague and subjective, and a proxy that reflects bias. The recommendation was to replace broad labels with clear, observable criteria, to train leaders to actively engage quieter voices in meetings and reviews, and to value different leadership styles without defaulting to a single template.

While individual development is crucial – voice projection and stakeholder management are learnable skills – the consensus was that the onus is shared. Companies need to do more to support and properly equip individuals to thrive.

3) Culture, Caregiving, and Confidence

Cultural expectations – particularly around education, humility, and family duty – often shape career choices and timelines. Caregiving responsibilities, which tend to fall disproportionately on women, can further affect the trajectory. Participants stressed the need to model flexibility and ensure that performance evaluations do not inadvertently penalize employees managing significant personal responsibilities.

“In more American and Canadian cultures, or those that are individualistic, people don’t have the same obligations regarding family and tradition. This is particularly true for women in our community. I mentor a lot of women who are pan-Asian, and the question I get asked is, ‘How have you gotten this far?’ I tell them that I sacrificed a lot of my own personal life and time to make it happen. It is up to companies to be more accepting and give more leeway and lead by example.”

“I have an English accent, but I’ve watched my South Asian, Pan Asian peers and colleagues not being taken seriously because they have an accent.”

4) Communication and Accent Bias

Accent bias surfaced as a subtle but pervasive barrier. Participants described how colleagues with strong accents can be perceived as having less “presence,” regardless of their capability or contribution.

Some challenged leaders to pay closer attention: What shifts in body language occur when someone with a different accent speaks? Who gets interrupted? Who gets the benefit of the doubt?

5) Broadening Opportunities Beyond the Firm

The data revealed that Canada trails the U.S. in placing Pan Asian executives on public company boards. Participants called for a coordinated, Canada-wide effort to identify board-ready leaders and engage search firms. University students were also identified as a critical early leverage point, where exposure to leadership skills and networks can accelerate trajectories.

“The U.S. has done a tremendous job in identifying potential executives as they retire and getting them on boards. We haven’t done that in Canada.”

From Talk to Action: Two Streams of Work

The conversation converged into two areas of focus: Pipeline & Early Intervention and Storytelling & Visibility.

Stream A: Pipeline & Early Intervention

This stream focuses on identifying high-potential talent earlier, providing meaningful cross-functional exposure, and establishing more deliberate sponsorship. Priorities include early identification of emerging leaders, structured rotations and mechanisms to share senior-level opportunities across industries.

Stream B: Storytelling & Visibility

This stream aims to make the contributions of Pan-Asian leaders more visible – both inside and outside organizations. Priorities include developing tools to articulate enterprise value, simplifying how leaders can elevate emerging talent, building an executive speaker bank, and preparing board-ready candidates.

What Happens Next

Two cross-company working groups are formed to develop pilots and resources for sponsor organizations. Immediate actions may include:

Drafting action plans and methodologies for each workstream.
Offering at least one rotational role per business line.
Using company metrics and internal promotion data to monitor progress.
Reporting measurable outcomes.

Conclusion: A Clear Path Forward

The data indicates that Canadian companies possess a strong Pan-Asian professional talent base, but advancement slows significantly as individuals approach executive ranks. The outlined steps – early identification, meaningful rotations, consistent sponsorship, and clear recognition of leadership and enterprise value – are practical and achievable.

By applying these actions, the path for those who follow will be better supported than the one that brought this group to the table.