Celebrating Women’s History Month 2024: Saima Khan

“Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” is the focus of Women’s History Month. Join Compass Group throughout March in recognizing women who are committed to embracing everyone and excluding no one in our common quest for inclusivity in opportunity. Learn what they’re doing within our organization and how their personal experiences influence their perspectives. We’re proud to celebrate them and all the women of Compass.

Meet Saima Khan, Senior Vice President for Healthcare Digital at Compass Digital, who shares her own story of professional growth and how she’s paying it forward with the recently launched Women in Technology initiative.

“I’ve been in technology for nearly 21 years – the last two-and-a-half with Compass – and it’s been a journey. For most of my career, I’ve been the only woman at the table. Just learning how to advocate for myself was super important.

“Two amazing women greatly influenced me. My first job was at a startup where I had a strong female boss who helped me find my voice and taught me how to constructively push back. She let me learn, fall and grow, and she pushed me to not be quiet when I knew what to say. Later, I worked with a large healthcare GPO. The first time I saw our CEO speak, I was at a point in my career where I hadn’t seen a woman in that leadership position. I thought, wow, that’s someone who looks like me . . . why can’t I do that? She had a presence and a vision for taking the company from private to public, which she did. It was a great opportunity to learn from and work with her.

“There’s so much power in seeing someone who looks like you and talks like you in a leadership role. Providing mentorship is essential to an associate’s development and beneficial to an organization’s effectiveness. Last fall, we launched the Women in Technology initiative at Compass Digital. We held two formal sessions at Charlotte HQ and our office in Toronto, and a virtual one – all heavily attended. The outpouring of support from women and allies such as our male colleagues has been tremendous.

“The goal of Women in Technology is to provide mentorship, outreach and opportunities for conversation and collaboration. We’re building a community that a lot of people are passionate about. I know I want to share what I’ve learned and pay it forward. We’re lucky – at least 50% of our Compass Digital and Compass Technology associates are women. We want to continue to grow that and support them and have them stay with us. This community is helping Compass to holistically provide solutions and accelerate our market position in all facets, from our retail technology to our patient technology.”