Gillian is a Royal Navy veteran and military spouse who joined Amazon three years ago with the objective of increasing military hiring at the company. When she arrived she immediately realized that solely increasing the number of veteran hires would do little to impact diversity, so she instigated specific measures to attract female candidates and those with different backgrounds and education. Working with recruiters and hiring managers, she dispelled myths regarding the perceived lack of transferable skills that military personnel, and their spouses, bring to business. In addition to designing and executing tailored events, some exclusively for women, to ensure that military leavers understood the breadth of roles available at Amazon, Gillian also managed Amazon’s sponsorship of the Women’s Army and Navy rugby game at Twickenham in 2018, highlighting the company’s commitment to the female military community. In 2020, 33 female veterans joined the company, making up 11% of hires.
