SIR LUCIAN ON THE POWER OF WOMEN

As we previously reported, UMG ruler Sir Lucian Grainge was honored with Variety's 2016 EmPOWerment Award on 10/14 for being a “champion of female leadership.” The video of his full speech was just released, though, and we urge you to watch and listen to his impactful words.

"At Universal, I believe that we recognize people for their abilities and potential, and focus on empowering the best amongst them. When you think about it, the math is actually quite simple. In a world where roughly half the people are women, roughly half the very best leaders in the world are likely to be women too."

"I just try to give the people on my team, the opportunity, time and freedom to develop to their real, full potential. I believe in meritocracy in the workplace," he continued, before thanking his late mother—one of the U.K.'s leading experts on charitable tax, who was one of the first 300 women to become a CPA—for setting such a strong example.

“Growing up, as a young boy, I watched how hard she worked in order to support our family. My father wasn’t as successful in his workplace as she was. And I could see how strong she was, the sacrifices that she made as a working mother and how she felt about leaving her young family every morning… She not only gave me a strong value system, but also that sense of possibility that drove her in her career—both of which still very dramatically guide me in everything that I do. Given her impact on my life, it’s especially meaningful for me to receive this award today, October the 14th, because, coincidentally, it would have been her birthday today."

"I’m very proud of my team. They do an incredible job. I trust them implicitly."

What a mensch.