Aiming for Equal Representation: Push to Boost Women into Leadership Roles to 50% by 2030
Our Group Achieves Gender Diversity Milestones in Leadership
In a commendable stride towards gender equality, the Our Group has been actively focusing on succession planning and diversity initiatives, particularly in its leadership ranks.
The Group's commitment to gender diversity has yielded significant results. In 2020, the share of female leadership increased from 26% to 32%. The Group aims to further this progress, with a goal of achieving a 50% female share across all management levels by 2030.
The Group's strategy encompasses targeted talent development programmes, pay equity policies, leadership training for women, and efforts to increase women's representation in STEM and leadership pipelines. Progress highlights include increased participation of women in leadership programmes and STEM roles, as well as initiatives to support work-life integration and motherhood.
Key initiatives include the implementation of group-wide pay and merit policies aimed at eliminating the weighted gender pay gap. The Group also launched a training program titled "Unity in Diversity: Empowering Women Across Borders", dedicated to female middle managers to strengthen leadership and foster an inclusive culture internationally.
The Group has also increased the inclusion of women in its Talent On Board program, designed to prepare future leaders. Proactive promotion of female inclusion in STEM has led to a notable 46% female representation in STEM roles in 2024.
The Group's commitment to gender equality extends to supportive welfare measures, such as being among the 100 companies signing the Self-Regulatory Code for Responsible Companies in Support of Motherhood. The Group is also committed to gender equality certification and promotion of equal opportunity programs aligned with its 2023-2027 Sustainability Plan objectives.
The Group's efforts towards gender diversity are not just limited to recruitment, but also focus on internal development with a systematic approach to equal opportunity and protection measures for women at work. Identifying potential leaders at an early stage and preparing them for future tasks is crucial in this regard.
Succession planning in the Group should ideally start at the front line leadership level. The CEO and CHRO regularly discuss succession planning of the Executive Committee with the Board of Directors. Recruiting Board members should focus on personality as well as competencies and experience to create a balanced and efficient Board of Directors.
The Group's objective of gender diversity is part of the variable compensation for the Executive Committee and senior management. The right combination of professional experience, personality, origin, and gender will become increasingly important in the Board of Directors.
In a significant milestone, the Group achieved gender parity on the Board of Directors in April 2021, with four women and four men. The Group's new strategy, Future@Work, was implemented in January 2021, addressing digitalization and new forms of working before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Group prioritized the wellbeing of colleagues and customer support during the pandemic.
Solid knowledge around technology and digitalization, along with emotional intelligence, are crucial abilities that will be even more in demand. An efficient Board of Directors is a team with complementary personalities, not just a group of experts meeting every quarter. The Group's focus on gender diversity is not only a step towards equality, but also a means to increase innovation, creativity, and results.
- To ensure continued progress in gender diversity, the Group plans to incorporate diverse leadership, including women, into its recruitment strategies, with a goal of achieving a 50% female share across all management levels by 2030.
- The Group's financial incentives for the Executive Committee and senior management will prioritize the right combination of professional experience, personality, origin, and gender, reflecting its commitment to diversity and inclusion in business.
