{"id":12351,"date":"2017-08-21T12:03:42","date_gmt":"2017-08-21T16:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/?page_id=12351"},"modified":"2018-02-05T11:22:05","modified_gmt":"2018-02-05T16:22:05","slug":"july-11-2014-no-ccxx","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/july-11-2014-no-ccxx\/","title":{"rendered":"July 11, 2014; No. CCXX"},"content":{"rendered":"

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No. CCXX;\u00a0July 11,\u00a02014
\n<\/strong>Special Issue: GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN 2014, No. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

I. WOMEN CEOS: LEADING COMPANIES INTO THE 21ST<\/sup>CENTURY
\nII. WOMEN CONSUMERS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
\nIII. WOMEN PRESIDENTS:\u00a0\u00a0LEADING COUNTRIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I. WOMEN CEOS: LEADING COMPANIES INTO THE 21ST<\/sup>CENTURY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Representing four continents, five women who lead major companies participated in a spirited discussion of changes in the 21st century workplace led by Summit President\u00a0Irene Natividad<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0at the 2014 Global Summit of Women, which took place in Paris, France on June 5-7, 2014.\u00a0\u00a0Nku Nyembesi-Heita<\/em><\/strong>, Chair of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and CEO of Ichorcoal in South Africa, Marriott President for Europe\u00a0Amy McPherson<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the U.S., IBM Germany Managing Director\u00a0Martina Koederitz<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and Van Cleef & Arpels Managing Director\u00a0Chloe Jay<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from France, were joined by Accenture ASEAN Managing Director\u00a0Lay Lim Teo<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of Singapore in a Women CEO Forum, which looked forward and back at the changing workplace.<\/p>\n

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Chloe Jay and Amy McPherson at Women CEOs Forum<\/em><\/p>\n

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Martine Koederitz and Irene Natividad\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

All recalled early days of their careers when seeing women in charge was a \u201cdefault\u201d,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0according to Nyembesi-Heita, so women tried to dress like men with navy suits and blouses with tied bows, took assertiveness training, assumed that top-down management, office-based work and a domestic-market focus were the norms.\u00a0Now faced with a competitive global economy that is more interlocked and volatile, the availability of technology which has speeded up communication and information access, and the reality of more diverse workforces and consumers have slowly forced a redesign of the way work is done.\u00a0\u00a0Lay Lim Teo cited Accenture\u2019s \u2018virtual\u2019 company without a central office which has freed her from the worry of relocating that most women executives face.<\/p>\n

All agreed that given work responsibilities that now cover wider territories, collaborative and consultative skills, normally attributed to women, have become necessary in order to lead productive teams.\u00a0\u00a0They agreed as well that technology has freed many workers from working solely in an office setting, and that\u00a0company cultures\u00a0which develop \u2018trust\u2019 in workers\u2019 capacity to complete work wherever and whenever they can do so are the ones to thrive in the future.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0While the same objective metrics for measuring performance are still in place, all five CEOs indicated that \u201csoft skills\u201d have become equally important, and that \u2018how\u2019 an employee succeeds is now as important as what has been achieved.<\/p>\n

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Lay Lim Teo and M. Koederitz<\/em><\/p>\n

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A. McPherson and\u00a0Nku Nyembesi-Heita\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

When asked what workplace changes still need to be made, Nyembesi-Heita suggested that a major one would be to alter the perception that \u201cif you\u2019re not physically in an office, you\u2019re not working.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Lay Lim Teo pointed out that CEOs \u201chave to be okay about showing employees how we balance our own lives,\u201d and lead by example.\u00a0\u00a0In a competitive economy, \u201cinvestment in maintaining your qualifications is an employee\u2019s responsibility,\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0according to Martina Koederitz, but a company must provide those resources needed to do so.\u00a0\u00a0Chloe Jay cautioned that\u00a0leaders must speak as \u2018we\u2019 and not \u2018I\u2019, because that is the reality of a successful enterprise<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0Lastly, Amy McPherson reminded everyone that\u00a0diversity of markets, consumers and employees now require diverse corporate leadership,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0which is not yet fully in place.<\/p>\n

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II. WOMEN CONSUMERS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Henryka Bochniarz,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0CEO of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe, opened this session by polling Summit delegates as who made purchases of cars, vacations and technology tools in their households.\u00a0 Reflecting research showing women as 70-80% of consumers in developed economies, Summit participants indicated that they made the majority of these buying decisions.\u00a0 Given women\u2019s impact in the marketplace, what are some companies doing to attract more women clients?<\/p>\n

Renault Senior Vice President of Engineering\u00a0Nadine LeClair<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>indicated that this car company continually looks at the \u2018DNA of women\u2019s lives\u2019 in different countries to increase market share.\u00a0 They look at the rational and emotional factors that influence women\u2019s car buying habits and the ratio between them.\u00a0 Rational factors cover safety, trunk access, gas mileage, etc., while emotional factors covered personalization of car interiors and exteriors.\u00a0 She noted that the ratio differs with each country \u2013 in Brazil, safety ranks paramount among women, while in western Europe, personalization assumes greater importance.\u00a0 While Renault doesn’t design cars for women, they take into account the elements that make the cars responsive to women\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

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Nadine\u00a0Leclair<\/em><\/p>\n

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Odile Lasternas-Brecy\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Since women do tend to be safety conscious, how do they protect themselves?\u00a0 Generali Managing Director for Corporate and Commercial Business\u00a0Odile Lasternas Brecy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>pointed out that insurance products are primarily designed for men and are based on male behavior.\u00a0 Well, this Italy-based insurance company decided to survey women to view their concerns.\u00a0 What they found is that women are worried about \u2018how my family can be supported if something happens to me\u2019 \u2013 the future of their children, who takes care of them, health care, and protection from unexpected crisis.\u00a0 Men care about their families as well, but more in the sense of financial legacy.\u00a0 Based on their research, Generali has created products that fit women\u2019s concerns.<\/p>\n

Moving from protection to freedom, Harley Davidson\u2019s Director of Women\u2019s Outreach\u00a0Claudia Garber<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0presented the company\u2019s market alignment of motorcycles with the fulfillment of women\u2019s dreams of personal freedom.\u00a0 \u201cRiding a Harley is an act of rebellion,\u201d a statement used to tap into women\u2019s sense of empowerment as a way to fit the product to the women they\u2019re trying to reach.\u00a0 As a result of this marketing strategy and proactive initiatives to quell women\u2019s fears of riding these powerful machines, women are the fastest growing market segment for Harley Davidson.<\/p>\n

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Claudia Garber<\/em><\/p>\n

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Eva Kail\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

From women consumers to women as citizens — Vienna has proactively looked into how its urban spaces and transport system can best serve half of its constituents.\u00a0 Led by\u00a0Eva Kail,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Gender Expert in Vienna’s Urban Planning Group, the city looked into how women and children can better use its public spaces, how apartment design provides shelter that meet family needs while promoting community networks, and how transportation can provide safety and access for women of all ages.\u00a0 Vienna has been much recognized for these innovative efforts to serve its female population.<\/p>\n

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III. WOMEN PRESIDENTS: LEADING COUNTRIES\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time in the Global Summit of Women\u2019s 24-year history, three former and current women Presidents participated in a discussion forum on \u201cRedefining Leadership\u201d led by CNN Anchor and Host of\u00a0The Business View\u00a0Nina dos Santos<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Malta\u2019s President\u00a0Marie Louise Coleiro Preca<\/em><\/strong>, Finland\u2019s Former President\u00a0Tarja Halonen<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and Kyrgyzstan’s Former President\u00a0Roza Otunbayeva<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0were the first women to assume their country\u2019s highest office.\u00a0 All were surprised by the role-model impact of their election in changing the dreams of young girls to aspire for the presidency.\u00a0 As Pres. Coleiro Preca\u00a0aptly pointed out:\u00a0 \u201cOur visibility is contagious.”<\/p>\n

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In defining women\u2019s leadership, all three cited women\u2019s ability to bring together disparate parties.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWomen have the unique ability to unite ambitious men<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d stated Pres. Otunbayeva, who had to do exactly that as she worked to put in place the democratic infrastructure in her country.\u00a0 For Tarja Halonen, sustainable democracies require its leaders to be brave, patient and disciplined.\u00a0 All agreed that citizens worried about growing corruption can become comfortable with women leaders, who are viewed as more transparent, responsible, and willing to stand up for what they believe.\u00a0 Pres. Halonen pointed out, however, that \u201cwomen aren’t saints\u201d and \u201cnobody is easily clean in a global economy,\u201d so regulations and rule of law are important to establish and to maintain.<\/p>\n

Being Presidents, who happen to be women, all three felt an added responsibility to raise the status of women in their respective countries<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 They cited their own struggles with building political careers while raising families, so they espoused measures in order that \u201cWe don’t have to choose,\u201d according to Pres. Halonen, \u201cWe take both\u201d, which means that resources must be put in place by governments and companies to enable women and men to integrate work and life responsibilities.\u00a0 As for strategies for advancing women into leadership roles, Presidents Halonen and Otunbayeva support quotas in politics and business.\u00a0 Pres. Coleira Preca\u00a0sees quotas as transitional vehicles, which don’t necessarily produce the results intended.\u00a0 She cited the fact that Norwegian quota for women directors has not resulted in more women CEOs or senior management.<\/p>\n

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Presidents Halonen and Coleiro Preca<\/em><\/p>\n

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President Otunbayeva addresses the audience<\/em><\/p>\n

Lastly,\u00a0all three Presidents saw the need to \u2018grow\u2019 women\u2019s economic opportunities<\/em><\/strong>, with Pres. Halonen indicating there are still too few women business leaders, and that this is something on which she will now focus. \u00a0She also cautioned women to keep moving forward:\u00a0 \u201cYou can never get back your past, but you can be your future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Don’t miss the 2015 Global Summit of Women in Sao Paulo Brazil!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

France’s Minister for Women, Cities, Youth, and Sports Najat Vallaud-Belkacem hands over the Summit to Brazilian delegates\u00a0at the Closing Ceremony of the 2014 Summit in Paris.<\/p>\n

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Subscribe\u00a0by\u00a0clicking here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Global Summit of Women
\n1100 G St. NW, Ste.\u00a0700
\nWashington, DC 20005\u00a0 USA
\ntel: 202-835-3713 \/ fax: 202-466-6195
\n<\/em>email:\u00a0summit@globewomen.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No. CCXX;\u00a0July 11,\u00a02014 Special Issue: GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN 2014, No. 2 I. WOMEN CEOS: LEADING COMPANIES INTO THE 21STCENTURY II. WOMEN CONSUMERS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT III. WOMEN PRESIDENTS:\u00a0\u00a0LEADING COUNTRIES I. WOMEN CEOS: LEADING...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12351","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12351"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15134,"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12351\/revisions\/15134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globewomen.org\/globalsummit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}