Strategy& for Women
Strategy& truly believes in and supports women’s empowerment with a dedicated initiative named Strategy& for Women, promoting gender equality across all levels. It encompasses dedicated recruiting events, as well as internal networking and personal development initiatives to pragmatically support the journey towards equality.
The LeadHERship Talks is our flagship initiative to inspire young women and learn as a community.
LeadHERship Talks
We invite female leaders with different stories to share with our team their path to success, key challenges, and learnings. An informal talk where we openly discuss obstacles to gender equality and strategies for success.
Here relevant extracts from the LeadHERship Talks are collected and summarized around three key pillars: leadership style, personal choices, and company support.
Success is a wise mix of ingredients, whose recipe is personal and deriving from everyone’s life experience.
LeadHERship Talks three key pillars
Company support
While our leadership style and personal choices are key levers in our control, companies need to play their role in supporting women’s empowerment and making sure this can materialize. Flexible working arrangements, investments in the community, and company policies are a good start.
I became a PwC partner while raising two little kids. The flexibility that advisory offers was the key to making everything work. Companies need to enter the mindset that new flexible working arrangements do not necessarily imply less productivity. Conversely, they can unlock new talents.
Angela Margherita Bellomo - Partner, PwC
Companies could play a fundamental role in supporting parenthood, for both men and women. The professional realization of female leaders depends also on the valorization of maternity, which can be supported by effective parenting policies at company level.
Laura Onorati - QHSE & Sustainability Manager, Gewiss
Companies have the social responsibility to boost women’s empowerment, which is not just a tick in the box. Their focus on gender equality needs to aspire to make an impact also on the social fabric.
Sofia Maroudia - Operating partner, Bain Capital
Leadership style
Becoming a true leader requires to be ourselves. Society and literature propose different leadership models from which we can learn, but we can be successful only when we find the way that comes naturally to us. Some tips and tricks can help to boost our leadership skills in typically male-dominated contexts.
To be successful as a leader, do not emulate a leadership model just because it is the stereotype. Identify your key success factors and bet on them to build your unique style.
Monica Regazzi - Co-Founder, Homepal
In a male-dominated industry, don’t be afraid to stand up for roles not traditionally covered by women. Always look for opportunities to develop your skills and leadership style. Bear in mind that sometimes professional growth also encompasses transition to roles that seem a step back, but in reality, will help to build who you are.
Enrica Oderda - EMEA Network Development & CRM, CNHi Agriculture
Female leadership is often hindered by lack of self-confidence. To avoid this, make sure to develop solid skills in the field you work on, accept harsh feedback focusing on content rather than perceived judgment, and finally work to boost your self-esteem.
Paule Ansoleaga Abascal - Managing Director Italy, Arcano Partners
To be a uniquely successful leader, it's crucial to master three essential elements: authenticity, authority, and audience. Authenticity stems from a deep understanding of oneself, enhancing your ability to communicate authentically and unleash your unique presence. Equally vital is recognizing your authority, which entails demonstrating and sharing your competences and expertise. Lastly, understanding your team allows you to flexibly adapt your leadership style, thereby enhancing your interactions and forging stronger connections.
Elena Alvarez Camps - Head of Transformation for Eurodrone
Personal choices
We realize ourselves through our choices. Choices in personal life can be a trigger to pursue with bravery a once-of-a-lifetime opportunity, or, more simply, can be the way we help ourselves in easing everyday duties. Conscious and wise personal choices will contribute to succeed as a person and as a professional.
Choosing to surround yourself with trusted people that can help and support you with the everyday routine, and deciding to invest in this choice, is pivotal for personal and professional success, so that you can focus on what really matters.
Cristina Cengia - Partner, PwC TLS
Working in leadership positions, I've learned that personal choices can significantly influence one's success. Striking a balance between work and personal life presents a challenge, yet it's pivotal not to hinder one's potential. Every female leader should have confidence in her capabilities and not forego opportunities for growth. This journey requires the support not only of family but also of corporate leadership, which is crucial for success.
Stefania Petruccioli - Private Equity Advisor
Life offers us great opportunities, sometimes unexpectedly and painfully. It is our choice to be brave enough to seize these opportunities and build our success.
Mariavittoria Rava - President of Fondazione Francesca Rava – NPH Italia ETS
Being an entrepreneur of a family business means accepting that work is kind of a family member. This results in a pervasive job in which it is still possible to find a satisfactory work-life balance by being flexible in the everyday run.
Chiara Pozzi Vanzini - Co-Owner, Product & Sales Manager, Tessilidea
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