Fokus | Posted from SMA on August 31, 2023
A look at the Swiss board members shows that men are still in the majority here. Although women’s quotas are spoken of everywhere, this does not prevail in practice. With “The Boardroom” a company has been launched that knows the challenges of potentially female managers and wants to master them together with them. For more diversity on the board and thus more quality!
Leaders at school – but the woman is missing from the board
Women almost always perform better at school than men and the proportion of students is also higher. But why is it that female board members are still in the minority? The Boardroom team knows this from their own experience. Founder Diana Markaki-Bartholdi has experienced first-hand how difficult it is for women in a male-dominated world. The studied lawyer graduated from Harvard Business School and does not have to hide in terms of her achievements. She worked in the largest cities in the world for more than 20 years and made it to the board for the first time at the age of 35.
Here she realized that it is significantly more difficult for women than for men. Being alone, in a male-dominated world, impresses and scares. Anyone who does not have the necessary self-confidence inevitably threatens to fail. In addition, there is immense pressure, because the only woman is often representative of all women in the leadership.
Markaki-Bartholdi noted that many women in senior positions lack support from male colleagues. Attempts at intimidation, isolation – all these are problems that are foreign to many men. Ultimately, these findings laid the foundation for the founding of The Boardroom in Zurich in 2021.
Take off to the top – women also have the potential for it
Women act logically, are links in difficult situations and yet they dare too little to do so. The Boardroom is aimed at strong women who want to dare a new professional start or take the next step and strive for the top level of the career ladder. The goal: to remove the hurdles and ensure that the Swiss board members radiate more diversity sooner or later.
In 2022, there were only 15 percent women in banking, in the insurance industry only 14 percent female executives worked. Too little, the ambitious businesswomen of The Boardroom agree on that. Career does not depend on gender, but on skills, personal skills and education. And women do not have to hide here, because especially in terms of school education, they are often superior to male colleagues.
With The Boardroom, Markaki prepares women for leadership positions in board positions. From training programs to networking events with top-class speakers, The Boardroom offers a perfect basis for the way to the highest management positions at the largest companies in Europe.
Various board expands the spectrum for companies
Outdated role models, clichés and fears – there are many reasons why the board is still governed by men in many companies. Diversity does not only have to do with quotas. From an entrepreneurial point of view, more femininity at the management level also makes sense. Looking at things from a different position, allowing more variety and diversity of opinion, often also stands for progress. Even if the Swiss management levels still have to learn a lot here, the chances are better than ever thanks to dynamic career women!
Source: https://fokus.swiss/business/bildung/karriere/weibliche-vorstandsmitglieder/
