Find La Carriera Rosa’s Interview with PWA’s Professional Development Director & Mentoring Program Leader Gini Dupasquier. She discusses the mentoring program and its 2012 launch tomorrow, March 21st!
The Espresso reports about the Quote Rosa. Find the article here.
Valerie Ryder, creator of the PWA Mentoring Program, talks to CoachMag about the program. Read about it here!
The BBC presents an interesting article about the changes in Italy’s government and what they could mean for women. Find the article here.
A new study is out from McKinsey recounting the progress women have made in reaching the executive level since their findings in 2006. Find details here.
We’d like to share two interviews, of one mentor and one mentee , who participated in our 2011 Mentoring Program and have shared their experiences in the mentoring process.
Interview with Paola Mercante, PWA Mentoring Program 2011 Mentor
“I liked the idea of sharing life and professional experiences with young women facing new challenges.”
Current position: Independent Management Consultant based in Milan with 15 years of experience as a Managing Director of two multinational insurance companies.
What was/were your specific reason/s for wanting to work with a mentee?
Being a little bit ‘older’ – both in terms of age and professional experience, this was a natural decision for me. My only specific reason was to use my capabilities and experience to help other women with their problems. Three years ago, when I left the corporate world, one of the things I was most sorry about was no longer being able to continue coaching my team. Nonetheless, since then, many of my former co-workers turned to me for personal or professional advice regarding important moments in they career (e.g. changing jobs, a promotion, sudden changes at work, problems with their boss, colleagues etc) It was very gratifying for me to be able to continue this ‘tutoring’ for people with whom I had worked so well for many years and seen grow under my guidance.
This is why I really appreciated the PWA Mentoring Program, and I liked the idea of being useful to younger women about to take important steps in their lives.
What did you gain out of the relationship? Did you meet your objectives?
Indeed, for me the best part of this experience was meeting other women and being able to exchange ideas with them, and where possible, trying to offer help. I was very lucky because I met a very positive and interesting person, with good values, ideas, plans and full of life.
At first I was worried when I realized my mentee worked in a field with which I was not very familiar. In fact, we both wondered how we would reach her objective, which was linked to her work. Then I thought I might be able to help through ‘lateral thinking’: I would analyze her problem as if I were her client. We liked this idea and were able to get a better focus on her goals.
Goals reached? Hers was a rather specific plan; perhaps, considering the amount of time we had, I’d say rather than achieving objectives, we reached a milestone: we laid out a clear path to take over a longer period of time, but that would obtain better results. This means that while the 2011 mentoring program is over, my relationship with my mentee is not. And I am very happy about that.
Was there a benefit from your mentoring relationship that positively surprised you? If so, what was it?
Two things surprised me positively. One is that I realized that we can be helpful also in areas outside our own fields or in areas where we may be lacking ‘technical’ expertise. Having a broad view and way of thinking can be more useful than specific know-how.
The second thing that surprised me was that by seeing things through my mentee’s eyes and via ‘lateral thinking’, I, too, received ideas, stimuli and suggestions for my career and especially for my personal path.
Interview with Sobana Nallaiah, PWA Mentoring Program 2011 Mentee
“My mentor and I managed to meet once a month face-to-face. The great thing about our pairing up was that we lived close to each other and so notwithstanding our busy schedules we were always able to arrange some kind of meeting.”
Current position: Philanthropy Manager at International Baccalaureate, a non-profit organisation that aims to create a better world by educating students. Based in The Hague, The Netherlands.
What was/were your specific reason/s for wanting to work with a mentor?
I was rather unhappy with the way that I was handling some aspects of my work and was seeking ways to manage and improve my performance. Looking back over my previous work experience, I had noticed that there was a definite pattern that was emerging in terms of how I reacted to certain kinds of situations. Armed with this awareness, I felt that a mentor would help me to learn how to deal with this revelation and further deepen my self-awareness.
What did you gain out of the relationship? Did you meet your objectives?
What I thought was really well done with the PWA Mentoring Programme was the matching up of mentor and mentee. My mentor Laura, was very knowledgeable about many things and also had experienced many of the issues that I was living through. I found that having a sounding board helped. Being able to articulate events helped me to start teasing out solutions to some of the issues I was facing. Further, Laura always asked me questions that helped me to put things in perspective. She was very skilled at sharing pertinent stories that illustrated the ideas that she was trying to convey well.
My objectives were to start looking at how to improve myself and also seek ways of improving my career prospects. I started the process with one job and midway had been offered another job in another country. My mentor helped me rationalise my decision to take this new job and opportunity.
Was there a benefit from your mentoring relationship that positively surprised you? If so, what was it?
Four months into my new job, I value the Mentoring Programme even more, as I know that having the support of my mentor helped me make the transition from one job and country to another, in a manner where all the reasons and needs for this change had been well thought out. In the past, whilst I took decisions, I had not really stepped back to examine the “why”. I feel that the Mentoring Programme allowed me to take that step back and see why I was reacting (or planning to react) in a certain way. It has helped me to better understand what my motivations are for doing things.
PWA is proud to have the participation and support of Elisabetta Magistretti in the Ready-for-Board Women project. She participated in the panel in the third edition of the initiative. PWA asks her thoughts on emerging themes during the panel discussion.
Elisabetta Magistretti graduated in 1971 from Bocconi with a degree in Business and Economics. She is a certified Chartered Public Accountant and is enrolled in the National Auditor Register.
Magistretti entered Arthur Anderson in 1972 and became partner in 1984. In 2001 she joined UniCredit Group, as Head of Administrative Government, and from 2006-2009 was responsible for the Group Internal Audit Department.
In 2003 she joined the board of Unicredit Audit; from 2010 she was member of the Audit Committee of Unicredit Bulbank, Bulgaria, and on the Supervisory Board of ZAO Unicredit Russia, where she is president of the Audit Committee. Since 2011 she is member of the Unicredit Logistics Board.
In addition she was on the ManagementBoard of “Organismo Italiano di Contabilità“ (from 2002-2011) and also on the Board of Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi (from 2002-2009)
She is currently on the board of Pirelli and Mediobanca and Gefran (since 2011) as independent non-executive director.
What are your thoughts on the third Edition for Ready for Board Women’s (RFBW) theme, “Engaging Men?”
I believe it is fundamental that men be engaged in the process. Without the engagement of men, success for women could be unlikely.
What can women do to better support each other at work?
A mentoring process could be helpful in order to help the younger generation of women to grow and succeed.
Do you have any role models that have helped define your professional goals?
Unfortunately before my generation there were not many professional women working, so it was quite difficult to find role models.
As a role model yourself, what advice can you give to professional women?
I believe that it is very helpful to discuss gender issues in events such as Ready-for-Board Women. However, in daily life the challenges are the same for men and women and the advice for both is to be professional.
Following the “Quote Rosa” what other developments do you think Italian legislation needs to make in order to support gender equality at work?
I think that the law is quite strong. The real issue is work-life balance mixed with the need for enhanced professionalism.
The theme of work-life balance came up several times during the RFBW discussion, especially regarding inequality in the domestic sphere. Is this simply a cultural issue or should there be institutional changes made?
To me the domestic sphere is mainly a cultural issue that is subject to change. Some institutional changes could be needed in certain material respects. For example, the organization of school hours and the care of children could be addressed.
Any general thoughts on the RFBW event?
My impression is that the participation was more effective as the participants feel that something is really moving.
In the past year, what successes have been made in Italy in regard to equality for women? What are the next major challenges ahead?
Obviously the major success was the implementation of the Golfo law. However I strongly feel that the major challenge is that in the future, the need to talk extensively about gender should be reduced since we have been able to reach a substantial parity. And this law gives us a tremendous opportunity.
Dunque ci siamo. O quasi. A quattro anni dall’ideazione del progetto Ready for Board Women, presentato da PWA nel 2008, si è concluso l’iter parlamentare sull’introduzione delle quote di genere nella composizione dei consigli di amministrazione e dei collegi sindacali delle società quotate e pubbliche.
Ne abbiamo parlato, e discusso, mercoledì 29 febbraio nella sede dell’Assolombarda. Eravamo in tante (e tanti): partecipazione numerosa e qualificata.
Monica Pesce, presidente PWA, dopo il saluto agli ospiti ha illustrato le novità di quest’anno del progetto. La creazione del nuovo Advisory Board, con il coinvolgimento di persone che provengono direttamente dal business, con l’intenzione di mobilitare anche gli uomini che devono prendere le decisioni fondamentali nei consigli di amministrazione. La digitalizzazione della lista, che sarà disponibile anche on-line e consultabile in modo più immediato, con aggiornamenti e approfondimenti trimestrali. L’organizzazione di quattro workshop nel corso dell’anno. Verranno condotti da Bonelli Erede e Pappalardo/Valdani Vicari&Associati, Ernst&Young, D’Antona & Partners e Simona Cuomo della SDA Bocconi. Francia e UK dovrebbero essere l’estensione del progetto RFBW a livello europeo. Monica ha anche annunciato che il Ready for Board Women ha avuto il patrocinio dell’Ordine dei commercialisti di Milano.
Alberto Grando, Dean SDA Bocconi e nuovo membro del nostro Advisory Board, ha puntato il suo intervento sulla necessità di far conoscere tutte le competenze presenti nel mondo del lavoro e in questo si è detto d’accordo col progetto di PWA. Un modo per valorizzare al meglio i meriti e le capacità: di fronte al 50% di laureate donne della Bocconi, esiste uno sbilanciamento per quanto riguarda la presenza femminile nei consigli di amministrazione delle aziende italiane, solo il 15-20%, quando va bene. E pensare che molte ricerche hanno evidenziato che le aziende nei cui board siedono più donne manifestano performance superiori alle altre. È un dato di fatto. E allora ben vengano iniziative come Ready for Board Women, una forma di comunicazione che aiuta per lo meno ad aumentare il bacino di utenza delle candidature. Magari anche senza farne prioritariamente una questione di diversità di genere.
Rita Querzè del Corriere della sera e Cinzia Sasso di Repubblica hanno stimolato il dibattito sottolineando come lo sviluppo delle cosiddette quote rosa non sembra aver avuto una velocità abbastanza sostenuta, nonostante le continue dichiarazioni d’intenti arrivate da tutte le parti. A questo ha risposto Stefano Agostini, presidente e amministratore delegato San Pellegrino (Nestlè): la sua azienda ha puntato molto sui giovani e sulle donne, donne che avevano magari necessità di allontanarsi dal lavoro per maternita, ma alle quali è stato consentito di rientrare in azienda, evitando che la loro vita personale rallentasse la carriera. Ma c’è ancora molto margine di miglioramento, ha sostenuto Rita Querzè, snocciolando dati sulla rappresentanza femminile nei consigli delle aziende italiane. Ancora pochissime donne. Ma facendo l’importante esempio di una donna PWA, Laura Iris Ferro, attuale presidente del Cda del Pio Albergo Trivulzio del Comune di Milano.
Ferro ha raccontato la sua esperienza, sostenendo che spesso le donne hanno fatto meno passi avanti nel privato che nel pubblico. Con una certa propensione delle donne a non proporsi con determinazione quando hanno a che fare con figli e problemi familiari. Insomma, sostiene Cinzia Sasso, la rivoluzione delle donne è ancora una rivoluzione incompiuta, soprattutto a livello culturale. E provoca Luigi Arturo Bianchi (CdS Intesa San Paolo, CdA Banca Generali e Benetton) chiedendogli se lui non si sente a disagio, durante i consigli di amministrazione, di avere intorno tutti uomini, tutti uguali, tutti vestiti allo stesso modo.
Bianchi ha sostenuto che ritiene esagerata l’enfasi data ai consigli di amministrazione, tentando di smitizzarne l’importanza, e nello stesso tempo sostenendo che in Italia il problema è in particolare una questione di potere: le donne sono in generale escluse dal potere. Che vede la presenza delle donne soprattutto nelle posizioni di staff, difficilmente in quelle veramente decisionali. Ostacoli e condizionamenti che bisogna risolvere col favorire la conciliazione del lavoro con la vita privata. E con il creare opportunità di riequilibrio delle competenze fra uomini e donne.
Elisabetta Magistretti (Pirelli e Mediobanca): non pensiamo solo ai Cda, lavoriamo molto nell’inserimento delle donne nei consigli esecutivi che possano modificare la governance nel suo complesso, cambiare le vecchie regole del gioco. Ed è fondamentale che questo avvenga nelle aziende di tipo pubblico. Dando alle donne una preparazione specifica, così che arrivino nei consigli molto preparate e pronte a imprimere una vera svolta nel modo di intendere il ruolo di ogni singolo componente.
Ma gli uomini possono e vogliono fare qualcosa?, chiede Cinzia Sasso. Stefano Agostini risponde che per la sua esperienza, donne e giovani possono rendere l’azienda più moderna, dinamica e attuale. Perciò ben vengano tutti gli apporti di novità. Anche se, sostiene Bianchi, in termini di fatturato le donne sono ancora lontane dalle possibilità che vengono offerte agli uomini. Forse anche perché meno condizionate e meno legate a clan o lobby.
Alberto Meomartini, presidente Assolombarda, chiude la manifestazione sostenendo che in Italia la cultura dei consigli di amministrazione non è poi così radicata. E la sua esperienza insegna che, uomini o donne che siano, il valore è sempre dato dalla diversità di competenze. E anche questo favorisce la presenza dei giovani e delle donne in tutti i posti decisionali delle società, pubbliche e private.
We are pleased to initiate the third edition of the PWA Milan Mentoring Program!
2012 Application forms are now on line.
Please see below all relevant procedures and dates to apply for this year’s Program.
Step 1) Submit the PWA Mentoring Program Application Form – March 8th to 30th
The 2012 Mentor application form and the 2012 Mentee application form are now available online.
To apply you need to be a PWA member for 2012.
Choose your role, Mentor ad Mentee (or both), download and submit a complete form during the application period, open from Thursday March 8t through Friday March 30th. This is the only way for eligible members to apply for the program as we need all the information requested in the forms to find you the right match.
Step 2) Attend the PWA Mentoring Event on March 21st
Our annual Mentoring event is open to all women who are interested in furthering their careers through mentoring, whether PWA members or guests.
During the evening you will: 1) learn from Mentors and Mentees of the 2011 edition how their lives were impacted; 2) listen to a presentation held from a very special international guest from IE Business School who will explain “why mentoring is important”; 3) learn all the details about 2012 Program.
Attendance at this event is not a prerequisite for participating in the mentoring program, although it is highly recommended.
Step 3) Receive email notification on the success of being matched – April
After the close of the application period (30 of March) we will evaluate all applications received.
Pairs will be matched based on the level of relevance between objectives stated by the Mentee and available Mentor experience and skills. All applicants will be notified via email during the month of April of our level of success in identifying an appropriate match.
Note about Participation: Given the level of interest expressed in the program so far, we may receive more applications than we can fulfill. Applicants who are not successfully matched will receive priority during the matching process of next year’s edition of the Mentoring program, after re-application.
Step 4) Attend the Mentoring Skills Workshop – Saturday, May 5th
At this half-day workshop, you officially meet your Mentor/Mentee partner. In addition to getting your relationship started, it is designed to impart some of the skills needed to ensure the success of your mentoring partnership. These include: do’s and don’ts of good mentoring, active listening and other communication skills, topics to bring to mentoring sessions, and how to get the most out of being a Mentor or a Mentee. Participation in this event is mandatory for all first-time participants in the Mentoring program.
Step 5) Have Your Mentoring Sessions – May to November
The actual Mentoring sessions will begin anytime after the Mentoring workshop and last for six months. Mentoring pairs will meet for one hour or more per month, in person or via phone/video-conference. In order to ensure a good start to your Mentoring relationship, we strongly encourage you meet at least twice before leaving for your summer vacations.
Step 6) Check-ins and feedback requests – June to December
We will be checking-in with each Mentoring pair at the end of June and at various times during the program as needed to make sure the Mentoring relationships are running smoothly.
We will be asking for participant feedback at the end of the program in December to hear about your takeaways, experiences, and benefits as well as recommendations for improvement.
If you have further questions about the application process or about the program itself, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: professional@pwa-milan.org
• Gini Dupasquier, 2012 Mentoring Program Leader and PWA Professional Development Director
• Lee K. Smith, 2012 Mentoring Program Coordinator
• Karolina Wrobel, 2012 Mentoring Program Coordinator
CONSOB, the regulatory body of the Italian financial markets, has published changes in the rules regarding the “quote rosa.” Please find the details of the changes here.
