Alfemminile.com reports on 2 positive developments.

ATM’s Board of Directors has added Elisabetta Oliveri and Alessandra Perrazzelli, both of whom were included in the 2011 Edition of PWA’s Ready For Board Women project (RFBW). Elisabetta Oliveri was in fact nominated by PWA for the board position, making us doubly proud!

Universita’ Statale di Milano announced that on their future Ateneo board, at least 3 out of the 8 positions will be women.

Read the full article (in Italian) here

CONSOB, the public authority responsible for regulating the Italian securities market, just published the study Women on Boards in Italy.

“In this paper we investigate the state of the art of women representation in Italian corporate boards, trying also to assess its determinants”.

Download the report here (in English, despite the first pages in Italian)

Cranfield last week presented to David Cameron the 6 Month Interim Davies Report on Women on Boards.
Since the first Davies Report numbers have slightly improved with 21 new women appointed.
Download the report here: http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/p1087/Research/Research-Centres/Centre-for-Women-Business-Leaders

By Martaeleonora Paiar

This is the first in a series of interviews of outstanding women, who will share with us their experiences and advice.

This month features Francesca Fiore, Director of Terminals for Southern Europe at Vodafone and member of the Vodafone Senior Leadership Team. Ms. Fiore is responsible for managing the Terminals business (i.e., mobile phones and other electronic devices) for Vodafone in Italy, Malta, Greece, Albania and Romania. Specifically, her focus is in relation to the selection of the portfolio of devices, the development of their commercial offers and the go-to-market activities. A Harvard graduate, she is also responsible for the implementation of strategic and operational integration in Southern Europe for Vodafone and for strategic projects at the Group level (e.g., negotiation of the iPhone 4 contract, launch of the new DSL modem). For more details of her biography, you can click here.

PWA: Francesca, could you please share with us the skills that you have found to be your most valuable ones?

Francesca: I believe that my most valuable skills are energy, ambition, commitment and a positive attitude towards life that helps me to let things happen. I have always been very independent and active during my studies, showing a great deal of interest for extracurricular activities. For example, I worked as a market researcher during my university time and understood right from the beginning the importance of networking and listening to people with different backgrounds and experiences.

These skills have been partly inborn, partly nurtured by a great deal of empowerment from my family–I have to thank them for their support. They also taught me to be open minded and gave me a passion for travelling. My skills also come from my education and from what my first boss taught me. He always supported me in my professional growth and gave me plenty of trust and important advices.

PWA: Which skills are the ones that have helped you the most to succeed in business?

Francesca: Among the skills that have helped me to succeed in business, I would definitely count a good understanding of the people surrounding me, to include their fundamental values. From this I try to provide good management and a conducive working environment. As a manager, relationship skills are very important in order to create quality work.

Moreover, I could also count as one of my most significant business strengths my energy that helps me to focus on different problems and solve them.

Analytical skills were [more] important in the first stage of my career. These skills serve to the extent of gaining credibility with an audience [e.g., management, clients]. In fact, in order to be credible, a manager should present facts which are justified by figures.

PWA: How important do you think is the ability to network?

Francesca: I think that the ability to network is extremely important: first, you can interact with other people and gain insights from them and build on their responses and advice. In fact, surrounding yourself with people of various ages and backgrounds can be a life-enriching experience that can enable you to be able to make better and weighted decisions. Second, you could even find role models by networking with senior and successful people. Last, but not least, networking helps you to stand out in the crowd and be remembered, so that you will come to mind when an opportunity arises.

Networking has to be moderated and managed carefully. Also, it is healthy to be part of more than one networking organization. My personal advice is to look after a network with something that binds the participants together, instead of being part of networks that are too large or generic–in this case, the added value could not be perceived.

PWA: What about the ability to network with other women in particular?

Francesca: It is crucial. But, in my experience, women are not good at helping each other: we say that we would like to help each other, but the reality is different. We do not expect to get help from other women, because every woman is seen [by the others] as a potential competitor.

PWA: Which suggestions would you give to younger professionals to establish a network that could help them to enhance their professional career and make the most out of it?

Francesca: Nowadays the Internet can be a great help in finding new groups and making new contacts.

So, at first, you should surf the web and choose carefully which network you would like to be part of.

Then, you should think of using other available resources that you would never think to use. For example, don’t feel sorry for yourself if you don’t have a vast and established network. Instead, try to ask a more senior colleague for concrete advice.

To make the most out of a newly established network, I think you should have someone that could act as your role model. Therefore, it is important to find a role model who would be approachable for you–not with too high of a profile or inaccessible. For instance, you might consider the professor that helped you developing your master thesis.

PWA: What is your strategy to achieve a good balance of work and home life? Are there any golden rules you would like to share with us?

Francesca: Good stress management, valuable people who can help you, and to delegate–you are never going to make it alone.

I have only two golden rules: to choose carefully your priority and not to think in stereotypes. In my case, my first and only priority has been work until I was 31 years old. Then I chose to reorganize my life, allocating subsequently more and more time and space for myself, my partner and my family.

PWA: How do you cope with stress?

Francesca: I don’t stress myself. I learned how to cope with stress by being positive and not giving a damn. I can do that because I think that there will always be another chance. Additionally, I learned to channel adrenaline. Only one thing is able to stress me now: when I know that my children are ill and I don’t have the resources to solve the problem–for instance, I’m not able to speak with the doctor or not able to be present physically–then I’m stressed. Otherwise, nothing stresses me.

PWA: What suggestions or hints could you share with us about minimizing stress?

Francesca: My suggestion is to think that you will always be given another chance and that life is not all about succeeding. There will always be some failures in life.

Remember that you are not accountable for everything and that you do not have to take everything on yourself. Normally, women tend to take every problem 150% on themselves. This is not a good approach.

PWA: Based on your experience, what would you suggest to younger professionals aiming to develop their careers?

Francesca: Abandon every stereotype and dare to be yourself with a bit of bravery.

Deloitte together with Fondazione Marisa Bellisario, Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili, Egon Zehnder International and PWA Milan has organized an event entitled “Le quote di “genere” nei Consigli di Amministrazione e nei Collegi Sindacali. Un’opportunità di crescita per tutti”.

The event will take place on July 11th at 16 in Rome at Palazzo Marini, Sala delle Conferenze della Camera dei Deputati.

If you wish to know more about the agenda of the event and how to register, please click here to download the brochure.

Radio Colonia recently interviewed PWA Milan President Monica Pesce and RFBW and Bocconi Professor Paola Profeta on the impact of quotas on our economy and society.

Listen to the interview (in Italian) here.

Read this very interesting article, entitled “Women in the boardroom” written by Jerzy Buzek – EU Parliament President – and Viviane Reding – EU Justice Commissioner for the International Herald Tribune.

“The ball is now in the companies’ court. We would like to see Europe in the fast lane when it comes to women in boardrooms. Let’s set ambitious targets. By 2015, at least 30 percent of boardrooms should be female. By 2020, this should rise to 40 percent. In an ideal world, businesses would achieve this voluntarily. But we also stand ready, starting in 2012, to intervene with regulatory pressure if necessary”.

Read the article here

25% of seats to women by 2015, if the code is not effective, the imposition of quotas might come back on the agenda.

See the article on FT here.

In Italy quota legislation under discussion tomorrow in Senate, 40% of board seats to women immediately. Huge reaction from both politicians and entrepreneurs association to try and stop the legislation process. If you want to know more check our post “Are you pro or against quotas? Express your opinion on Il Sole 24ore“.

Il Sole 24ore today invites us to discuss about quotas in boards of directors. There is a proposal under discussion in Senate (already approved by the Camera) that we could summarize here: 30% to the less represented gender, quotas are valid only for 3 mandates, if the quota is not respected the board is revoked.

In the past days 53 amendments have been presented in Senate (which could mean that the proposal has to go back to the Camera and the approval slows down) and Confindustria, ABI and ANIA have written a letter asking for relevant changes to the current proposal (too relevant to keep the effectiveness of the law).

You can find an article online on Il Sole 24ore “Riparte l’iter delle quote rosa, cambiamenti alla legge“, but you can also participate to a very simple survey: are you pro or against quotas? You can find the survey here.

Express your opinion and contribute to this relevant debate!