Women in Leadership

In the context of gender equality and diversity in leadership positions, it is often emphasized that professional performance is the decisive criterion for filling these roles, regardless of gender. An analysis of statistics from recent years provides data on developments in this area.

Only 10% of the world's top companies are managed by women.¹ Female managers are even rarer in industry, where only 9.8% of board positions are held by women. Nevertheless, there are also positive examples, such as the consumer goods industry, which is leading the way here with 23.5% of management positions held by women.²

We at Hirschmann Automotive also want to show that diversity is possible and that women play an essential role in management positions. For example, almost a third of our managers at our plant in Nantong, China, are women.

At Hirschmann Automotive, we celebrate our amazing women every day.

Today, we present ten influential women at Hirschmann Automotive. From HR Director to Heads of Group Process Management to Production Segment Leaders, these strong women inspire and pave the way for diversity and leadership in our industry.

May Dai | Leader Quality Production

At our plant in China, May Dai has been part of the Hirschmann Automotive team since 2021 and is the Head of Quality for Production in China. When we asked her what challenges she had to overcome on her way to becoming a leader, it was her belief in herself that she could be a leader.

»If you don't believe in yourself, you can't expect others to do so either. As a woman aspiring to a leadership position, it's important to know your worth.«

During this time, May expanded and deepened her knowledge of quality and learned a lot about leadership. Her incredible expertise, but above all, her belief in herself, has brought her to where she is today.

Lydia Zhang | Leader Process Development

Lydia, Process Development Leader in China, also demonstrated that women are present in process development and can take on leadership roles. When asked what key message she would pass on from her experience as a role model for many women at Hirschmann Automotive, her answer was simple: »confidence. It is essential to develop a certain amount of self-confidence and trust in what you think is right.«

Gertraud Mathis-Dietrich | Global Head of Legal & Compliance

Gertraud, also known as »Traudi«, has been part of the Hirschmann Automotive team for over ten years and is Global Head of Legal & Compliance at our HQ in Rankweil. She is a respected manager and a mother of two daughters, proving both are possible. The traditional understanding of roles, in which women are mainly responsible for raising children and men for financial support, is increasingly being questioned. However, it is still widespread in some circles. We asked her how she reconciled her family and career and achieved a healthy balance between family and career.

Nadine Amann | Head of Group Process Management

Nadine Amann, Head of Group Process Management, has been strongly involved in developing a new internal process in recent years and has demonstrated her skills and professionalism. The term female empowerment is omnipresent these days. We asked her what female empowerment means to her.

»For me, female empowerment means that women acquire or receive all the necessary skills, resources, and opportunities to achieve their goals. It's about creating a world where women can fully exploit their potential. For me, however, it is not about preferential treatment through "mandatory" quotas but equal treatment and justice.

To achieve equal treatment and justice, women need access to education/knowledge, jobs that allow them to be financially independent, and the right to self-determination. There should be no restrictions or requirements based on gender. For me, female empowerment means that women receive the same opportunities with the same effort and the same possibilities.«

Omnia El Ghazy | Human Resources Director

Omnia has been part of the Hirschmann Automotive family for 11 years and was promoted to Human Resources Director in September.

Isabel Fuchs | Head of Logistics

Isabel is the Head of Logistics at our plant in Germany. Equality between women and men in management positions has still not been achieved in many companies in the 21^st century. When asked how companies can help promote gender equality in management positions, Isabel had the following to say:

»The media has discussed the tandem model—two part-time employees sharing a full-time position with management responsibilities. In my opinion, reconciling family and career is still challenging. Women are more likely to have multiple duties than men, which is a significant obstacle on the path to management responsibility. The tandem model is an excellent way to create more flexibility. Facilities such as a company kindergarten also make combining family and career easier for many women.

Companies should set a good example, promote potential female managers, make them »visible« outside their company boundaries, and publicize their commitment. This would be effective and encourage other companies to become more open and break down prejudices.«

Nikol Baletkova | Leader Accounting

The Head of Accounting in the Czech Republic is female. We asked Nikol what people or events inspired her to pursue her career path and work as a manager today.

Janet Bogdan | Production Segment Leader

Alina Gamalie | Leader Accounting

In conclusion, the achievements and experiences of women in management positions at our plants worldwide are invaluable. They shed light not only on the challenges and successes on the road to gender equality but also on the positive impact of diversity on corporate culture. Their stories and perspectives are a source of inspiration and a clear signal of the need to continue paving the way for future generations of female leaders.

Today, on International Women's Day, we celebrate the remarkable determination, achievements, and strength of women worldwide. We are proud to have strong women who are committed to their success.

Sources:

^{1 https://lookaut.tv/v/weltfrauentag-mehr-frauen-in-fuhrungspositionen/970}

^{2 https://industriemagazin.at/karriere/nur-9-8-prozent-der-industrievorstaende-sind-weiblich/}