What does it mean to run today’s corporations? How do our corporate leaders integrate global and social responsibility, ethical governance, demands for a diverse and talented workforce into a stimulating work culture whilst remaining competitive? Speakers for this session were:
- Ceri Powell, Vice President – Exploration for the Middle East, Caspian & South Asia, Shell International.
- Sung-joo Kim, CEO, Sungjoo Group &MCM Products
Helena Berstrom Pilo, Senior Manager Climate Control
- Fernandina Sandico-Ong, CEO, EarthHeaven Foundation
How is Shell helping business women in the Middle East? In several very substantial ways we learn from listening to Ceri Powell. With goals of filling 20% of technical position with women, hiring 50% female graduates (today 36%) and creating women’s networks around the world Shell hope to be able to attract, develop and retain talented women. There is still much to be done and it is up to companies like Shell International to rise to the challenge.
Sung-Joo Kim shared a very personal and courageous story with everyone at W.I.N. She began her speech by telling us about how she had been disinherited by her father because she refused to abide by an arranged marriage. She then went on to talk about how she started her career at Bloomingdale’s in New York before returning to Korea to launch her own business, Sungjoo Group. She talked about how it can be difficult to run a business in a Confucian, male-dominated society and how she, by implementing a value system founded on honesty, transparency made her business successful, even during the Asian financial crisis.
10% of Sungjoo Group’s net profit goes back to society and a fundamental value of their business is social responsibility. Sung-Joo also made everyone smile when she called herself a “self-employed slave” and told us how she had packed her daughter’s black jeans instead of her own.
Fernandina Sandico-Ong learned the art of weaving and the importance of cultural preservation when she, at 13, spent time in the Philippine mountains. This knowledge has influenced her entire life and she is now creating an eco-village where she is involving the local community in building a sustainable weaving business. By combining her global know-how with Philippine traditions and resources she creates beautiful designs worn all over the world.
She also talked about her goals for the future and showed videos of weavers using banana fibres. Fernandina is proud to promote Philippine indigenous made products.
Helena Berström Pilo, a senior executive and a member of the female customer reference group at Volvo, talked about what the international carmaker does to meet the specific demands of women. It is important that the views of female customers are taken into account in the design process. What do women want? The same as men but more is the easy answer according to Helena. More specifically they prioritize storage, functionality and ergonomics. Is there one car for all women? Of course not, all women are different and prioritize different things.
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