Female Talent in Emerging Markets

A yearlong study called “In Plain Sight: Female Talent in Emerging Markets", supported by Bloomberg, Booz & Company, Intel, Pfizer and Siemens came to surprising conclusions about the potential of women in emerging markets.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, a professor at Columbia University and founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, is essentially saying in this study that over half of college graduates in these markets are now female, and they've been somewhat neglected in terms of the war for talent.

Although there are huge populations involved and large pools of educated people, only 10% to 15% of the college-graduate population of China and India are well-prepared enough to be part of a management track at a local corporation. So the effective highly qualified pool of people is quite limited. It would therefore make a lot of sense, given the backdrop just described, to be much more proactive with the recruiting and training of females in these markets.

Siemens is positively mentioned in the study for having a new program called the Engaging BRIC and ME Talent Program. It is a very targeted approach to giving specially tailored growth opportunities to women and men.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett also is the founding chair of the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force—a group of 56 global companies and organizations committed to fully realizing female and multicultural talent.

Gender bias?

Taking a “look at the key women who are shaping Asia's political and economic landscape" on the occasion of the 100th International Women's Day on 08.03.2010, CNN published a list of eight of Asia’s top power women.

Indra Nooyi, coming in at second place, "lords over some 185,000 corporate minions in close to 200 countries", notes CNN. “Nooyi's hard-as-nails leadership and her sense of fun (one-time lead guitarist in an all-girls rock band still performs regularly at corporate functions) has earned her spots on many 'best leader' lists in the US," it adds.

Being the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Incorporated, she is a Successor Fellow of the Yale Corporation, a Class B director of the Board of Directors of the New York Federal Reserve, and serves as a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, International Rescue Committee, Catalyst and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Eisenhower Fellowships, and currently serves as Chairperson of the U.S.-India Business Council.

Regardless of all of these achievements and being ranked third on the 2008 and 2009 list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Magazine, in an article in the Times of India Indra Nooyi has been quoted saying that "most powerful lists’ must be dumped in the garage". She recounts how "in 2001 when I went home to tell my mother about my appointment as the PepsiCo president, she reacted indifferently with a "dead pan" expression." She said, "My mother told me when you enter the house, you are a mom, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law. Next time you come home, leave the crown in the garage."

Could you imagine that any dad on this planet would say the same to his son: "when you enter the house you are a dad, a husband, son, son-in-law"? At least I have never heard of any man having said this when asked how it feels to be on the list of most powerful leaders!

Are people still not ready to acknowledge the accomplishments of women? If someone as powerful as Ms. Nooyi has to put up with these kinds of comments instead of being cheered on her accomplishments, then what can be expected for small achievers?

One wonders when the world will be mature enough to accept the success of a woman outside the four walls of her home without labeling her a “Rabenmutter” (raven mother, after the black bird that pushes chicks out of the nest) at the same time…

More about Indra Nooyi can be found here.

SAP to appoint first woman to top management

The Personnel Department in the SAP Board of Directors will in future be occupied by a woman: the former Unilever Manager Dr. Angelika Dammann will join the software group.

Dammann joins SAP from Unilever DACH, where she served as vice president, human resources, and labor relations director, and also was a member of the company’s Board. Prior to Unilever, Dammann spent 17 years with the Shell organization in different positions.

The 50-year-old studied law in Hamburg and London and earned a doctorate in International Law. After the Siemens Manager Barbara Kux, Dammann will be the second woman within the Central Boards of all 30 DAX companies.

Does this now mean that German companies are especially daring and fearless? Siemens and SAP have appointed women Directors; German Telekom is discussing a quota – where are all the other liberated and open minded global corporations in this picture?

Please let us have your opinion.

You can read more about Angelika Dammann's appointment here.

Women Quota or not?

Barbara Kux has always been a high-flyer: working with food giant Nestlé where she started her career, as a Management Consultant with McKinsey, during her MBA studies at prestigious INSEAD in Fontainebleau or with the nomination into the circle of “Global Leaders of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum in Davos. She always outshone her competitors – men and women alike, mind you.

With this it seemed only natural that Mrs. Kux got one of the most desired jobs that any big corporation has to offer, becoming a member of the Central Board. Barbara Kux is since 2008 Head of Supply Chain Management and Chief Sustainability Officer with Siemens. The only woman within the Central Boards of all 30 DAX companies.

The example of Mrs. Kux can now be interpreted in two ways:

One could argue that “If women are really good, they will reach a top management position. Same as men.”

On the other hand, one could argue that “Women in business still extensively do not stand a chance. They have to be considerably better than any man around to be promoted to top management”.

Unfortunately, the second interpretation seems to be much closer to the truth. Even though more women have better grades and are quicker to finish their education than men, they still are the odd one out in most companies.

Against this background, Deutsche Telekom has very recently set a Women-Manager Quota of 30% by 2015. Do you feel this is the right way to go? Please leave your comment on this topic – we are very interested!

More about the Women-Manager Quota at Deutsche Telekom can be found here.
More about Barbara Kux can be found here.