32 EN: Strong women, strong industry: female executives at voestalpine

00:00:02:

00:00:03: Welcome to

00:00:04: my podcast, a first Alpina medium for all employees

00:00:08: as well as fans and

00:00:09: everybody who wants to become part of First Alpiner in the future.

00:00:13: This episode was translated from The German Interview

00:00:16: with

00:00:17: AI.

00:00:26: Our topic today is strong women, strong industry and female executives at Fürst Alpine.

00:00:33: I am delighted to welcome a very high-caliber group to the podcast microphone today!

00:00:38: A warm welcome to Karola Richter – member of the Executive Board & Head of the Metal Forming Division.

00:00:44: Pauline Seidemann CFO Of The Steel Division.

00:00:48: Nadja Jungvirt CSO Of Fürst alpine Rail Technology.

00:00:53: And last but not least, a warm welcome to the chairman of The Executive Board Of First Alpine CEO Herbert Eibensteiner.

00:01:01: Thank you all for taking the time to join us!

00:01:04: Female empowerment—that is, the strengthening and promotion of women in the company —is a key goal For first alpene In coming years.

00:01:12: My opening question To You All Is If you had to describe the topic of Women-in-Industry in one sentence What would it be?

00:01:20: Perhaps we'll start with you Miss Seidemann.

00:01:22: That's actually a buzzword.

00:01:24: We are still severely underrepresented, but there need to be more of us and they will be.

00:01:29: Miss Richter?

00:01:30: Yes If we knew what were missing out on But I'd like add a sentence about.

00:01:35: that means to me.

00:01:52: But I also see it the other way around from the perspective of women who are unfamiliar with many our jobs in industry.

00:01:58: Not only in the office but also production, these very attractive jobs especially for women and easy to plan a round.

00:02:06: We work as teams The work is more exciting And compared to others we're quite well paid

00:02:12: Miss Jungviert?

00:02:14: For me this statement is that Women are indispensable in industry.

00:02:20: On the one hand, I am referring to roles that is neither as workers nor experts or office staff and certainly not managers.

00:02:29: This can be seen in the fact that proportion of women industry generally significantly higher in other sectors than heavy industries.

00:02:36: And even when you put it into a historical context i came across something interesting namely that Austria had highest female employment rate in Europe in the nineteen sixties.

00:02:46: The basis for this was industrial jobs.

00:02:48: Mr.

00:02:49: Eibensteiner Please join in.

00:02:51: A few words on the topic of women and industry?

00:02:53: I'll keep it brief, i know that women contribute significantly to our company's success with their expertise.

00:03:00: Thank you very much for that.

00:03:01: We can see how important this topic is!

00:03:19: Well, I think the very simple answer to the question of how i came to Foustal Pinet is that when you change companies and industries You do so through a headhunter.

00:03:28: But I think The Question goes much deeper than That And I believe the decisive factor in my career was that it Was somehow predestined for me To work In A technology company.

00:03:48: In my next step, which I think also steered me a little bit in the direction of ending up at Fus Salpini.

00:03:56: I was already in the manufacturing industry.

00:04:24: divisions.

00:04:25: And I think that's something that definitely helps me in my current role, so a wide range of different jobs yes.

00:04:32: and then they asked me what i love about my work?

00:04:34: I think you can see it ,and you can tell .I am really enthusiastic About My Work which is due to many things.

00:04:40: on the one hand its company That Is Open To Newcomers welcomes You & Gives You The Opportunity To Shape Things and I Think I Have Also Been Very Well Received By The Team both by my colleagues on the Executive Board and in the Metal Forming Division, for which I am responsible.

00:04:56: And when you realise that you can make things happen... ...and you can implement things then that inspires you!

00:05:02: You can certainly hear the enthusiasm in your voice.

00:05:05: Was there a moment in your career when you thought, now I'm going to take on responsibility or now i want to contribute more?

00:05:12: Yes...I don't think that's one specific step where you take on responsibilities and before that you didn't!

00:05:19: I think anyone would be overwhelmed if they had to take on a huge responsibility in one step, but i also think it's important to be open to taking that step.

00:05:52: There must be a reason why someone is asking me, and sometimes I found the job exciting.

00:05:57: Sometimes i thought...I don't know if it's that exciting!

00:06:00: ...I did anyway and always said well..i'll just shape

00:06:02: it.".

00:06:03: And I think that desire to shape things ,to take responsibility ..to make decisions should be in your blood.

00:06:09: Then you will feel comfortable with greater responsibility.

00:06:12: In any case It was gradual realisation not just moment.

00:06:16: Absolutely isn't one step.

00:06:18: Ms.

00:06:18: Siderman, how was it for you?

00:06:20: Were there any particular challenges or opportunities on your way to and within First Alpine?

00:06:26: Well my path was more of a coincidence so it wasn't really planned.

00:06:30: My original training is in business education.

00:06:32: I studied Business Education which actually something that is stereotypically very female dominated You become teacher.

00:06:40: However, if you want to teach economics in school….

00:06:43: …you need practical business experience.

00:06:45: So I naturally looked around and sent a speculative application... ...to Fus d'Alpine where i started at the very bottom as a trainee.. ..in the finance department.

00:06:54: What perhaps adds to my situation is that As it's sometimes case in technical professions or industry In My Case there also financial controlling which is industry independent.

00:07:06: You simply need it, regardless of how big a company is.

00:07:10: And so I didn't really have any reservations or fears about simply applying on my own initiative and It was kind-of fun!

00:07:17: So i never ended up in school... ...and now been with our company for over thirty years.

00:07:22: Too bad for the students but good for Fustalpini at least.

00:07:26: Have you ever had moment where your career felt like to fight harder than your male colleagues?

00:07:34: Personally..I haven't felt that way Not really, and I think it's also because i'm someone who doesn't like to do things by halves.

00:07:54: And that's still partly the case, but that is how I started and took my first steps.

00:08:15: She wasn't a highly educated woman but she always said what a man can do, A Woman Can Do Too.

00:08:21: Maybe if you pick up on that from an early age it helped me not to feel like I was the only women there and wonder If i could say That or how should behave?

00:08:29: At some point You don't notice It anymore And you behave completely normally.

00:08:33: Then your performance is also recognized.

00:08:45: Yes, I'd like to start by explaining a little bit about how i got here and then you'll see what makes the job so appealing.

00:08:59: And, as already mentioned in the background stories.

00:09:16: This is a process and development that's also dependent on seizing opportunities... ...and being open to taking new tasks.

00:09:24: That perhaps it was also a bit of bridge between past & present.

00:09:28: What appeals for me particularly?

00:09:30: It works with people challenging complex situations.. ..that doesn't just apply to internal environment

00:09:36: i.e.,

00:09:36: colleagues but customers simply seeing how I can bring difficult situation into conclusion a good end by trying to understand interests, balance interest and seek common solutions.

00:09:49: And that's what makes it so incredibly exciting!

00:09:51: That is still the big part of my job today – I love doing this.

00:09:55: Of course i remember particularly challenging projects especially difficult where effort was required from everyone involved… Where the gap was very large.. Where Interests had to be reconciled... What I've always wanted to be able do in my job now is work in an international context, bringing together different cultures interests and countries which is incredibly exciting.

00:10:20: Often you need someone to encourage a

00:10:21: little.".

00:10:23: We already heard from Ms Richter that she had kind of mentor.

00:10:26: how was it for?

00:10:27: what role have so called mentors played your career?

00:10:32: Actually I can only say very lucky.

00:10:37: In my first years in the sales department, I had a Department Head who was an informal mentor to me because at that time there were no formal mentoring program.

00:10:46: And i simply have the opportunity learn from her not only professionally but above all soft skills.

00:10:53: This also includes how to navigate as a woman in a male dominated environment.

00:10:58: And again, it wasn't just about internal relationships with colleagues from the technical department which is very male-dominated or in production but on the customer side.

00:11:08: The railway industry was...or rather WAS A traditional and very male dominated industry.

00:11:14: I was really lucky here.

00:11:17: That's why I think it is absolutely the right move for FUSTA-Alpina to implement a structured mentoring program today, because i think its great that it not left too chance or stroke of luck as if was me have mentor but opportunities.

00:11:31: women are being created specifically in male dominated environment.

00:11:35: And goes without saying also available as a mentor in our mentoring programme at the FUSDA-Alpine metal engineering division.

00:11:42: So mentoring programs are essential for career paths, also for women.

00:11:47: Especially for women of course

00:11:49: An essential element and in my opinion precisely there to provide opportunities And make women's skills visible.

00:11:57: Mr.

00:11:57: Eibensteiner I would now like to ask you from a CEO perspective.

00:12:02: What role does female empowerment play In the first Alpina group?

00:12:06: Are they any specific goals?

00:12:08: Yes, female empowerment is a central component of our strategy and should therefore also be reflected in our corporate culture strategy.

00:12:17: We are working intensively to actually increase the proportion of women in all areas of first alpina.

00:12:23: we're technical company at number of female applicants is off course lower than many other industries.

00:12:31: management level want to grow from fourteen percent to eighteen percent by twenty thirty.

00:12:38: That actually sounds very, very little but that means by twenty-thirty one in five managers will be a woman and this is clear goal.

00:12:47: We are clearly moving into the direction because we're truly convinced mixed management teams bring better

00:12:55: results.".

00:12:56: And where does first Alpina start to attract more women?

00:13:03: An important part is of course positioning ourselves on the job market.

00:13:08: And we also do intensive information work in schools, at career fairs and even participating in networking events to give women a real insight into their career opportunities And what it's actually like to work in an industrial and economic technology group.

00:13:25: At the same time, we naturally want to provide further training for women already working for us….

00:13:31: …and create the best possible conditions... ...for continuing professional

00:13:35: development.".

00:13:36: So as you just said framework conditions are important.. ..and information work is important!

00:13:41: These are essential factors in appealing to women even more effectively.

00:13:45: Let's make it even more specific.

00:13:48: What are the specific framework conditions or other factors?

00:13:51: Perhaps you have a few examples for us.

00:13:54: Yes, I think an important issue is always compatibility of work and family life.

00:13:59: We hear this time and again.

00:14:01: Here we naturally try to offer very flexible working arrangements, and part-time models in order to actually implement these even if it is certainly difficult for a manufacturing company with shift work,

00:14:13: e.g.,

00:14:14: we already offer our employees childcare at several locations.

00:14:18: However, the conditions that enable women to pursue a career also include respectful treatment in everyday working life.

00:14:25: And I can say that – In my view First Alpina has zero tolerance policy when it comes any kind of discrimination.

00:14:31: We also attach great importance here.

00:14:34: So what i'm saying is that respectful interaction at all levels and female empowerment are key success factors.

00:14:42: Thank you for now.

00:14:46: We'll continue talking about female empowerment soon!

00:14:49: In part two of this podcast episode, we will discuss the challenges that still need to be overcome in coming years and roles women play in ten-year time.

00:14:59: Dear listeners here is a brief summary.

00:15:05: Female empowerment is a central component of Fussdalpina's corporate culture.

00:15:10: Mixed management teams are an essential factor for economic success and employee satisfaction.

00:15:16: at Fussdalpiné Women should seize career opportunities with courage and confidence, especially in the technical field.

00:15:24: That was a new episode of my podcast.

00:15:26: If you are not yet a subscriber, follow our podcast on the platform where you're currently listening!