[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_0053.jpg” credit=”(C)INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland” align=”left” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left”]
In early June, the INSEAD Alumni Association of Switzerland hosted an evening conference featuring alumna Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, MBA’84, who spoke about the strategic topic of gender balancing. Afterwards Dominik Schaller, MBA 01D, Partner, Egon Zehnder Zurich, joined her at the podium for a fireside chat.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/introaw.jpg” credit=”(c) INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Alexander Wyss, MBA 01D, Zurich Chapter President and head of the Real Estate Transaction Group of Baker & McKenzie in Zurich, welcomed guests and introduced the evening’s speakers.” captionposition=”left”]
There are four major shifts affecting the world around us this century, according to Wittenberg-Cox’ research: Weather (climate change), Web (the Internet’s impact on how we distribute, make and buy things), World (global multi-cultural markets) and Women (massive arrival of women in the workforce).
[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/aviva.jpg” credit=”(c) INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Avivah Wittenberg-Cox’s consultancy 20-first helps global companies benefit from the biggest shift underway in talent and market demographics.” captionposition=”left”]
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox provided several anecdotes from her consulting work, also sharing research notes and observations with the participants. For example, addressing women is a bigger opportunity than the emerging markets of China and India. After outlining the reasons to attribute a high priority to gender bilingualism, Wittenberg-Cox, gave some strategic ideas to work with.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/simplestep.jpg” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”After outlining the reasons to attribute a high priority to gender bilingualism, Wittenberg-Cox, gave some strategic ideas to work with.” captionposition=”left”]
[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_0027.jpg” credit=”(c) INSEAD Alumni Association Switzerland ” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”INSEAD Alumni sharing the podium: Avivah Wittenberg Cox, and Dominik Schaller ” captionposition=”left”]
Schaller brought a practical, day to day, perspective to the topic. Some of the practical issues he highlighted were dual career and children and how to measure talent and potential.
Organizations are seeking ways to achieve concrete results in selection and promotion of executives using metrics and measurements to evaluate performance based on merit. It requires change at a high level of leadership, according to Schaller. Even then it is difficult because in certain industries, the talent pool is 90% male, he said.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”400″ img=”https://www.insead.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/one-key-gender-balance.jpg” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Avivah is not only a popular speaker, consultant and coach, she is the author of several books on the topic of gender balancing and leadership. Participants received a copy of her latest book.” captionposition=”left”]