[ad_1]
DFNI celebrated international women’s day (IWD) This year, we’re focusing on women working in the global travel retail industry.
In this interview, Stefanie Schmidle, Marketing Director, Global Travel Retail, Lindt & Sprüngli Based on her experience, she says that while gender mixing is less of an issue in the travel retail industry, the imbalance is usually at the level of positions held by women.
What do you think about diversity in the travel retail industry and how women are represented within the industry?
Overall, in terms of gender diversity, women are well represented in the travel retail industry. Of course, like most industries, we can and should do more to truly champion and promote diversity and inclusion. Doing so will make your travel retail business stronger and more connected to the consumers you are trying to reach. If we aim to truly speak the language of diverse shoppers, we must be diverse as an industry.
Depending on your experience, how do you feel things have changed for women in the industry?
Based on my experience, gender mixing has never been much of an issue in the travel retail industry, but the imbalance is usually at the level of positions held by women. There are not many women in senior management positions in the travel retail industry.
However, progress is being made and it is heartening to see more women providing thought leadership at industry events such as Trinity Forum and DFNI’s Cruise Conference.
It is also great to see DFNI joining the BBC 50:50 project to introduce diversity webinars and drive equality towards a more even mix of men and women in industry reporting. The media plays a key role in how travel retail is perceived and we want to show that there is a huge amount of female talent behind much of the innovation and success in our channel. I am.
What more is needed to help women advance?
At a general level, we continue to implement policies that address barriers faced by women in the workplace, such as unconscious bias training, tackling the pay gap, and ensuring that motherhood is no longer a barrier to career advancement. need to do it.
Role models and mentorship are also important. More women at the top tables of our industry could be a huge inspiration, especially when female leaders share their experiences and expertise with the next generation.
We also need male allies who champion diversity and inclusion. This is not just a “women’s issue,” it is an issue that requires a change in mindset and continued progress at all levels.
Has your organization set diversity and inclusion goals?
Lindt & Sprüngli has several DE&I goals to achieve by 2025. These include hiring 40% women in senior leadership positions, conducting 100% pay equity analysis in all countries, and launching a global mentoring program with 500 participants. included.
Why do you think it’s important to watch IWD and what kind of support is your company showing this year?
Several global activities are planned to help advance Lindt & Sprüngli’s DE&I implementation plan.
To coincide with International Women’s Day, Lindt & Sprüngli has launched a new initiative, “Women@Lindt.” This series features specific female colleagues who are having a significant impact on their companies’ inclusive work culture.
As mentioned earlier, we are launching a global mentoring program this year. The program provides training to employees in all countries to promote awareness and understanding of unconscious bias and anti-harassment.
We also celebrated Women’s Day with a Fireside Chat hosted by Nicole Woolmeister, Chief Human Resources Officer.
How can I join the travel retail industry?
Promoting diversity and better representation of women in travel retail requires everyone in the channel, from brands and retailers to industry associations, to work together. In addition to setting diversity goals and tracking progress, we need to ensure that women are adequately represented in senior decision-making roles and on corporate boards. It is also important to recognize that women juggle multiple personal and professional roles and offer flexible working arrangements to ensure a level playing field.
[ad_2]
Source link
