Would I be where I am?
“I PERSONALLY CHALLENGE GENDER STEREOTYPES WHEREVER I COME ACROSS THEM AND I ASK EVERYONE AROUND ME TO DO THE SAME. AS LEADERS WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE.”
Andreas Staubli, CEO PwC Switzerland
If you were a woman, do you think you would have made it to the top leadership ranks? Why (not)?
Reflecting on my path, it’s possible that I would have made different decisions at key moments in my career because it was less common to see women in leadership positions and there was a lack of female role models. For instance, I can only guess that I might have decided upon a totally different profession due to the influence that my surroundings and family had on me. In addition, I might have concluded that having children and going after top leadership ranks were not compatible. The latter requires significant changes in our society to combine family and top leadership ranks for both women and men.
How have gender stereotypes influenced your career choices and professional development?
And do you feel these stereotypes are present in your current work environment?
Having grown up with three sisters, I always appreciated the value of different genders and personalities. I considered myself to be quite sensitive towards gender stereotypes and their potential negative impact. The role of women has evolved considerably over the past 50 years since the women’s suffrage.
However, gender stereotypes are still present in our work environment and society today and impact women’s career choices. In doing so, we ultimately risk a talent drain that we as an economy and society cannot afford. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to better understand and overcome gender stereotypes in the business environment and in society.
How do you personally act against gender stereotypes in your environment?
I personally challenge gender stereotypes wherever I come across them and I ask everyone around me to do the same. As leaders we have a responsibility to create positive change.
At PwC Switzerland, we provide trainings for the employees, leaders and HR specifically to raise awareness on biases and lead inclusively. We carry out gender checks at moments that matter in the employee life cycle such as recruitment, promotions and our partner pipeline. I personally support our female talents by coaching, mentoring and empowering them. I engage with people and seek feedback in order to continuously improve.
Our efforts are bearing fruits. We were recognised by the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation as an equal pay and equal opportunity employer, which I’m very proud of. We’ve built up a strong and diverse pipeline over the past years but we still have some way to go in the higher levels. I’m personally committed to creating a workplace that fosters an inclusive culture and provides each one of us with equal opportunities to grow.