AI Issue 4 2017

Acquisition International - April 2017 59 A Manufacturing ‘One-Stop-Shop’ “Fresh from engineering university, I stepped into Novo Nordisk A/S’ production in Denmark with an interest in problem-solving and production. I started as a team leader and pretty quickly learned that becoming a leader involves much more than being put in a leadership role; acquiring new skills, and adapting one’s style to the requirements of that role. It involves a fundamental identity shift. It’s a never-ending training session that I love and that has brought me to the position I am in today. “It has been intense at times - but I am very passionate about my job. I aim to influence the quality culture of our company in a positive way, by embracing advances in the quality system and improving how we communicate and by being transparent. This journey is all driven by leadership and I believe that this creates the culture of quality by its actions. This applies to the questions of gender diversity as well. We should expect change in everything – and also in culture. We need to get our people to act because it drives value - because quality is a value - and gender diversity is too. I believe this is how we win in the long run.” Andrea then focusses her thoughts on the extent to which women today are joining boardrooms in Denmark and beyond each year. The number of women sitting at the table in corporate boardrooms across the countries of the world is rising very slowly, but at least it’s rising Andrea says, going on to develop this point in more detail, followed by her thoughts on gender diversity in the workplace. “In the Xellia Board of Directors, we have one woman out of six members in total. Several studies conclude that companies with at least one female on the board tend to have higher stock returns and better corporate performance than companies with all-male boards. Many European countries are maintaining a focus on diversity in the boardroom, especially from a gender perspective, so it’s not only a question of fairness. The presence of women in the leadership of a country, a region or a business is a question of good governance. “Basically, it makes bottom-line business sense to have gender diversity in the workplace today. Men and women have different viewpoints, ideas, and market insights, which enables better problem solving. Women are as talented as men, so leaving women out of top leadership just means you are missing 50 % of talent. It is a challenge of diversity that we all need to realise is very real. I believe that for women, the subtle gender bias that persists in organisations and in society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader. Companies need to be very proactive in managing the shift in gender balance as it definitely doesn’t happen by default.” In terms of the company’s own staff, Andrea believes very strongly that the people make Xellia what it is. They aim to attract the most talented, productive employees in their industry and to earn their loyalty and commitment as Andrea explains in greater detail. “We support and protect our employees through comprehensive processes, ensuring that every employee is treated fairly and has a voice which is listened to and valued” Andrea goes on to say before offering additional thoughts on the company’s workforce and the value she places on them. “As a truly international company, we benefit from a diverse, multicultural workforce. Across our sites in eight countries, we employ more than 25 nationalities. Although located around the world, we have an integrated, open and transparent culture, built on mutual respect, trust and accountability. We aim to recruit competent and motivated people who respect our values, and we in turn provide equal opportunities for their development. “To remain competitive, we need to ensure that our employees have the opportunity to continually advance and extend their skills and knowledge; we achieve this by providing a comprehensive range of training and development programs.”