Success Talks: Women of the new Era
As gender equality is moving up the agenda for many companies, top tier managers are still predominantly male. What is it like to be a woman in management, and how do you deal with unpleasant comments from your male peers?
We discuss this topic with two 'women of the new era' and our host Sander Schimmelpenninck in the talkshow Erasmus Success Talks. Our guests Pei Wen Lin, Head of Global Business Development at Unilever and Jara Pascual, CEO of Collabwith, look at cultural differences and discuss day-to-day interaction with their colleagues.
With a work history in Taiwan, Pei brings new perspectives on the professional relation between male and female employees to the table: cultural differences. The first time she did a round of introductions with her Dutch colleagues, she was amazed to learn about people's family life and hobby's - definitely not something she was used to in Asia. Also, she learned that in Dutch business culture, it is always good to challenge your boss and speak up for yourself.
Be strict
Jara's advice for women in business is to be very clear about the things you do and do not want to discuss with your colleagues. In her career she got asked a lot about her husband, her children, family life and even the cleaning of her house. She chooses to immediately stop the conversation and draw a line in the sand. If you feel you are not taken seriously, make clear what direction you want to go.
How do you find the balance of discussing your personal life with your colleagues whilst still presenting yourself professionally? Our guests continue to discuss about this question with our host Sander. Watch the video for the full interview and make sure to check out other Success Talks through the links below.
More alumni stories
Digital Leadership
Everyone is CEO of their own life
Brewing beer in times of crisis
