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Women Empowerment Club 2nd annual conference: inspiring future generations

Marlen Estévez (Promociona ‘20) and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners received the Women Forward Awards for outstanding contributions to gender equality
Jornada Club WE

 

The Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club’s 2nd annual conference was a thought-provoking event where business leaders, first-class professionals and gender experts gathered to acknowledge progress in equality and raise awareness of unresolved challenges.

During the introduction, Eugenia Bieto (Lic&MBA ‘73/PhD ‘08), president of the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club, highlighted the importance of gender equality being central to business strategies and the fact that it requires the implementation of measures to ensure equal opportunities for men and women. “Society might seem to have come a long way, but we know this is not quite true. We can study and dedicate ourselves to what we want, but gender gaps persist in employment, education, work-life balance, health and well-being, and if we don’t do anything about it, it’ll take thirty-nine years to achieve equality in Spain,” she said. “We Esade students and alumni must help build a world free of discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion or social status. We have the tools and opportunities to make a real, positive impact on companies and organizations. I invite you to carry the identity of our school out into the rest of society and, above all, to rely on the younger generations who will become the protagonists of important decisions in the realm of diversity and inclusion,” she added in an appeal to the community’s responsibility in this matter.

 

Helena Garcia Melero

 

Also taking part in the conference was Helena Garcia Melero, who gave an inspiring, motivational talk about her own experience as a prominent journalist and television presenter on the Spanish TV3 channel. She has also worked in the press and radio, and teaches at Ramon Llull University and the International University of Catalonia. Helena recalled her early days shortly after graduation facing the challenge of presenting the news program, and highlighted the need to retrace paths in order to remain alert and carry on learning.

Professional career award

Marlen Estévez has become a beacon for young lawyers, driving significant changes in the sector. In addition, her work extends beyond her own career: she is the founder of Women in a Legal World, a network that seeks to accelerate the professional advancement of women in the legal profession by participating in social debate. In her acceptance speech, Marlen explained that “the progress made so far heightens my belief that change is possible and that together we can continue to open up new avenues for future generations.”

Award for contribution to gender equality by business

Regarding the award presented to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the judges underlined the company’s commitment to admitting women into its governing bodies and at all levels of the company. This effort has been acknowledged around the globe: the company features in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index which measures the transparency and effectiveness of equality policies in listed companies. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners achieved remarkable scores in five key areas: female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies and women-friendly brand.

Igone Bartumeu, Director of Public Affairs, Sustainability and Communication in the Eastern Area of Coca-Cola European Partners, explained that “the goal we have set ourselves is that by 2030, one third of our staff will be women and 10% will be people with disabilities, and that 45% of management positions will be held by women.” True to its “Everyone is Welcome” philosophy, the company is active on five key fronts, i.e. gender, disability, generational diversity, cultural inclusion and LGTB+, with a view to fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace at all levels.

 

Premiadas

 

The conference was also attended by Patricia Valentí (MBA ‘02/ Promociona ‘17), director of Esade Alumni; Mireia Oranias (EDP PwC IV ‘09), member of the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club board and partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers; Jerôme Trochet (MBA ‘09), interim president of the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club and head of business at Nexe the Way of Change; Ricardo Bacchini (PDC ‘16), member of the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club and director of People and Organization at Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution; and Anna Quirós (Promociona ‘17), director of Culture and Development at CaixaBank, amongst others. 

The event ended with a cocktail: the perfect backdrop for high-caliber networking.

 

 

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