More and more companies recognise the importance of #diversity, and not just because investors are increasingly looking at whether they meet ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Criteria.  But here in Germany, we still have a problem. And so #diversity is an agenda that we have to keep pushing. Corinna Schittenhelm understands this first-hand – she’s a female executive in a traditionally male-dominated field: automotive and industrial engineering. Corinna is a trailblazer for many of us, and as Executive Board Member for Human Resources and Sustainability at engineering giant Schaeffler she is working to normalise #diversity in the workplace. That includes things like ensuring that #workingdads take #parentalleave too.“Today when I have those discussions, not only with women, also with men – actually much more men, I really encourage them also to take time off,” she explains in this podcast. “I think it’s really important for both.” 

As we always say at MyCollective, parenting is a #leadershipskill – and in her position at the top of a big company, Corinna sees this too. „I’m also interested the individual,” she says, „in their family needs, how they feel, what they do, if they have special interests, and this really human-centric view – you keep this when you have children, and you have a family.” This is one of the reasons she advocates for more men to devote time to parenting: “I think this is something we would really need – that men also are courageous to show that they have this human-centric view and that they are also interested in other people and their needs and their character. And not always driven so much by facts, figures, data, you know. I think that would make them much more likeable!“

Speaker: Corinna Schittenhelm, Executive Board Member, Human Resources and Sustainability at Schaeffler 

Interviewer: Dr. Ricarda Engelmeier – Founder @MyCollective

Music: sponsored by @Michaelkadelbach

Picture: Corinna Schittenhelm  

Graphic & Production: MyCollective