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International Women in Engineering Day Happy International Women in Engineering Day! At ZF, we are proud to celebrate the incredible contributions of women engineers who drive innovation and excellence in our industry today and every day. This year’s theme, #EnhancedByEngineering, perfectly captures the essence of how women engineers elevate our work will continue to shape the future of mobility. I'm excited to share some significant milestones that highlight our commitment to fostering women at ZF. Since 2021, we've increased our women engineering managers by an impressive 50%. Our efforts to create an inclusive and supportive environment have also led to a dramatic reduction in turnover for women from 12% in 2021 to just 5% in 2023. We recognize that building a robust pipeline of future women engineering leaders is our biggest opportunity. To support this, we're investing in internal development programs such as the Plant Manager Development Pool and our Empower HerPower talent pool, both designed to cultivate women in leadership roles. On this #INWED24, let's continue to support and inspire the next generation of women engineers. Together, we can create a more diverse and innovative engineering landscape. To my fellow industry leaders: How are you enhancing your engineering teams through diversity and inclusion? #WomenInEngineering #DiversityInTech #ProudToBeZF #Leadership #Innovation

Last week, Natasha Schmidt hosted the first in a series of talks designed to provide inspiration on the topic of “Women in STEM Leadership”. She invited Zoe McDougall and Natasha Dunn (Tash) to share their experience navigating a career in STEM, how they fuel their ambition and a brief history of their career paths. All three touch upon the current challenges — and opportunities — for women looking for a career in STEM.  Globally, women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce - Global Diversity Practice. What do we need to consider to support women — and others — in a STEM career?  They shared how it is important to create environments where women can thrive in STEM careers.  Both speakers shared their belief that supporting women in STEM is not about suppressing anyone else.  “It’s about raising everyone up” – Zoe. While Natasha Dunn highlighted “the key thing is not women in STEM. It is about everyone in STEM”. Zoe went on to focus on understanding your own drivers in your career path and how they can either propel us or act as barriers. Understanding whether you are motivated by impact, kudos, security or other things can help people choose the path that will make them most fulfilled and successful.   The role of early influences is tied up with this — did you have fantastic early role models? Or perhaps grow up in a family or culture with less support for women in scientific careers? Scrutinising your own positive or negative early influences can help understand our internal fears and ambitions, and to cast aside our own behaviours where they are getting in our way.   Sharing her personal family and other role model, Zoe noted that she was very fortunate that her mother — who was a financial journalist and environmental campaigner — demonstrated to her that if she wanted something enough, “then why not” go out and get it. Tash followed a similar theme highlighting that if you “Do what you love, then you'll love what you do” and how being proactive and inquisitive is the best way to develop, progress and meet new people in your career. She also highlighted how the language we use is extremely important, especially when talking about women. Tash shared one example of how sometimes women can be described as ‘bossy’, whereas if she was a man they may have been described as a ‘leader’ — one has negative connotations while the other is positive. Tash prefers to take ownership of the narrative and describes herself as decisive. Finally, Barbie seems to have infiltrated just about everywhere and this talk was no different. Zoe asked the audience what’s Barbie’s message?  She then shared how when she asked her eleven-year-old daughter the same question, she replied “Everyone should be nice everyone” — a take-home message that we can all get behind.  

Women in Leadership: Insights from Lekha Nirmal, Co-founder and CEO of P-Mech Technologies As part of Engineering Talks, I had the pleasure of hosting Lekha Nirmal, an inspiring figure in the technology and engineering fields. As we celebrate Women's Day, I want to share the invaluable advice she offered to women aspiring to leadership roles. Here are the five key points Lekha emphasized: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Excelling in your field starts with a robust understanding of your technical area. This knowledge is the cornerstone of confidence and expertise. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Technical skills are crucial, but so are soft skills and emotional intelligence (EQ). Women naturally possess high EQ, a vital asset in leadership and communication. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽: Whether at work, home, conferences, or networking events, voicing your thoughts and ideas is crucial. Encouraging women to speak up challenges societal norms and fosters confidence. 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Having mentors, be they from your academic days or industry experts, provides guidance, support, and inspiration. A mentor-mentee relationship is a two-way street that demands engagement and openness from both parties. 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: Self-belief is a powerful driver of success. It's about pushing through the tough days with resilience and waking up each day with renewed faith in your capabilities. As Lekha poignantly put it, "Every day is Women's Day." This underscores the importance of recognizing and celebrating women's achievements and contributions every single day, not just on March 8th. Lekha's journey and her advice serve as a beacon for aspiring women leaders in technology and engineering. It's a reminder that through dedication, perseverance, and support, women can break barriers and ascend to leadership roles, shaping the future of our industries. Let's all take a moment to reflect on these insights and spread the message of empowerment and leadership among women. Here's to celebrating the achievements of women today and every day! 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 #engineering #womensday #womenempowerment #womeninengineering #womenengineers #womeninbusiness #womenfounders #mechanicalengineering #tanks #design #technology #iwd24 #iwd2024

This article celebrates the meaningful careers and achievements of a diverse group of women leaders in the tech industry. And while there is still much that can be done to elevate women to senior roles in the industry, these trailblazers have demonstrated their resilience and talents by shattering the glass ceiling and making their mark. Progressive tech companies such as Adobe, McAfee, and Microsoft are also highlighted in this piece. #womenintech #leadership #nextgenleaders #womenintechnology

How Women Leaders Are Shaping the Future of Science https://shorturl.at/rvFGW In our most recent article, we look at how women leaders are transforming the science world. Explore the remarkable stories of female scientists who are breaking down barriers, encouraging innovation, and mentoring the next generation. Learn about their ground-breaking research and how their visionary leadership is shaping science's future to be more inclusive, collaborative, and ethically conscious. #Womenleaders #Femalescientists #Womeninleadership #Scientificinnovation #Genderstereotypes #TWA #TheWomenAchiever

I AM NOT HUMBLE. This is why: First a few definitions of humble: “having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance”; “freedom of pride”; “not assertive”; “reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission”. Pause. Women often believe that when we speak up or strongly advocate for ourselves, we will be less liked. Women feel like we are bragging when we SHOULD BE PROUD and speak to our individual accomplishments and talents. Women less often apply for jobs for which they don’t check all the boxes. Women often hide rather than show the world who we, you are; because we feel we will be punished for doing so. You can uplift others while being strong, confident in you. “I am important. I am indispensable. I want to be recognized for and speak to my accomplishments. I am my brand.” So ladies, unless I got the definition wrong … don’t focus on humble; rather be confident, know and speak to your worth like you would speak to others’. Zofia for Becoming WISER Women In Science & Engineering Rock #womeninscience #womenleaders #womeninstem #womenengineers #leadership #womenentrepreneurs

Join us today at the GSA Women's Leadership Initiative Women in Semiconductor Hardware conference in San Jose! We’re proud to be sponsoring this year’s event, where together as an industry, we join the GSA Women's Leadership Initiative in uplifting and supporting women in the semiconductor industry. Did you know that the Global Semiconductor Alliance and Accenture release an annual report on the state of women in the semiconductor industry? This year’s report, titled “Unlocking the Value of Women in Semiconductor,” provides invaluable insights into the ways that semiconductor companies today can help uplift women. Read the report here ➡ https://lnkd.in/gX-U9Tny Learn more about the event and secure your seat here ➡ https://lnkd.in/gKnSrStd #AlphawaveSemi #GSA #WLI #WomenInSemiconductorHardware #sponsor #FemaleTalent #WomenInLeadership #AcceleratingTheConnectedWorld

This week, we would like to introduce you to our women in IT- and digitalization-related leadership 💻 As a technology company, innovation is crucial for our success. In this light, digitalization serves as a driver of innovation and enables disruptive innovations with new solutions based on, e.g., artificial intelligence and machine learning. Meet five inspiring leaders this week who drive digital innovations by abandoning entrenched ways of thinking to break new ground. Although women are still underrepresented in many #STEM jobs and leadership positions overall, we are lucky to have many talented women at #Voith. By creating visibility for today’s professionals, we hope to inspire and encourage more women to follow their career aspirations and motivate the next generation of talent to take similar paths. #womenleadership #womeninit #womeninSTEM

🌟 Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day! 🌟 Today, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women engineers and all the amazing women working in engineering organizations. As a leadership coach for women in STEM, I know firsthand the challenges and triumphs that come with being one of the few women in the room. Let's take a moment to recognize and honor the resilience, innovation, and leadership that women bring to the engineering field. Your contributions are shaping the future and breaking down barriers for the next generation. Here's to all the trailblazers, mentors, and rising stars – keep shining brightly and pushing boundaries! 🚀 Let us also celebrate the variety of engineering disciplines that women are co-shaping. Share in the comments below your discipline and the sector you work in! 🌍 #INWED2024 #WomenInEngineering #WomenInSTEM #Leadership #WomenEmpowerment #STEMLeadership #EngineeringExcellence