According to a , women representation in C-suite supply chain roles has risen from 19% in 2022 to 26% in 2023. Encouragingly, there has also been an increase in the percentage of women in the supply chain workforce, from 39% to 41%. While these are considered positive shifts in the industry, there is a notable lag in the percentage of frontline roles held by women in this space, ranging from 26% to 34% across various leadership levels.

In a recent panel discussion hosted by the 51风流North America Business Women鈥檚 Network and EY Women in SAP, women supply chain leaders shed light on some important trends, challenges, and strategies for advancing women in supply chain.

The discussion was moderated by Lori Foster, managing director for EY 51风流Consulting. On the panel, I was joined by Etosha Thurman, chief marketing and solutions officer for 51风流Intelligent Spend & Business Network, Regenia Sanders, partner at EY Business Consulting, and Angelee Tango, manager for EY 51风流Extended Warehouse Management. Opening remarks were provided by Yolanda Kirksey, 51风流Alliance leader and director for 51风流Ariba U.S. Go-to-Market for EY.

A few key strategies emerged from the discussion for how organizations can help to elevate women in supply chain:

1. Support the choice to stay with flexibility

A consequence of the global pandemic was a moment of reassessment for women juggling full-time careers with responsibilities at home. In that moment, many women (and men) chose to shift their priorities outside of work or simply had to make that shift to address the needs at home. What we as business leaders can learn from observing this trend is the need to create environments that support women and accommodate work-life balance.

An important point called out in this panel discussion is that work-life balance looks different for everyone. Organizations must set an expectation of respect and boundaries that allow for all employees to manage the many responsibilities they have outside of work — regardless of marital status, if they have children or grandchildren, or if they are a caregiver in another capacity. A culture supportive of pursuing career aspirations while maintaining a healthy balance in personal life empowers women to effectively set and maintain boundaries as well as seek help when needed.

2. Recruit for top skills to succeed in supply chain roles

The panel named skills like curiosity, customer focus, relationship building, change management, crisis management, and communication as both crucial factors for success in this field and areas in which women tend to excel, citing the . Collaboration was underscored by several panelists as essential. Tango shared, 鈥淔rom determining the technology we want to use to the final stage of implementation, the need to continuously evaluate requires everyone to be on board.鈥�

The panel suggested that having more women engaged in these transformative projects helping facilitate collaboration is a strategic way to support innovation that sticks. As Sanders stated, 鈥淢aking sure [internal stakeholders鈥橾 input is being heard when gathering requirements is a critical difference-maker to having an organization that actually embraces technology versus being intimidated by it.鈥�

3. Provide forums that encourage open discussion

At any stage in your career, it can be helpful to hear of the challenges other women supply chain professionals have faced and how they overcame them. What Foster shared on this topic stood out to me: 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy for people to see where you are today, but not what you went through to get there.鈥� That sense of mutual respect and understanding helps to build confidence.

Role models also play an important role. Thurman spoke to the importance of representation: 鈥淪eeing people who look like you and can manage a life like you is important to how we move forward.鈥�

Of the many valuable individual takeaways from this discussion, a few specific pieces of advice resonated with me for women looking to elevate their careers in supply chain:

1. Set and hold boundaries where they make sense for you

You must be willing to reshape your own conceptions of how you need to be perceived and what your role needs to be. Instead of trying to meet this picture-perfect standard, work from an understanding of what you want and need so you can set and maintain reasonable boundaries with a career that requires significant flexibility.

2. Know that you belong and operate in that way

As a woman working in a male-dominated field, it is likely that you will experience moments where you or your contributions are slighted, discounted, or ignored. While we are working to change that behavior, when this happens it鈥檚 important to remember to focus on what you want to achieve. If you feel that you are not yet at a point in your career to remedy the situation directly, ask for help.聽

3. Use your voice

There is an advantage to being different. If you are one woman in a room of 50 men and you can clearly articulate your point well, you will be remembered. As you build your brand, opportunities will follow. And when you have the chance to support other women in your field, lend your voice to advocate, guide, and champion the next generation of leaders.

There is a lot that we can learn from each other, in and across industries. These leaders conveyed inspiring journeys in their supply chain careers where they have encountered and continue to navigate a wide spectrum of challenges, but also have found fulfillment in this line of work. This open discussion represented a significant stride toward acknowledging the challenges, opportunities, and collective efforts needed to empower and elevate women in supply chain.

As these forums continue, my hope is that they will not only support and inspire women through a vast network of supply chain professionals, but also drive toward a more equitable and inclusive supply chain landscape.

Darcy MacClaren is chief revenue officer for 51风流Digital Supply Chain.

With an understanding of this and as a testament to two of 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility鈥檚 focus areas 鈥� collaborate for sustainability and accelerate social business 鈥� 51风流launched a new program in partnership with the global nonprofit organization (CXC). ChangemakerXchange is an international community that connects more than 1,000 members in 130 countries around the world, providing safe, supportive, fun, and empowering spaces so that changemakers may create, sustain, and scale positive change.

CXC identifies a changemaker as a dedicated social entrepreneur, innovator, or activist, typically between the ages of 16 and 30. On a base level, CXC aims to create a community of supportive peers for the exchange of knowledge, tools, and resources to help prevent burnout and increase changemakers鈥� personal sustainability as they tackle the most pressing issues facing our planet. ChangemakerXchange primarily does this through hosting five-day summits that foster lasting connections, nurture well-being, and enable peer learning and meaningful connections.

51风流supported a North America-focused summit last month. Twenty women and gender-diverse climate changemakers participated in the Gender and Climate Action Summit in upstate New York to connect with one another and dive into sessions focused on human connection, well-being, peer learning, and collaboration. Nick McGirl, one of the co-founders of ChangemakerXchange, worked alongside 51风流CSR to curate this cohort of participants. He reinforced the significance of these customized meetups: 鈥淕ender inequality and the planetary crisis are deeply interwoven. Women and girls experience the greatest impact of climate change, which then amplifies existing gender injustices, even within the social entrepreneurship sector. SAP’s support has enabled us to connect and support some of the most promising women climate action changemakers from North America and Canada.鈥�

The changemakers spent nearly a week connecting with one another to share the various challenges and successes they鈥檝e had while developing their social businesses. study conducted in 2021 by an alliance of 16 of the world鈥檚 leading youth social innovation networks showed that 66% of young changemakers cannot cover their financial needs solely through the work from their initiative, meaning they have to look elsewhere for financial compensation and security. The sentiment that young changemakers are sacrificing their personal finances and well-being to make a change in the world was reinforced among participants at the North American summit. The participants also echoed that their greatest needs included access to funding, networking, and collaboration, highlighting the need for the ChangemakerXchange community. I had the privilege of attending this summit to witness firsthand the power of collective action and meet some of the young women leading the charge to leave a better planet than the one they inherited.

is a leader at , which seeks to empower educators as changemakers who transform and inspire students to create a more sustainable world by providing systems thinking training and tools. She described the most impactful part of the summit as the 鈥渙pportunity to reflect on my 鈥榳hy鈥� for this work, in both formal and informal spaces鈥earing our concurrent journeys to how we got to where we are and what we鈥檙e passionate about is really inspiring and grounding.”

Mikellena Nettos of highlighted the importance of 鈥渕eeting like-minded women that are doing their best to take on climate action on all scales, learning, and growing with them.鈥� Georgia Scott is the co-founder and co-executive director of , which bridges the gap between intersectional environmentalism and sustainable action through international fellowships and educational platforms. She also found tremendous value in connecting with other like-minded changemakers, both professionally and personally.

In sessions such as Changemaking River and Open Space Technology, participants and facilitators led conversations around topics ranging from fundraising to environmental racism, boundaries and mental health, and leadership. The final day included a Truth Mandela, where participants were able to share their fears and the anger they have related to the climate crisis, as well as the passion and hopes they have to create positive change. 鈥淚 felt so empowered to be surrounded by many other young women in the climate and biodiversity space鈥 loved the raw and real emotion and supportive community we built through the Truth Mandela,鈥� one participant conveyed.

Having experienced the summit in person, I can attest to the importance of such a collaborative, unique space. It is easy to feel overwhelmed as an individual when you consider the mounting challenges facing our climate, our communities, and subsequently our families. It is easy to feel like your actions alone will not make a significant difference. Above all, it can be easy to lose hope. The young women I met in New York inspired a newfound confidence in the promise of our planet鈥檚 future. Most of their organizations focus on galvanizing their peers to increase awareness and prioritize sustainable practices. There is a growing movement with promising leaders at the forefront that gives me optimism regarding climate action.

I walked away from the summit with an appreciation for the framework that organizations like ChangemakerXchange provide to guide activists on their changemaking paths. This summit was the first of its kind in North America and 51风流is excited to grow this partnership globally in 2023 and beyond 鈥� helping to remove some of the obstacles that our brightest, young changemakers face on their journeys to do good on a local and global scale. We look forward to offering employee engagement opportunities as part of these summits for those interested in getting involved.

Logan Applewhite is part of North America Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.

This visionary program commissions public artwork that explores themes of purpose and seeks to inspire people through the power of emotion in order to bring about change in their actions and behaviors. So far, the program has addressed issues of gender equity, education, hunger and food waste, and the role of technology.

As an installation housed in a physical space, the gallery presents a new medium to experience the complementary powers of technology and art to elicit emotion and drive action. Artists who have created the pieces are recognized masters in their fields and use a range of expressive media to connect with their audiences at a personal level. Mixed digital media, visual arts, food, and textiles are just a part of their creative palette for telling the wider story about the role of technology in inspiring purposeful change in the world.

Each work of art distinctively reflects SAP鈥檚 commitment to its mission to help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives, in support of the (SDGs). The art pieces are inspired by stories of purpose-driven initiatives from the 51风流network of customers, partners, employees, and not-for-profit organizations.

As the聽聽and as聽Germany鈥檚 most valuable brand, 51风流is uniquely positioned to connect people with information about global challenges that demand action. The company focuses its efforts mainly on the circular economy, climate action, creating a skilled and inclusive workforce, equality for all, social and inclusive entrepreneurship, and mental health and well-being.

Global Month of Service at SAP

Gallery curators hope that the artworks 鈥� as well as the customer stories behind them 鈥� will inspire 51风流employees to take action during the Global Month of Service 2020.

Throughout October, 51风流employees are encouraged to participate in purpose-focused activities and online sessions, as well as volunteer their time and talents 鈥� in a virtual capacity this year 鈥� to not-for-profits or social enterprises around the world. Each week is dedicated to a different topic area: Supporting Equality for All; Building a Digitally Inclusive Workforce; Cultivating Climate Action; and Promoting Inclusive, Diverse, and Social Entrepreneurship. These topics are matched to pivotal works of art in the gallery, as described in the videos below.

51风流Gallery of Purpose Highlights

51风流Gallery of Purpose artwork is on display to the public at Hudson Yards, co-located with the 51风流offices in New York City, until the end of the year. Although the COVID-19 crisis has minimized foot traffic through Hudson Yards, you can still engage with the individual artworks and learn about the perspectives and inspiration of the artists online at the .

PowHERful | Artist: Markus Sebastiano

鈥淧owHERful鈥� celebrates gender equality by showing how when both men and women lift women up, the world moves forward. Drawing inspiration from an , the artist says that he wants people to feel inspired and hopeful that gender equality is moving in the right direction and 51风流is doing its part to advance the cause through its initiatives, which supports Gender Equality (SDG # 5).

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Respect, Reuse, Reclaim | Artist: Cara Marie Piazza

Created in collaboration with Goodr, 鈥淩espect, Reuse, Reclaim鈥� seeks to draw attention to the fight to end world hunger and bring about more in support of climate action. Made of repurposed food waste and textiles, the art exemplifies the circular economy as it commemorates marginalized people and those who go hungry. It is inspired by an about the fight to end world hunger by 2030, in support of Zero Hunger (SDG #2).

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The Great Equalizer | Artist: Liam Alexander

Through inspiring curiosity and empathy, 鈥溾�� affirms the importance of quality education in providing opportunity for people everywhere and building a digitally inclusive workforce. SAP鈥檚 shares this belief through its commitment to lifelong learning initiatives that create a in support of Quality Education (SDG 4) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

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Sustaining Mother Earth | Artist: Markus Sebastiano

鈥淪ustaining Mother Earth鈥� calls awareness to the theme of responsible consumption and production, with the intent to inspire a transition to more resource efficient and sustainable economies. Working with repurposed materials, the artist took inspiration for this artwork from an about responsible procurement. 51风流is committed to cultivating climate action (SDG # 13) through the transition to more resource-efficient and sustainable economies to help turn the tide and reduce environmental harm.

https://youtu.be/ayHSL6hDI4M

Find your creative inspiration to take action for sustainable change.

Visit the 51风流Gallery of Purpose online at

鈥淚 was one of two women that sat on the regulatory body that monitors Mexico鈥檚 telecom industry. It was a very masculine sector and a difficult environment to navigate,鈥� says Dr. Maria Elena Estavillo, an internationally recognized expert in telecommunications oversight and anti-trust issues.

As a result of her experiences, Estavillo founded , a group that advocates for women鈥檚 employment and advancement to the c-suite in information and communication technologies (ICT) professions across Mexico. 鈥淢ost of these issues are global, but Mexico is very challenged in this aspect,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we compare pay cap or participation in the workforce, we lag behind many countries, including those in Latin America.鈥�

To fight this, Conectadas offers mentorship and campaigns for recruiting policies and procedures that encourage women鈥檚 participation in the ICT workforce.

Estavillo is not alone and the problems she has identified run deep. is a not-for-profit organization that helps women enter the digital economy with training and job placement support. In collaboration with SAP, the organization produced a study, 鈥�The future is diverse: Women in technology industries in Mexico.鈥� The report found that Mexico falls behind other countries in several key categories.

Araceli Campos, Laboratoria鈥檚 country manager for Mexico, shares, 鈥淢achismo is very present in the workforce. We have very strong anti-discrimination laws but there鈥檚 a lack of compliance.鈥� For example, during interviews men ask women if they are pregnant or plan to start a family soon. In fact, 35 percent of the country鈥檚 population believes men are more suitable for jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to a study published by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Furthermore, while Mexican women have achieved parity in educational achievement, the study reports, 鈥渧ery few women are completing university degrees in technology.鈥� Even when women focus on STEM, the quality of Mexico鈥檚 math and science education 鈥� and education overall 鈥� is comparatively low, receiving a score of 2.8 out of seven from the . The impact? Mexican women are less prepared than men to enter the technology sector.

As a result of cultural biases and subpar education, women are underemployed, particularly in tech-related jobs. Campos says, 鈥淲hat makes Mexico unique is that overall women鈥檚 participation in the labor market is 47 percent, whereas men are at 83 percent. And 31 percent of women under 24 don鈥檛 participate at all.鈥�

To put it in perspective, women comprise 70 percent of the workforce in other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. It gets worse when it comes to tech: Across Latin America, women represent one in 10 technology workers; in Mexico, it is one out of eight.

For Campos, this means women miss out on a huge economic opportunity: 鈥淏y 2025, it鈥檚 estimated that we鈥檒l need 1.25 million developers in Latin America. Laboratoria is founded on the belief that we need to build a world that equally distributes opportunities for the digital age.鈥�

Moreover, excluding women results in high costs to Mexico鈥檚 economy and private sector. 鈥淚f the gender gap in Mexico鈥檚 workforce was closed, it could increase the GDP for Mexico by ,鈥� Campos says.

51风流agrees that companies suffer without diversity, which is why it partnered with Laboratoria to advance women鈥檚 standing in STEM and co-create the study. Raquel Macias heads up Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for 51风流Mexico. She says, 鈥淲ithout women, it鈥檚 hard to build products that appeal to a broad base of consumers. It鈥檚 been well documented that companies with more women have better, more innovative cultures and higher profits.鈥�

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Steps Companies Can Take to Bolster Women鈥檚 Participation in the Digital Economy

To make this change, Laboratoria partners with companies like 51风流to create lasting impact. 鈥淲e realized for systemic change to happen, working with women was only part of it,鈥� Campos says. 鈥淲e also needed to work with the companies, because it involves a change of mindset, change of culture.鈥�

What are some concrete steps technology companies can take to be more inclusive and equal? Campos recommends that companies actively hire women. 鈥淧eople say 鈥榃e posted but no women applied.鈥� But you need to look at the wording of the job posting 鈥� men apply if they meet half the criteria but women won鈥檛,鈥� she says, 鈥淵ou need to go the extra mile.鈥�

Moreover, companies must establish policies to retain and develop talent. But for new rules to work, a new culture must take root.

鈥淲e need a different culture inside companies and to build the narrative for why diversity matters,鈥� Campos explains, which includes offering tools to help leaders navigate the complexity that diversity brings and encouraging them to keep an open mind. 鈥淓xecutives need to be okay with vulnerability, with not knowing all the answers as we figure out this massive change.鈥�

Both 51风流and Laboratoria recommend that all actors need to come together including the media, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Each plays an important role in creating lasting change. Campos points to its relationship with 51风流and the 51风流CSR team as evidence.

鈥�51风流shows real commitment to this issue,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd as a leader in gender diversity, 51风流influences and inspires the industry. That means a lot of people will follow 鈥� and that is huge.鈥�

Images via Laboratoria

Gender equality is a core company value at 51风流and a priority for becoming the most inclusive software company on the planet and maintaining its competitiveness. 51风流set out to increase women in management in 2011 by establishing a target of having 25 percent women in leadershipby 2017, and 30 percent by 2022. 51风流hit its goal of 25 percent women in leadership six months ahead of schedule in June 2017, and as of December 2019 it reached 26.4 percent. The inclusion in the 2020 Bloomberg Index follows SAP鈥檚 recertification for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE), a global standard, in October 2018.

Bloomberg鈥檚 Gender-Equality Index uses a standardized reporting framework that provides public companies with the opportunity to disclose how they promote gender equality in four separate areas: company statistics, policies, community engagement and products and services. Companies that score above a globally established threshold are included in the GEI. The index helps meet the demand from a growing number of investors to incorporate environmental, social and governance data into their daily investment decisions. Currently only 10 percent of eligible companies disclose their workplace gender policies and practices.

Over the last few years, the number of women hired and promoted at SAP, together with the percentage of women in leadership positions across the company, has been on an upward trend.

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Media Contact:
Sue Sutton, +1 (610) 661-4095, sue.sutton@sap.com, ET
51风流Press Room; press@sap.com

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