#InspireInclusion: on International Women's Day and every day

Mar 04, 2024

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Empowerment knows no boundaries, just like inclusion and diversity because at delaware we believe that diversity fosters creativity and innovation. It's a process that evolves and improves continuously. At delaware we have a clear vision and mission towards a more inclusive and diverse (leadership) team.

We hear you wondering what that means. Motivated by International Women's Day and its theme #InspireInclusion, we thought the time was right to ask four of our partners how they experience leadership and diversity at delaware.

taking the lead at delaware

All #peopleofdelaware are involved in leadership in some way at any level and in any role. The essence lies in learning from our experience to grow in our leadership. We believe that you can grow in varying dimensions such as being entrepreneurial, having managerial capability, leadership to guide and stewardship to positively impact the world we live in. It is necessary to have a global model that reflects our commitment to cultivating diverse leadership in order to achieve a 30% diversity goal by 2023 and 50% diversity in the long term.

Above all, we prioritize investing in self-discovery. Because understanding oneself enables better assessment of others and fosters more effective collaboration. We aim for a team where each individual's unique strengths complement one another, boosting synergy and cohesion.

Discover insights firsthand from four of our partners as they share their perspectives on leadership and diversity.

meet Claire

Claire Kravtchenko, partner in France, started her delaware journey in 2015. Last year, she initiated the ‘sorority program’ in France, fostering a supportive environment where women come together to assist each other with their professional endeavors and responsibilities.

“Women share joyful but also difficult experiences. We now have three committees with different objectives. One of them is to support women when they have certain challenges, another one is to boost talent in which we get together with successful female professionals. And finally, there’s one to educate and attract female university students. For us, it’s important to have moments for women alone, but also to have initiatives involving men to create an environment in which all the #peopleofdelaware feel comfortable and confident.”

meet Geert

Geert Scheipers, partner and #peopleofdelaware since 2021 , aims to bring together all dimensions of the company by investing in the delaware culture.

As he says: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast, but culture is inherent when it comes to strategy. We are actively working towards a complementary and diverse team at all levels at delaware. I firmly believe that self-discovery is paramount. Understanding your strengths and areas for growth is key. Asking yourself, 'Who am I?' and 'What unique contributions do I bring?' is essential. Embracing diversity in people and perspectives is where the magic happens. Collaborating with individuals who think differently sparks innovation and leads to remarkable outcomes.”

meet Ataa

Ataa Erroussafi, founding mother and managing partner of delaware Morocco since 2022. With her strengths such as being warm and open, she inspires her family with it but also the #peopleofdelaware. With her leadership style, her delaware division is one that effortlessly attracts female talent.

She elaborates: “delaware has made me feel welcome and safe from the beginning. As a woman in IT, being part of this company is truly rewarding, especially considering that open communication is key, and delaware definitely takes that to heart. Regarding the fact that I run a very female division, I feel like my leadership style as a woman is one of my biggest strengths.”

meet Pei Lin

When Pei Lin Yeo joined delaware as a partner in Singapore in 2019, she immediately felt welcome. She brought with her multiple years of leadership experience from previous roles, but just as paramount was her experience as a mother of two.

“I don't feel like I got the role because I am female. I think the fact that I'm a woman just happens to be a bonus and in the last five years I've had a lot of opportunities. I currently chair the Audit and Risk Committee and I'm also responsible for the rollout of our Ethical Code. delaware fosters a sense of being heard. Here, your ideas and visions are not only welcomed but valued. And as a woman, you can contribute a unique perspective to the conversation.

I coach my team to embody authenticity and confidence in their expertise and capabilities.”

Learning & Development

Who is the single most important person in your journey of self-development? You are! But you can’t do it all on your own. To support you on your journey to becoming the best possible version of yourself, we have set up learning & development practices that guide you along the way.

Why CSR matters for our employees

Our identity, our personality, our DNA – whatever you may want to call it – is what makes delaware ‘delaware’.