„Diversity and Inclusion – the Next Engine“
What does it take to become a female leader? Accountability, a focus on the success of others and love for the growth process, says SAP top executive Adaire Fox-Martin.
STANDARD: What skills will be needed by employees in the future, what influence does artificial intelligence have on jobs? Fox-Martin: As technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. IT used to be an industry on its own, like manufacturing or automotive, but now it is a horizontal enabler of every industry on the planet. Every company is now a software company. So, from that perspective, a career in technology holds much promise. On the other hand, the speed of change that technology is driving in the businesses world is unprecedented. It’s never been this fast and it will never be this slow again. Automation, robotics, deep learning, cognitive thinking, connected-everything are changing too many professions to count. It is estimated that more than half of all jobs needed in the next 20 years are not even invented yet. AI is particularly polarising the opinions about the future of jobs for humans, but we have been through the cycles of major technologies disrupting the job market more than once. Maybe AI will impact us more than the industrial revolution did, or maybe it won’t. But instead of pitting man against machine, we need to work together. AI is a great enabler and will be the creator of new jobs for sure. But, there will always be elements that humans do better – being creative, improvising and dreaming up new innovations. Therefore, flexibility and lifelong learning will stand out as the most important factors in nurturing successful careers. Special focus should be paid to developing creative thinking, creative problem solving and roles that are centered around relationships.
STANDARD: Women’s IT careers in particular – what role will women play in IT if industry 4.0 becomes more important in Europe, what are the challenges? Fox-Martin: AI lived in Asia for 17 years; the last three as President of SAP’s Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) business. In Asia, where the resources have always been scarce, women were never seen different to men in terms of productivity. Every productive hand counted. In China it is said that women “hold up half the sky” and, therefore, they are expected to work as hard as men. This has spilled over to the current business environment. It is estimated that women have founded more than 50 percent of new internet companies and that more than 25 percent of all entrepreneurs in China are women. Even for SAP, this is our region with highest participation of female workforce. Industry 4.0 is rife with opportunity for women in Europe. But it does not come without challenges. The 2016 study by the World Economic Forum, called the Industry Gender Gap Report, shows that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have a disproportionate impact on the economic prospects of women. Part of the problem is the fact that it will be the roles performed largely by women that will be most automated. The other part is that women are already underrepresented in the workforce and especially in high-impact jobs where women need to be participating. But these types of careers are demanding. They are not jobs you can switch off from when you go home. In many countries, there is no strong support system for women who want to dedicate their lives only to family and career. It’s one thing to say a woman has equal opportunities at work and mean it, quite another to quietly sabotage her by also expecting her to still be responsible for most home decisions. And that is if the women can get to these roles in the first place. Unconscious bias has been a problem for almost half the companies that participated in the WEF’s study. Diversity and inclusion is the next engine for innovation and is absolutely necessary to serve a diverse customer base in the way they deserve. SAP aims to lead the tech industry in opportunities for women, and support STEMrelated initiatives such as Girls Who Code, Girl Smarts, TechGirlz, the European Center for Women and Technology, and many others to prepare for the workforce of the future. As part of our Business Beyond Bias move- ment, we are connecting customers with the capabilities of SAP Success Factors’ machine-learning technology. By using algorithms that detect and eliminate bias, SAP provides tools that help eliminate workplace inequality. Now we’re building on that foundation by looking at Back2Work programs to help men and women who have taken a break to care for children re-enter the workforce.
STANDARD: What would be your career advice? What does it take?
Accountability, focusing on making others successful and being in love with the growth process. The process is key because this is when you learn, hone your capabilities and develop as a leader. Everyone wants to be successful and respected, but not many want to go through the process of getting there. To go through failures, working long hours, ex- periencing the consequences of making a wrong decision – all without becoming defensive but learning at each turn – all these are very tough but priceless lessons to becoming a capable leader. And for female leaders, while gender inequity is very real, and we need to put in a lot of work to address it, being constantly focused on the issue turns it into a single prism through which we view the world. Let’s not narrow down the rich tapestry of experience, but instead, do all we can to contribute to gender equity while learning and growing. Being always open to learning and new experiences and challenges is the best way to ensure a steady stream of good career opportunities.
ADAIRE FOX-MARTIN (54), Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE leading Global Costumer Operations. In 2017 she was named to Fortune’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women International List.