THE DRIVING SEAT

Patricia Greene, head of communications at Volvo Car Ireland, took part in the company’s female mentorship programme, and the results were more far-reaching than she expected.

Despite Beyoncé’s famous line: “Who run the world? Girls”, when it comes to the world of business, it seems we don’t. You can dwell on the depressing statistics, such as the fact that in 2018 women made up just five per cent of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, or you can do what Volvo decided to do, and try and change that. With an aim to have 35 per cent of their female employees in leading positions by 2020, Volvo created their female mentorship programme to nurture women who have the potential to become future leaders. Patricia Greene, head of communications at Volvo Car Ireland, was delighted to be selected for the second year of the programme, which began in early 2018.

“There were seven mentees paired with very senior female directors,” Patricia explains, “and we were from various departments within Volvo, from purchasing to marketing and HR.” She was paired with Helena Dino, director of HR for EMEA and the Americas. As well as meeting throughout the year, Patricia says they could contact their mentor at any time. “They were a shoulder to lean on, and an ear to listen to your queries and give a completely different perspective on things.”

The progra mme gave Patricia t he opportunity to shadow Helena for a few days. “I really got an insight into what it’s like being a senior female in Volvo,” Patricia explains. “Because Helena is based in the head office in Sweden, it meant I got to sit in on senior executive meetings.” Later in the year, it was Helena’s turn to get an insight into Patricia’s work. “As well as seeing day-today interactions with my team, I brought her out to a retailer, and she was able to directly ask them questions about diversity, and female roles within the business. It was interesting for her because she could then see what the needs were there.

It’s one thing to bring in a diversity programme at a head office level, but it needs to carry through to all levels of the company.”

It is this insight for both mentors and mentees that seems to have made the programme so successful. Patricia says it’s given her a whole new network of people in Volvo, and made her more aware of being a mentor to others, and supporting younger women coming up through the company.

Perhaps the most surprising result of this programme is a policy change for Volvo in the entire EMEA region, having revised their parental leave to provide 80 per cent pay for six months for both men and women. “That came out of one of the meetings we had as a whole group,” Patricia explains. “We were discussing reasons why women don’t progress in the company, and one issue was maternity leave, which differed greatly from country to country. Typically – and I’m not saying in every instance, because my husband looked after our children for the last number of years – it’s the woman who tends to stay at home and mind the kids, returning to the workforce at a later stage.”

She says this is a big concern among women. “It’s something we don’t talk about enough, so it was good to have those honest conversations. It was incredible that, as mentees, we were able to influence the strategy of the company.”

The programme demonstrated how having women’s voices at every level benefits everyone in the company, and will have positive effects long into the future. A clear argument, surely, for helping women get into the driving seat.

"As mentees, we were able to influence the strategy of the company."