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Antje von Dewitz, born in 1972, studied economic and cultural studies in Passau.

She originally wanted to work in the environment, but then joined the mountain tourism outfitter Vaude, a company her father had founded.

In 2009 she took over the management and consistently focused on cultural change in order to gain the greatest possible diversity among her employees and to encourage more women to take on management responsibility.

WORLD:

Why are there still too few female executives in Germany?

Antje von Dewitz:

That is due to the companies and their framework conditions.

I took over the company from my father in 2009.

We had been preparing for it since 2005.

It was important to me to distribute the responsibility among many people and to involve other managers, including women, from whom I received a large number of rejections.

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We then went into the cause research.

There were reasons such as “I have children”, “The working hours are too long for me”, “The tone in meetings is too rough”, “I don't know whether I can trust myself”.

We then tackled these many topics.

We now have more than 40 percent female managers.

This did not result from a special female support program, but rather from a cultural change.

Much can be attributed to the fact that we have created a balance between work and private life, with trust-based working hours, leading also part-time or - even before Corona - the promotion of mobile working and home office.

It is very important to us that we all meet at eye level and recognize our diversity.

The teams are diverse with different personalities.

In my opinion, this is an important prerequisite for women to take on responsibility.

This is still different in many companies in Germany.

View from a drone perspective: The Vaude company headquarters is in Obereisenbach near Tettnang

Source: picture alliance / dpa

WORLD:

Men still seem to be more likely to take action when it comes to leadership responsibility.

Does that seem to be due to the fact that family work is still more likely to be done by women in this country?

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von Dewitz:

Yes, I would say that.

But that's only part of the problem.

It's multi-causal.

It's also about women not being so one-sidedly focused on their jobs.

I am now seeing more and more men, too, that they differentiate more.

If you experience in your environment that you are completely committed to a management task or you have the feeling that it has to be that way, you tend to shy away from it.

WORLD:

You tried to change the corporate culture with small measures such as the request to finish work on time.

von Dewitz:

Yes, in essence it was about anchoring that what matters is not long working hours, but results.

Managers are catalysts of this culture.

Much has already been done with what they set an example and change.

I have children of my own and, if work allowed, I left at five o'clock or before.

This made it easier for others to accept it.

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WORLD:

You made a career yourself with four children.

What settings did you use to do this?

von Dewitz:

My inner attitude was to perceive and try out everything that emerges and, if necessary, not to see the limits before I even feel them.

WORLD:

What do you think of a quota system for female managers?

von Dewitz:

My opinion on this is different.

I am convinced that you do better business when you have mixed teams with different levels of experience.

Otherwise nothing holistic comes out of it.

Decisions are made one-dimensional.

Above all, companies are future-oriented when they are set up as diverse as possible.

Therefore, companies should have a self-interest in female executives per se. What I do see, however, is that women are systematically completely underrepresented, whether in business or in politics.

In addition, there are still wage differences and higher old-age poverty among women.

Something's going wrong.

That is why we need politics.

Whether with quotas or incentives, political instruments are required that are more than voluntary promises.

WORLD:

But that's more exhausting for companies.

von Dewitz:

If you create a culture that encourages women to take on responsibility, it is a culture that enables people to perceive their private life as they would like.

We have more part time, more parental leave, more time off.

That takes strength.

Our teams are always reassembled.

It's also more expensive because people have to be rebuilt over and over again.

As a result, however, we are more agile and more crisis-proof.

That makes us strong.

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WORLD:

Do women lead differently than men?

von Dewitz:

Even if I'm afraid of clichés, I can see that women are often more empathetic.

Women are often more interested in topics such as sustainability or value orientation, perhaps less clarified and even more idealistic.

If you can incorporate that into a corporate culture, these are important impulses that can have an impact on the entire climate.

There are men and women who have the same leadership style.

With women, however, things like values ​​come more into focus.

That would not be so possible in a purely male culture.

This different view is good for us because it opens up other approaches.

WORLD:

Keyword sustainability.

When you took over the company, the greatest possible transparency was important to you.

Why?

von Dewitz:

I think it's important that a company, employer and brand deserve trust.

You can only do that where you convince people that what you are doing is good.

That shouldn't be superficial, you have to look behind the scenes.

I've seen how you thrive as a person or as a company when you are trusted.

That is something precious.

That can only happen if you know each other.

Women in a textile factory in Bangladesh: A supply chain law in Germany is intended to contribute to fair production conditions in the countries of origin of the goods

Source: picture alliance / dpa

WORLD:

How is your company positioned so far when it comes to sustainability?

The supply chain law is supposed to create a turning point in order to make companies more responsible for the origin of their products.

von Dewitz:

We are big supporters of the supply chain law.

We started building comprehensive and responsible management of our global supply chains over ten years ago.

For a company with 500 employees and such complex supply chains as in the textile industry, I say: It is expensive and time-consuming, but it is feasible.

And for ethical reasons, it is simply a duty for every company.

WORLD:

Textile production in developing countries in particular is often precarious.

Women are often affected.

What can companies do?

von Dewitz:

It's not just about payment, but also about excessive overtime, for example.

First you have to look at the starting position.

We are a member of Fair Wear.

Our production facilities are audited independently.

If violations are found in the regular audits, we are jointly responsible for ensuring that this is changed.