On 15 November The Women’s Network at GE Aviation Wales held its annual conference.
For 2012 the event focused on developing for career success.
The daylong event, Developing Yourself for Success, gave delegates the opportunity to hear from peers within GE and from external speakers, how they define success and how they have set and achieved their own goals.
GE Women’s Network hub leader Helen Wilkes said: “We all have different ideas of what it means to be successful and success means different things to different people.” Ms Wilkes emphasized the important of knowledge sharing and networking in allowing individuals to understand, set and achieve their own career ambitions.
Over 150 attendees from across GE businesses based in the UK attended the event which was held at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay.
Speakers at the event included Patti Leary-Kreitzer, general manager of GE Engines Services – Hungary facility and Henry Englehardt, CEO of insurance company, Admiral group.
The annual meeting for GE Aviation Wales’ Women’s Network comes at a critical time in the debate over gender balance in business. This month the European Commission has discussed plans to impose quotas for the number of women required on the boards of leading companies.
Attracting and retaining more talented women for senior positions is a particular challenge for manufacturing and engineering companies and the UK is among the worst performing countries in Euroupe for gender balance in industry.
Look out for more on women in industry!
In February and March TM will be dedicating a series of article to encourage gender balance in industry, highlighting female success stories and successful policies for fostering gender balance in manufacturing companies.
The focus is inspired by the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March. This event represents an opportunity for manufacturing organisations to reflect on their recruitment, career progression and flexible working policies and how these support gender balance in their businesses.
