Welcome to the Glass Age

188 The situation is also moving in glass companies. Although the women in CEO and Board positions of multinational glass companies are around 10%, women’s networks are emerging to promote gender equality and diversity. Saint-Gobain, Schott and Corning are good examples with programs for managing diversity and gender equality. And many SME’s workforces are becoming more and more feminine (Figure 12.6). A common view focuses on the necessity to revamp the image of the glass industry as an employer interested in attracting and retaining the next generation of young leaders. As Dr. Diane Nicklas declares [12] “it is crucial to shape global and diverse teams; the key is the combination of ‘technology’ and ‘people’. The Glass industry clearly lacks gender diversity and it’s difficult to find many women in leadership functions. However, it is difficult to find many women in junior positions either, which means that the problem of diversity will continue to exist. We face the challenge of attracting an entire new generation. At first glance, no heavy industry nowadays is appealing to the Figure 12.6. Gemma Martini (in black, second row), CEO of Vitrum Glass Group, based in British Columbia, with the all-women Insulating Glass Unit assembly team. Source: Vitrum Glass Group.