1. Can you walk us through your professional journey and explain how your role at DuPont led you to become the key contact for AGE in international purchasing?

My journey in this multinational chemical company started many years ago and by chance. After 14 years spent in interior decoration sector, I was looking for a new job, possibly in a location close to the village where I live to better combine my role of mother and in the family with the working activity. This is how I came in contact with the Italian subsidiary of Gurit-Essex, the company that literally invented the adhesive to bond automotive glass in 1961. Their office was on the other side of the village where I still live! A couple of years later, with the acquisition of Gurit-Essex by Dow Chemical and the consequent centralization of Customer Service, I was offered to move from an office-based position to commercial, with the responsibility of aftermarket customers, distributors and glass manufacturers in Italy. After the merger of Dow Chemical with DuPont and the consequent separation into three different companies, the business of Adhesive was incorporated in the new DuPont and with the re-organization of the company I took the global responsibility of some international companies, and coordinating AGE is part of this activity.  

2. In your experience working with a global supplier like DuPont, what are the main challenges and opportunities you have faced in managing international B2B relationships in the automotive glass sector, particularly as a woman?

The world of cars is by definition a “masculine” environment. From the very beginning I was visiting car body repairers and glass industry production facilities. When I started meeting these customers to speak about adhesives, I realized to be in the middle of an environment that was really dominated by men. Also, inside my company, I was for some years the only woman in my team.

The challenge has been to demonstrate to customers that even women are able to listen to their needs, understand their requests and support them with technical solutions. “Technical” was and is still a key word in this market segment. But at the same time I have to say that once a woman shows competence and credibility, then gender is no more perceived as a barrier.

Looking to my experience inside a global multi-national company, in these big companies gender discrimination is not tolerated, and I always had the same opportunities as my male colleagues.

Another aspect to consider is flexibility and the possibility of having a good work/life balance with motherhood and family needs. But this flexibility concept needs to be mutually implemented, company and employee. This means, for example, negotiating with the company a good level of flexibility in managing the job, of course in accordance with the job results. On the other side, women need to pretend the same flexibility and support at home, too, for example by delegating some tasks to others, in particular if the job requires traveling.

Challenges are really strictly connected to opportunities and personal realization.

3. How do you see the role of women evolving in the automotive glass industry, especially in strategic positions such as purchasing, supply chain, and supplier partnerships?

Inclusion and gender equality are no longer abstract concepts, and I can see it when I go back to the various re-organizations that occurred during the years in the company for which I am working. Looking back to 25 years ago or even more, I remember the picture of the board of directors: only one woman out of close to 20 members. Today the DuPont CEO is a woman, and other women are in the board managing key functions, such as finance for example.

Gender should not be a constraint to reach management positions, capabilities are gender neutral and I see this concept more and more, even if this mindset is changing slowly sometimes.

4. What advice would you give to other women aspiring to leadership roles in similar B2B and technical environments?

Women should be more courageous to pursue their aspiration despite some clichés that sometimes are blocking them. Based on my experience, women tend to underestimate themselves, while have all capabilities to succeed.

Starting more from the beginning, girls should more apply to STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) disciplines when choosing their subject of study. Here families can play the difference and support future women to be successful in leadership positions.

5. What initiatives is DuPont implementing to promote fairness, equity, and inclusion within its business and partnerships?

In DuPont, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are the best source of mentors, coaches, role models for employees and play a crucial role in enhancing workplace culture.

One of these ERGs is DuPont Women’s Network (DWN), whose mission is to globally cultivate world-class female leadership, catalyze culture change and foster gender equity at DuPont: in practice, this means improving recruitment, engagement, progression, and retention of women globally within DuPont. DWN helps women succeeding in the global workplace through advocacy, leadership, engagement, and talent development.

DWN has regional and affinity group chapters across the globe. Since 2022 I am leading the Italian chapter of DuPont Women Network, where we are soliciting the participation of all Italian colleagues to discuss and take care of Diversity and Inclusion locally inside the company but also looking outside to our communities.