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Catalyst Europe AG
Expanding opportunities for women and business


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With offices in New York, San Jose, Toronto and Zug, Catalyst is proud of its global reach and relevance.


Founded in 1962 Catalyst is currently celebrating its 45th year. Catalyst Europe AG was established in June 2006.


Catalyst enjoys the support of over 340 leading corporations, firms, business schools, institutions and associations.


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C-cubed is the monthly e-update highlighting the competence, connections and community
at the heart of Catalyst Europe AG and the global Catalyst network

Welcome

Diversity and Inclusion or simply D&I? Either way, whether you spell it out or opt for the shortcut, the time has come: the case for organizational diversity and inclusion has made it to the mainstream. Be it as a movement in its own right or proof of corporate social responsibility, D&I is developing a voice of its own.

Yet the D&I message, reflecting the field itself, is neither uniform nor straightforward. As we have more to say, we are increasingly challenged by how to communicate. How much do we focus on intent versus effectiveness? Whom do we want to influence? How often does the rhetoric surpass reality?

We will continue to address the theme of communication, because we know from our members that no matter what you call it, the words are already out there – and it is up to us to give them meaning.

Best wishes,
The Catalyst Europe AG Team

This month's headlines:

Catalyst key to work-life discussion in European business community (go to story)
This Friday’s webinar still open to participants (go to story)
A diversity and inclusion expert pushes for cultural diversity (go to story)

Unless otherwise specified, please contact the Catalyst Europe team at europeinfo@catalyst.org for more information or follow-up on any of the stories featured below.
News
Competence - new studies, learning and expertise

Catalyst Europe makes waves...and counts on many fruitful years ahead
Catalyst Europe AG was recently cited in an article appearing in French business daily Les Echos. “Carrière et vie de famille commencent à faire bon ménage aux Etats-Unis” (26 June) offers an optimistic look at the number of corporate efforts promoting a tenable work-life balance. On the other hand, Catalyst is quoted on the years it could take women to achieve parity in corporate officer positions, based on Catalyst 2006 Census figures.

European stereotyping study prompts discussion in financial services

Invited to kick off the Women’s Innovation Network within Zurich Financial Services Group, Catalyst Europe presented the study Different Cultures, Similar Perceptions: Stereotyping of Western Business Leaders. The study is still sparking interest with its culturally-grounded reading of gender and leadership, and acting as the foundation for other global Catalyst research now underway.

Catalyst Canada breaks new ground with Visible Minorities study
With over 17,000 respondents, Catalyst Canada and research partner Ryerson University have conducted the largest-ever national survey on “visible minority” (non-Caucasian) career satisfaction and advancement at the managerial, executive and professional levels. The Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities study – sponsored by RBC Financial Group (lead), Deloitte & Touche LLP, IBM Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration – reveals that visible minorities experience lower levels of career satisfaction compared with white/Caucasian colleagues, yet are committed to their organizations. Catalyst Canada Executive Director Deborah Gilles urges corporate Canada to take more action since “a growing proportion of Canada’s labour force will soon consist of visible minorities, (and) creating inclusive work environments will be critical to the competitiveness of Canadian business.”
 
Opportunities
Connections - coming together to put knowledge to work

Last call for Webinar: The business case for women in management
This Friday, 20 July from 14:00 to 15:30 CET, member company Sodexho will sponsor Catalyst Europe’s first webinar on Gender Diversity and Inclusion. For the latest thinking from the field, we invite you to join 200 other participants and register before the 19th.

Conference: Perspectives from the financial services sector (Zurich)
Catalyst Europe will speak at the annual meeting of the Swiss GE (General Electric) Women’s Network on Thursday, 3 September. Held in the Swiss stock exchange in Zurich, this year’s conference will focus on Finance and feature both high-profile GE executives and external guests. Registration details for “Finance Makes the World Go Round” will be available in the August issue.

Conference: Catalyst Europe to return to the Women’s Forum (Deauville)
Catalyst Europe has been invited to join the third annual Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, held 11-13 October in Deauville (France), as a special Women’s Forum Ambassador. Rated by the Financial Times as one of the top five global forums, the WF attracts leading business, political, cultural and academic figures from over 60 countries. This year’s theme on building trust in societies promises rich debate – and now Catalyst members can benefit from an extended end-July deadline for the special registration rate.

Roundtable: The link between line management and leadership (New York)
Building on the Catalyst 2006 Census, Catalyst has conducted new research on one of the key factors behind women leaders’ lack of representation in the higher ranks of most Fortune 500 companies: insufficient line management experience. Findings will be discussed at the American Express-sponsored roundtable “Getting Women into Line Positions” on Tuesday morning, 14 August, in New York City. As the event is open to Catalyst members but with certain participation requirements, please inquire before 7 August for more information.

MemberNet: Now delivering top stories on diversity and inclusion
As new Catalyst Global Members Aon, Unilever and Nike, Inc. can attest, the Catalyst Information Center has launched a news service on MemberNet. Every Wednesday Catalyst Eye on D&I: Weekly News to Know features a selection of five news pieces considered of particular benefit to member companies.

Publication: The Catalyst toolkit for diversity and inclusion experts
Showcasing the successful diversity strategies of a variety of organizations, the Catalyst 20th Anniversary Awards Compendium brings together 64 Catalyst Award-winning initiatives in one book. Programs grounded in culture change, mentoring, work-life and leadership training – among others – can be located quickly with the Compendium’s practical subject index.  
Thought-Starters
Community - the bridge to new thinking and greater Catalyst network

Diversifying the meaning of diversity – Practitioner’s Perspective
“When people say ‘diversity’ they often mean gender issues, but it is much richer than just one domain. When managing a company globally, it is just as important to have different cultures, nationalities, mindsets and ways of doing things. In short, we cannot forget about a cultural approach to diversity. To achieve true cultural diversity, we need to start with the business itself: what is the strategy, where does the business operate and how can the two be mixed? And to ensure that change takes place, we need to look not only to senior management, but also to middle and junior management.”

About Marina Eloy: Head of ING Group Human Resources and a member of ING Membership Council, Marina has spent over 30 years establishing and leading business-driven Human Resources functions in the financial services industry. With experience in vital HR issues such as recruitment, compensation, leadership development and succession planning, she has dedicated herself to international cultural diversity: making sure people work together effectively across borders and functions. Before joining ING in 2000, Marina spent three years with Paribas as Head of Global HR and 20 years in Human Resources at JP Morgan, where she worked in a variety of functions in Paris, New York and London.

An audience of one – Practitioner’s Perspective
On how communicating diversity, internally and externally, has changed: “It has become more sophisticated, and it is not just about groups of people. Diversity is not simply about gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality or age. It is about respecting individuals and treating everyone, customers and colleagues alike, with dignity.”

About Sue Jex: As Chief Operating Officer, HR for HSBC Bank plc, Sue manages all aspects of Human Resources delivery to the business. She previously held the roles of Head of Employee Relations and Diversity, Head of Customer Service, and Finance Director of Griffin Factors (now HSBC Invoice Finance). When she is not enjoying her time at a company where “diversity and learning from others who are different are key parts of the brand and business strategy,” she is a member of the board of School Governors One Stop Shop, which encourages business people to take up school governor positions. She is also a fellow both of Earthwatch, participating in field research in Belize to study the effects of the tourism increase on manatees, and the Royal Society of Arts. Sue is married and has two boys, aged 13 and 8.

Exploring the effect of new media on professional learning
At the Wolfsberg Platform for Business & Executive Development, a subsidiary of UBS AG, Catalyst Europe attended the recent conference Leadership and the New “Media-Savvy” Workforce. Tony DiRomualdo, Managing Director of the Global Media-Savvy Learning Program (US), spoke of a new global study highlighting the discrepancies between a “media-savvy” workforce and employers, and questioned how many organizations are capable of providing effective learning tools. Today’s leaders are challenged to take note of new influences such as “video game pedagogy,” where multiple outcomes are common. Following the mental shift from more linear thinking, DiRomualdo also noted that today’s learning and performance landscape is not just grounded in knowledge transfer, but also in experience and “social” communication/peer learning.
Catalyst Europe AG is the European headquarters of Catalyst, the leading membership research
and advisory organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business.

For more information, please visit www.catalyst.org
Catalyst Europe AG 2007