"Navigating Global Leadership: An Interview with Sylvia Smetana, Founder of Divershefy"

Join us for an insightful conversation with Sylvia Smetana, the dynamic founder of Divershefy. Splitting her time between Hyderabad and Vienna, Sylvia brings over 25 years of professional experience from Europe, the US, and India. With a rich background that includes Board and C-level roles, Sylvia launched Divershefy in 2018 to champion diversity and inclusion in leadership. In this interview, she shares her journey, the challenges and rewards of managing a global enterprise, and her vision for a more inclusive future in the corporate world.

1,What inspired you to pursue a leadership role?

Sylvia Smetana: It gave me new opportunities to learn, grow and also move to another country.

2.What inspired you to become an advocate for gender equality in your field?

Sylvia Smetana: Having worked with a lot of Boards and C-Suites I found to be the only woman in the room many times and started talking with other women who had the same experience. I met many women who want to help other women succeed so more women can reach to those levels. This is how Divershefy was born with the idea for women to help other women succeed and increase the number of women in Board and C-Suites.

3.Can you share an experience where you faced gender bias and how you dealt with it?

Sylvia Smetana: After graduation I was looking for my first full time job and applied to several positions. One experience: I got interviewed for a role at an Automobile firm for a Marketing role, but later found out that they were only looking for a man and that I did not have a chance of getting the job due to my gender despite matching qualifications. That was early on in my career but had a big impact on it.

4.As a leader, what steps have you taken to promote gender equality within your organization?

Sylvia Smetana: I make sure to have at least 50 % women candidates to interview and give women the preference if they show the same qualification.

5.What specific policies or initiatives has your organization implemented to support gender equality?

Sylvia Smetana: Divershefy is all about supporting women leaders. With our programs, we support women at different stages of their careers. We offer these to companies around the world to nominate their women leaders to our 100 % virtual programs. We have 3 programs, each for a different experience level.

1. Divershefy Distinguished Director Program - for women 20+ years of experience

2. Global Leader Certification Program for women 10 to 20 years of experience

3. Leader Incubation Program for women with 5 to 10 years of experience.

6.How do you measure the success of gender equality initiatives in your workplace?

Video interviews and feedback form

Sylvia Smetana: What are some of the biggest challenges you have encountered while advocating for gender equality, and how have you overcome them?

Biggest Challenges: Male leaders say that

1. women should not be aspiring for such senior leadership roles

2. there are not enough qualified women for those roles so they cannot have women on their boards even if qualified candidates are available at Divershefy

3. women should not need extra help to get into senior leadership roles and that they should have the same support or struggle as men do. At Divershefy we show that women need a different kind of support because the business cultures are made by men and therefore do not fit many of the needs of women in their careers. We offer highly appreciated training programs for women which make a difference for those women. Companies who are serious about gender equality nominate their women leaders to such programs as they understand what women need to thrive.

7.How important is mentorship in advancing gender equality, and what role do you play in mentoring women in your industry?

Sylvia Smetana: Mentoring is important not only because we get the support of someone who has reached a senior leadership role, but also because we can share our deepest struggles and have someone who can help us go beyond our limitations. Part of each of the Divershefy Programs is Mentoring. Mentoring is between 4 to 6 months by a more senior woman. We have about 40 qualified Board, C-level and SVP level women leaders as mentors. I am also a Mentor in our Global Leader Certification Program.

8.How do you believe achieving gender equality impacts overall business performance and workplace culture?

Sylvia Smetana: Achieving Gender Equality is an aspirational goal, but how many companies are even close? Very few have made the effort required over decades to reach that. I believe that reaching more than 40 % would be an achievement for most companies and would require a lot more concrete effort, especially if we want to increase the number of women at more senior levels. The impact of gender equality would be significant because

1. The leadership style of women can bring about a more collaborative business culture

2. More women in the workforce would require an adaptation of the business culture to allow for more flexible work hours as well as other benefits that would in the long run help society as a whole (how we relate to caring for children and the elderly).

3. More women in leadership roles will change the way the companies are run, including risk strategies and finding solutions to difficult multidimensional problems due to diversity of thought.

9.What is your vision for the future of gender equality in your industry, and what steps do you think are necessary to achieve it?

Sylvia Smetana: In the EduTech sector, there are a good number of companies founded by women. What is lacking is that those women entrepreneurs get funding like male founders in that space. There is still a big gap in how investors perceive women founders and how to judge them. Women in general are more careful in their predictions for future revenues. Male investors see that as a weakness rather than a more secure investment. My vision is that funding is equally available to male and female founders independent of gender and that the process of evaluating startups would become independent of the gender of the founders. Steps would include a new process to allocating funding as well as funding that specifically supports female founders. Some funds have emerged that focus on female founders, but many they still focus on the main tech areas like AI, deep tech, and Medtech. I would like to see funding for different kinds of startups, also those who create something new, that does not fit into any of the existing categories.

10.What advice would you give to young women who aspire to reach leadership positions in their careers?

Sylvia Smetana: Work smarter, not harder. Understand your environment and what is expected of you. Find a Mentor outside your company who you can share everything with. Find a sponsor within your company who will put your name in the ring when a promotion is possible. Set ambitious goals and make smart choices, not sacrifices.

Shared by Sylvia Smetana, Founder of Divershefy

Published By She Business Time