Scan Magazine | Business | Column/Calendar
Imagine After the Maltese investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, was assassinated by a car bomb in October 2016, thousands of shocked Maltese citizens assembled twice in the following fortnight to demonstrate against governmental corruption and cover-up. The organisers chose Lennon’s Imagine as the song of hope for both protests. The organisers were predominantly women.
ten women board members, instead of the opposite, as today, these claims will sound less hollow. “Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.” It’s easy if we all try.
By Steve Flinders
Since the last male-dominated millennium has brought us to the brink of environmental catastrophe, I have been imagining how women might get us out of this mess. I am encouraged by all the stories I see about women mobilising across the world. Just this week, I have read that in January, five million women in Kerala, India, formed a 620-kilometre-long wall to demonstrate for gender equality. How can we support the massive shift needed to achieve real gender equality and fairness? Imagine a female US President committed to a Green New Deal – I am not the only one who does; and a woman
in charge of Russia; imagine the seven members of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo were all women, not men. France and Norway have quotas for women in the boardroom, but we can take that a lot further. It should not be difficult to legislate for women in big companies to constitute approximately the same proportion of senior management as for the workforce as a whole. 57 per cent of Tesco’s 440,000-strong workforce are women, but only 25 per cent of its senior management are, despite its declared commitment to equal opportunities. If in five years, Tesco has a female chair, CEO and seven out of
Business Calendar
Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, writer and coach, based in Malta, who helps people develop their communication and leadership skills for working internationally: steveflind@aol.com.
By Sanne Wass
Scandinavian business events you do not want to miss this month Culinary adventure through the Nordics The Norwegian, Danish, Finnish and Icelandic chambers of commerce are inviting members and friends to a gastronomic evening inspired by the Nordics. This intimate event will give participants the ideal networking opportunity as well as a unique chance to sample a variety of cuisine from around the region. Date: 20 March, 6.30-10.30pm Venue: The Harcourt, 32 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HX, UK www.eventbrite.co.uk
Seminar: Cleantech opportunities in Scandinavia If you are a cleantech or smart city company looking to break into or grow your business in Scandinavia, this event is for you. The free workshop, led by the UK’s department for international trade, will explore market trends and opportunities in the Scandinavian markets. The networking lunch also provides a chance to meet buyers and sellers within this sector.
Date: 21 March 2019, 9.30am-3pm Venue: Arthur Rank Hospice, Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge CB22 3FB, UK www.events.great.gov.uk
Business breakfast: Social media and influencer marketing As the role of social media continues to grow in society, this business breakfast will look at how to engage, influence and inspire on social media using influencer marketing and other strategies. The event is organised by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK, with Patrick Smith joining as the guest speaker. Smith is the mind behind @londonfoodboy, an Instagram account that showcases London’s best food and drink, and is also the founder of Adwaiz, a social media marketing agency. Date: 27 March 2019, 8-10am Venue: Adwaiz Ltd, 71-73 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5EQ, UK www.scc.org.uk
Gender diversity with a Norwegian twist The need for driving diversity and inclusion in business has never been more important. Organised by the Norwegian-British Chamber of Commerce, this evening event will focus on the Norwegian model for tackling gender diversity issues. A panel will discuss gender pay gap reporting and specific inclusion initiatives such as Equinor’s and DNB Bank’s international paid paternity leave. Date: 10 April 2019, 6.30-9.30pm Venue: DNB Bank, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AF, UK www.nbccuk.com
Issue 122 | March 2019 | 105