Winning Women Institute recognises the Gender Equality certification to Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy

Milan, 18 January 2023 - Discrimination stifles opportunities, wasting the human talent needed for economic progress, and accentuates social tensions and inequalities.

Gender diversity is becoming an increasingly important topic for companies’ corporate governance. Today, the commitment to reducing gender gaps is a necessary step to promote a new vision of a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable society for all.

For this reason, it is essential to intensify efforts to facilitate the enter and permanence of women in companies, to implement strategies for a better balance between professional and personal life, to offer women equal opportunities to access representative and top management roles, breaking down all gender prejudices and stereotypes limiting the range of women action.

Today, thanks to its concrete actions, in the circle of the virtuous companies who made gender equality their corporate style enters Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy.

Investing in diversity as a value, aiming for a more equitable organization, promoting actions for the concrete development of equal opportunities and services allowing for a better work-life balance. Considering motherhood as an asset capable of enhancing useful soft skills. Support parenthood with training courses. These are some of the ingredients that allowed Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy to obtain the Gender Equality Certification of Winning Women Institute.

Ensuring equal opportunities is a topic we have been working on for some time. Receiving the recognition of the Winning Women Institute makes us very proud and underlines the important results achieved” - says Roberto Pecora, CEO of SGSS in Italy - This Certification is a further spur to continue in this direction, convinced that an inclusive environment in which everyone feels involved and is rightly aware, in which leadership, first of all, is open to change, generate virtuous behaviours allowing people to better express their potential. All this for the benefit of individual growth and the development of the organization.

 We recognise Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy for its active commitment to topics related to diversity and gender inclusion which have been translated into concrete actions, now visible to all - comments Paola Corna Pellegrini, President of Winning Women Institute – A company in which women represent 53%* of the workforce and who has been able to create an inclusive environment where all individuals are listened to and valued, a real role-model to be inspired by.
Obtaining our Certification is a challenging process that Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy has brilliantly overcome. The company has been called upon to comply with very stringent indicators on equal opportunities which respond to the four areas of investigation envisaged by our proprietary methodology Dynamic Model Gender Rating: growth opportunities in the company for women, equal pay, gender diversity management policies and inclusion, parenting support.
The award obtained by Societe Generale Securities Services in Italy has a great ethical value. I am convinced it can also become an important lever to consolidate its reputation towards clients and stakeholders, who are today increasingly attentive to social responsibility policies.

Roberto Pecora, CEO of SGSS in Italy receives the plaque from Paola Corna Pellegrini, President of Winning Women Institute

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About Winning Women Institute

Founded in 2017 Winning Women Institute has gained a strong expertise and experience in the field of Gender Certification for companies. It was in fact the first company in Italy to launch a private Certification for gender equality in the world of work created through the commitment of its Scientific Committee made up of academic and business experts who developed a survey model based on the innovative Dynamic Model Gender Rating methodology.

To date, Winning Women Institute has led more than 30 companies to obtain their certification (lasting three years), some of which have already embarked on the recertification process.

By virtue of this background and the constant commitment to gender equality of its President Paola Corna Pellegrini, Winning Women Institute has also contributed to the drafting of the reference practice UNI PDR 125/2022, which entered into force in May 2022. The UNI PDR 125/ 2022 provides for a rigorous quantitative approach and an evaluation system of the management system, processes, governance and corporate strategic plan. The National Certification is issued by certifying bodies accredited according to European Regulation 765/2008 and allows access to tax and social security benefits and to obtain rewards in tenders according to the methods defined by the implementing decrees.

Today, Winning Women Institute, thanks to its skills and know-how, accompanies companies of all sizes and sectors as a consultant, also in the preparation phase of the necessary requirements to access the National Certification.

President of Winning Women Institute is Paola Corna Pellegrini who has gained many years of experience as CEO and is currently also President of AICEO (Italian CEO Association) and Vice President of the Meritocracy Forum. She is the founder of Winning Women Institute together with Enrico Gambardella who has many years of experience as HR Director of leading multinational companies and William Griffini CEO of Carter & Benson.

The Scientific Committee, chaired by Sonia Malaspina (Danone), is made up of Professor Paola Profeta (Pro-Rector for Diversity at Bocconi University), Professor Maurizio del Conte (Bocconi University) and by: Alessandra Benevolo (Ipsen), Laura Bruno (Sanofi), Veronica Civiero (Facebook), Elena Gallo (Paramount), Roberta Mandich (Orthoclinical Diagnostics), Monica Magri (Adecco Group), Daniela Mainini (Centro Studi Grande Milano), Filippo Manucci (Intercos) and Roberto Zecchino (Bosch).

*Source: Internal HR management platforms