More women are bosses

The all-male clubs have begun to crumble

Saori Dubourg (center) is the new Greiner CEO as of Friday. Susanne Eidenberger (left) leads bellaflora, Iris Schmidt (2nd from left) the AMS Upper Austria, Alice Godderidge Poloplast and Stefanie Christina Huber (right). the Sparkasse OÖ.(Bild: Markus Wenzel (2), BASF SE, bellaflora/Hermann Wakolbinger, Robert Maybach, Krone KREATIV)

From Friday, March 1, a woman will be in charge at Greiner for the first time when ex-BASF board member Saori Dubourg takes over from Axel Kühner. The plastics processor from Kremsmünster is thus following the trend. Diversity is the key to success. This is causing the all-male clubs to crumble.

"A new chapter begins - that means a new job, new colleagues, new professional challenges and, with Austria, a beautiful place to call home," writes Saori Dubourg on her LinkedIn profile.

On Friday, March 1, the German, who was a member of the Executive Board at chemical group BASF until the beginning of 2023, will take up her new job and become CEO of Greiner AG.

There is still some catching up to do when it comes to working conditions that do not discriminate against women. New work, flexible working time models and good childcare are needed.

Claudia Kraupatz, Personalberaterin bei Iventa

Dubourg is the first woman to head the family-owned company, which was founded in 1868, employs more than 11,000 people and is one of the leading plastics processors and foam manufacturers for the packaging and automotive industries, as well as for medical technology and the pharmaceutical sector.

Claudia Kraupatz is a personnel consultant at Iventa.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

The first woman at the top of a company, the first woman on a board of directors - in 2024, the crumbling of the previously all-male boardrooms will continue. "Companies are recognizing that diversity at management level leads to better results," says Claudia Kraupatz.

Austria lags behind in international comparison
According to the HR consultant from Iventa, Austria is still lagging behind internationally when it comes to women in management positions: "This is particularly noticeable in the technical sectors." Kraupatz is under no illusions: "Even though the demand for women in top management positions has increased in recent years, there is still a long way to go to achieve equal representation. Women are equally qualified."

In Upper Austria, it is not only the new Greiner boss who is paving the way for more female power in the executive chair. Responsibility is also in the hands of women at other companies - such as bellaflora, Poloplast, Sparkasse Oberösterreich and the Public Employment Service.