Ideas, projects, networks, innovative initiatives…
The 6th EVE International seminar starts tomorrow!
Ahead of this exceptional event, that will expand the EVE community by adding 300 new managers to its number, who will leave with raised awareness on the issue of equal leadership, the EVE blog presents a series of themed trailers.
Following in the footsteps of “EVE in 5 key figures”, “EVE in the words of its participants”, “EVE and its networks”, here is our fourth trailer, which focuses on the initiatives, projects and ideas that have sprouted from EVE and taken shape within partner companies.
SNCF au Féminin, the biggest corporate network for women, explains its EVE-inspired origin
SNCF au Féminin was founded in 2012, at the initiative of women in the company, including Virginie Abadie-Dalle, its Chairwoman, who wanted to echo the message of the first EVE Program. On their return, these women decided to continue the seminar’s approach and share its teaching throughout the organization by creating a professional network.
Now with a base 4,000 members strong, this network is both a hub of solidarity and experience sharing, and a “sounding board” for women’s innovation within the Group (particularly through its very active group experts).
“The SNCF au Féminin network is inspired by EVE. I’m proud of that.
I’m one of the SNCF women who attended the first edition of EVE just to ‘take a look’.
As the first EVE attendees from the SNCF, we experienced a revelation: we realized that we didn’t know each other very well, despite the fact that we have a lot in common, and share the same motivation to move forward in terms of women’s issues within our company. We also wanted to share this experience with other women.
My first idea was to hold a women’s leadership seminar at the SNCF that would be a carbon copy of EVE! I spoke to Anne Thevenet-Abitbol and Sylvie Bernard-Curie, who replied: ‘Our intention is to offer new ideas and sow the seeds of best practices in partner companies in order to establish a culture of equality to foster well-being and performance. So if you’d like to create an ‘EVE II’, we have achieved our number one goal. Do it!’”
Virginie Abadie-Dalle, Founder and Chairwoman, SNCF au Féminin
Women’s mentoring by L’Oréal: EVE alumni help to fast track high-potential women
At L’Oréal, an EVE alumni is, by definition, a “change maker”, a person who can convey the strong messages of equality and commit effectively during their daily duties as a manager, and in doing so make the company more inclusive. In order to drive this momentum even further, L’Oréal has designed a custom tool for EVE alumni who want to share the spirit of the EVE Program with other people from the company: a women’s mentoring program which allows each former attendee to get involved personally with the development of another high-potential employee.
“L’Oréal sends 45 people to EVE each year. That’s a high number when you compare it how many people attend the seminar, but it’s very few when you consider how many employees there are in the group, and on top of that, most of our employees are women. Among our EVE alumni, we have people who are trained to a very high level on women’s leadership issues. So, in order for them to have an impact, and for as many others as possible to benefit from what EVE has to offer indirectly, we have decided to make EVE participants into the drivers of change for L’Oréal.
The people themselves actually made the request. Right after the first year, the men and women came to us after the first seminar and asked “So, what I can do now to take action?” We designed this mentoring program to respond to their request and to the request of those who wanted to benefit from what EVE has to offer.”
Noëlle Herpeux, Training Director, L’Oréal
Pulse, by Crédit Agricole: a career co-building program that mobilises EVE alumni leaders
This year, Crédit Agricole S.A. group has launched PULSE, an ambitious career co-building program. With support from an expertise- and experience-sharing platform, PULSE facilitates direct relationships with “Pulse Leaders”, experienced professionals in the company who commit voluntarily to guiding employees of both sexes through decisions about their development, and may provide advice on possible mobility. EVE Program alumni are among the first Pulse Leaders.
“The EVE attitude resonates wonderfully with the values of the Crédit Agricole S.A. group, which are obviously also expressed through PULSE: solidarity, responsibility and reciprocity. For all the initiatives which convey these values, and for all those who drive transformation within the company, it is logical to call upon EVE alumni, because these people have benefited from one of the best training programs on change in existence.”
Isabelle Collignon, HR Development Director, Crédit Agricole S.A. group 2011-2015
Marie Donzel and Valérie Amalou, for the EVE blog.
