Women in Leadership positions: Say Hi to Inessa and Evelien!

Fashion Cloud: Your path to a leadership role: How was your journey?
Inessa: I've always enjoyed driving projects forward and understanding people. As the team grew, such a position became more and more necessary and my focus shifted towards it. First as a team lead, mainly focused on personal development and project management, and with an ever-increasing management level as a bridge to other teams ensuring a consistent, strategic direction.

Fashion Cloud: Any lessons learned or insights you wish someone had shared with you before?
Inessa: Trust in yourself - To a certain extent, the ability to recognize mistakes and learn from them is a strength. However, you should be true to your principles and stand up for them in front of others. I had to learn not to excuse my decisions but defend them if I am convinced of my ideas.

You want to know more about Inessa's path? Check out our podcast:

Fashion Cloud: In your opinion, how important is an inclusive and supportive company culture for fostering female leadership and how is Fashion Cloud doing here
Inessa: A supportive and inclusive company culture creates an environment where women feel valued, empowered, and encouraged to take on leadership roles without fear of discrimination or bias. At Fashion Cloud we accept all kinds of people and see the human behind the employee - regardless of their religion, gender or appearance. We push them to grow and develop into the position that fits best to their individual characteristics. and strengths.

Evelien: Creating a supportive environment with role models and mentoring is necessary to encourage female leadership. Women face their own unique barriers when it comes to reaching leadership positions. Companies should play their part in reducing these barriers.

Fashion Cloud: Why do you think, it is important for companies to promote gender equality and support women in leadership positions?
Inessa: Thanks to gender bias and other characteristics that tend to be attributed to women, it is unfortunately still the case that women often do not have the same opportunities as men. After my promotion I often got the question 'Wow, are you sure you can handle the Head of position with the role of mother?' I am not sure if anybody would ask a father the same question. In my opinion, seeing and recognizing the difference is the first and most important step towards real equality. When women see themselves represented at all levels of an organization and feel supported in their career growth, they are more likely to aspire to and attain leadership positions.

Evelien: Biases against female leadership are still very present today. Acknowledging this and actively working on creating and promoting change is necessary for women to have equal opportunities in career advancement.‍

Which of our company values is closest to your heart and why?
Evelien: Internally we reflect every 6 months on the value we feel we lived the most during that time. My last 6 months were characterized by #caring: Putting lots of effort into team dynamics and individual growth drives me!

Learn more about working at Fashion Cloud and check out our open positions!