Added: 1 month ago by Leonardo
In Rome, Leonardo held its second Annual Springboard Conference for women working across its global business. Following the success of last year’s inaugural conference in the UK, the 2024 conference was held in the prestigious setting of Villa Miani, overlooking the Eternal City. Over 200 Leonardo colleagues from the company’s sites in Italy, UK, USA, Switzerland, France and Poland came together for the conference entitled 'Empowering you to lead your future'.
Since partnering with Springboard in 2020, over 200 women from across Leonardo have taken part in 13 cohorts of a development programme designed to empower women. This includes enhancing participants’ skills and abilities, along with challenging power and equality, while building confidence, assertiveness and a positive image at work and at home.
The conference allows all Springboard participants to come together, further invest in their professional and personal development, as well as build their networks with Leonardo colleagues globally. It forms a key investment in the action Leonardo is taking to increase the gender diversity within its global business.
This year, Leonardo was delighted to welcome British naturalist and environmentalist, Cat Capon, as the keynote speaker at the conference dinner held at the Galleria Colonna. Cat spoke to delegates about the role nature plays in supporting with good mental health, as well as sharing her inspiring career journey.
Opening the conference the next day, Leonardo Head of Education and People Development, Susi Galasso, challenged the delegates to bring their whole selves to the various development workshops planned. Session subjects included ‘The five practices of highly resilient people’, emotional intelligence and imposter syndrome.
Susi then introduced Stella Sigillò, Programme & Engagement Manager from the UN Global Compact Network Italy, who shared a global view of the world’s progress in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the detail of what actions sit behind gender equality.
Reflecting on the success of the conference and Leonardo’s ongoing commitment to DE&I, and specifically, gender diversity, Leonardo UK HR Director, Wendy Allen, said: “It was incredibly inspiring to see so many women attend the conference, all of whom put themselves forward to participate in the Springboard programme. Since then, they have shown their commitment to development, and Leonardo is ready to channel their aspirations to learn and grow through events such as our Springboard conference.
“At Leonardo, we are committed to making sustainable change to our global business to ensure we continue to drive greater gender equality. Spending time with colleagues over the last two days and hearing the impact and value of the Springboard experience proves that we are making this change in the right way.“
