Announcement
The photo you can see in the header was the inspiration behind this series. It brings together almost all of the female participants on stage at the PETnology Europe 2026 conference in Switzerland last June.
When, during a break between the talks, I suggested to all the women present at that moment that we gather on stage for a group photo, the response was unanimous: “Yes, I’d love to!” And almost instinctively, a moment of self-assessment followed: How do I look? Am I dressed well?
If I’d anticipated how the women would react, I probably would have expected exactly that. But would men have reacted the same way?
That question sparked the idea for this series: to give women in our industry a voice and a platform to share their perspectives. Because differences exist - in how we approach challenges, what we prioritise, how we communicate and how we make decisions, to name just a few. And because these differences, and the impact they can have, are still not widely recognised or understood.
Particularly in a technical sector like ours, where men still predominantly hold both technical and leadership roles, making different approaches and perspectives visible - and understanding situations from a woman’s point of view - can help foster greater understanding and demonstrate the value of female perspectives.
We have developed a questionnaire and are now exploring it with the women in our network. The response has been overwhelmingly positive - we've clearly struck a chord! Their stories and perspectives will feature in issue THREE:26, being published on 27 October, and in the future issues of our connecting comPETence magazine.
Part 1: We're kicking off the series with Tania Ferlin, Director, Sustainability Advocacy & Customer Experience at Husky Technologies™.
Part 2: We had the opportunity to meet three PET businesswomen from different sectors at SIPA: Roberta Gualtieri, Martina Bottarel and Anna Horecica Csiki.
From tomorrow, you can look forward to finding these fascinating interviews in the news feed on our website. Prepare for some very personal insights and moving moments.
When it comes to women in the workforce, two key areas of focus emerge: women in technical professions and women in leadership roles. Our industry faces both challenges: the underrepresentation of women in technical fields and their path to the top.
How should women plan and shape their career paths? “By taking important steps to build their experience capital,” recommends the May 21, 2025 issue of McKinsey Quarterly Five Fifty /1/. The three McKinsey partners - Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez - analyze this issue in depth in their book “The Broken Rung”, published in the U.S. in 2025 /2/.
In this interview series, we explore how our industry perceives and experiences this situation. We’ll start by interviewing women, but men will also have their say. “connecting comPETence” is - once again - taking on a whole new meaning.
Sources:
/1/ https://www.mckinsey.com/quarterly/the-five-fifty/five-fifty-overcoming-the-broken-rung
/2/ The Broken Rung: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women— and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It*, Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, Maria del Mar Martinez, Ingram Publisher Services, March 11, 2025
/3/ https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talkshow- women-can-overcome-the-broken-rung
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