Promoting gender inclusiveness and equality also outside its own organization is the multi-year mission undertaken by the Barilla Group, aimed at championing female talent and, most recently, culminating in a strategic partnership with the LEAD Network (Leading Executives Advancing Diversity), a non-profit organisation that supports the advancement of women in the retail and consumer goods sector in Europe.
For the Parma-based company, gender equality is both a social imperative and an ethical responsibility, as Gianluca Di Tondo, CEO of the Barilla Group, confirms: “it felt natural for us to join forces with the LEAD Network, a leading organisation in the promotion of diversity, which, like us, considers gender equality to be a fundamental strategic principle The LEAD Network’s commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with our values. I’m confident that, together, we’ll be able to add even more value to our business and markets.”
Just a few months ago, a new global policy for paternity and maternity leave was announced, which highly values parenting and reduces the gender gap in the workplace by ensuring that all parents in the group are entitled to a minimum of 12 weeks of fully paid leave, regardless of gender, marital status, and sexual orientation. In 2020, the achievement of equal pay for all employees eliminated any unjustified wage discrepancies Today, 38% of Barilla’s executives and managers worldwide are women and 47% of employees work directly under the Global Leadership Team.
Furthermore, the goal of the Global Supplier Diversity Program, launched in 2018, is to drive a cultural shift in Barilla’s production chain by getting its suppliers directly involved. Two success stories from two of the group’s strategic supply chains in Italy emerged from this initiative; two stories which Barilla wanted to highlight on occasion of International Women’s Day.
The first takes place in the province of Cremona and features Alessandra Lameri, CEO of Lameri SpA, a company that processes and trades grains and has been supplying Barilla with key ingredients for Mulino Bianco rusks, biscuits, and Gran Cereale bars for almost forty years.
“Barilla was among the first of our customers to raise awareness about social inclusion and the promotion of diversity and female talent. In recent years we have also increased female employment by 15%, something not to be taken for granted in this traditionally male-dominated sector.
Over the years we’ve tried to channel the company’s benefits into the local community, through, for example, a donation that helped renovate the Women’s Area of the Cremona hospital, dedicated to oncological diseases. We’re confident that our growth will continue in the future with the same passion and determination that has distinguished us so far.”
Meanwhile, the second story of the Barilla supply chain takes us to Piedmont, and revolves around Margherita Caffa and Giovanna Galletti, CEOs of LINO Srl. With 150 years of experience in hazelnut processing, their expertise is now an integral part of the Pan di Stelle and Mulino Bianco Baiocchi cookies. Since 2012, with Margherita Caffa as CEO and Giovanna Galletti as General Manager, the company has been entirely female-led.
“Women now account for the majority in all company roles, from the Board of Directors to the production facility,” says Margherita Caffa. “For a woman, life and work are never really separate,” adds Giovanna Galletti “All our efforts over the years have been aimed at maintaining a high standard of quality, fully aware that such choices have an impact not only within the company, but on the entire community.”
