On International Women’s Day, we not only celebrate the achievements of women worldwide but also reflect on the challenges and progress towards gender equality, especially in the business sphere. To that end, we organised a small event at our Cologne office, featuring an inspiring speech by Dr Sandra Bell (Executive Vice President and Board Member of the Viega Group), along with ample networking opportunities.
Cheers to Her – with these words, we raised a toast to this year’s International Women’s Day with (non-alcoholic) sparkling wine. But that wasn’t all, of course: In our freshly renovated Cologne office, as well as remotely, a total of 240 employees came together to listen to our guest speaker, Dr Sandra Bell.
But first things first: Franzi, our Head of HR, kicked off the event with a brief insight into her personal experiences regarding gender equality in the business world.
I am all the happier to work for a company where it doesn’t matter which gender you belong to, but where performance, ambition and commitment count and where we live by our principles such as Shoot for the Moon, Role Model at all Times or Raise the Talent Bar.
Franziska, Head of HR
The Cheers to Her event could be attended in our Cologne office or remotely.
Following that, Team Lead Product Operations & Growth Eva spoke on the topic of women in tech and eventually introduced Dr Sandra Bell.
As a woman, Female Empowerment is particularly close to my heart, and I am proud that as a company we promote these values through events like ‚Cheers to Her‘, not only creating a stronger and more inclusive community but also demonstrating how essential diversity and female leadership are for our collective success.
Eva, Team Lead Product Operations & Growth
Sandra is Executive Vice President and board member of the Viega Group – her passion lies in Asia. She lived there for many years and focussed her business efforts there. In her speech, she not only provided us with fascinating insights into her career but also gave useful tips on how to assert oneself – especially as a woman – in the business world and achieve one’s goals. What are the words she lives by? “Just do it!” Showing the courage to do what you want and relying on your personal strengths: these are just a few of the pieces of advice she shared with all 70 attendees present in Cologne as well as 170 remote listeners.
Her speech was followed by a Q&A session where both the on-site attendees and those digitally present in the chat could ask Sandra their questions. The topics of children and career, as well as part-time work, were discussed in depth.
Now it was time for networking. With a large selection of delicious snacks and more (non-alcoholic) sparkling wine, the participants continued to chat until everyone got back to their daily business after the lunch break – but this time, keeping Sandra’s inspiring words in mind.
Not only were the voices of strong women heard at the event; it was also organised by strong women and men. L&D Specialist for Leadership Development Joyce initiated the Cheers to Her event. Laura, Senior HR Project & People Manager, mainly helped to coordinate the event on site at the Cologne office:
Working with my great colleagues to organise the event was an exciting task away from the day-to-day business. Every single one of them contributed not only their interest, but also a wide range of creative ideas. In addition to an inspiring speaker, it was particularly important for us to celebrate International Women’s Day and create an opportunity for networking. Only by working together to engage and inspire reflection can we create a sustainable and inclusive future that benefits everyone.
Laura, Senior HR Project & People Manager
In addition to the many inspiring speeches and talks, there was another small highlight: beautiful stickers with strong messages. They were designed by our Junior Product Designer Brigida.
What was the motivation behind the event? Head of HR Franzi explains:
I hope that this event will encourage many colleagues to look for role models or mentors and learn from and with them.
Whether it’s Dr Sandra Bell, your favourite colleague at Kaufland e-commerce, your mom, aunt or grandmother, or personalities like Helen Keller, Pippi Longstocking or Frida Kahlo: female role models play (and have always played) a crucial role. Whether they make a career, challenge expectations, break barriers or help shape others’ lives – their stories, their lives and their voices encourage us, inspire us and remind us to raise our glasses again and again: Cheers to Her.
A big thank you goes out to Joyce, Franzi, Laura, Eva, Maya, Mathilde, Vicky, Claire, Maureen, Alexander, Mirco, Leslie and Brigida – without you this remarkable event would not have been possible.