During a speech at the closing session of the mentor-participant introductory gathering in the fifth edition of the Promociona Project, Juan Rosell, President of the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Associations (CEOE), declared that equal opportunity is a key requirement for competitiveness.

Mr. Rosell reminded the audience that the Promociona Project is an initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the CEOE, and ESADE. The essential objective of the project, he explained, is to increase women’s access to top executive posts at companies and institutions.

This process continues to advance at a slow pace, giving rise to the need for awareness-raising measures like Promociona. The mentoring process, in which business executives offer and share their knowledge and experience with participants, is a key part of the project.

The numbers reveal the scope of Promociona’s success: of the 437 women from 260 companies who have participated in the project’s five editions, 42% have received a promotion, according to the director of the project, Gabriela Uriarte.

The closing session also featured the participation of Mario Garcés, Spanish Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality. Mr. Garcés provided an overview of the past, present and future of equality of opportunity, describing the Promociona Project as an emblem of the present moment. He also argued that more women leads to better companies.

Mr. Garcés also discussed the advancement of women in academia and the business world. At non-IBEX-35 Spanish companies, 35% of board members are women, he explained.

Men and women who are rewriting the rules

In her remarks at the start of the session, ESADE’s Patricia Cauqui, Academic Director of Promociona, observed that the men and women involved in the project are rewriting the rules. She argued that the application of the Promociona Project’s principles can lead to a healthier, more complete and more human society.

Teresa Busto, Vice President of Airbus and mentor in the third edition of the Promociona Project, noted that women account for 50% of the staff at her factory, the production supervisors and the management committee. She underscored the importance of mentors and participants sharing their time, energy and passion with one another.

Paulo Soares, CEO of Campofrío and patron of the fifth edition of Promociona, highlighted the project’s role in attracting talent. Mr. Soares called on all companies to incorporate diversity as a step towards equality of opportunity, adding that his company did so long ago.

Finally, Begoña Marañón, Director of Cadena SER in the Basque Country and a participant in the fourth edition of Promociona, described the main characteristics of the mentoring programme. She highlighted the opportunity to meet excellent and highly experienced professionals, as well as the chance to corroborate one’s own points of view, which fosters greater awareness of oneself as a professional.