Anesco CEO Hildagarde McCarville writes about why she believes the evolving renewables industry presents a huge opportunity for women, and also for leadership teams to actively help drive the transition to greater diversity and equity.
I started my career in IT in the early 2000s, when women accounted for approximately 9% of the sector’s global workforce. It was the dotcom era, exponential growth quarter on quarter, with rapid innovation and change, providing huge opportunities for self-development, with technical competence and a strong work ethic highly valued.
Looking back, despite the low feminisation rate, I had no shortage of role models, being surrounded by inspirational women holding prominent positions; from operational directors to those project managing cutting-edge programs and global launches.
After almost a decade, I moved into utilities and joined a European-headquartered company whose focus was on long term customer relationships and consistently delivering high quality services. While both sectors were technical the cultural differences couldn’t have been more pronounced.
Working in utilities, I saw firsthand the scarcity of ecological resources – be that clean air, water or energy – and the need for transformation. Clean, secure, affordable energy is a key piece of the puzzle, and the renewables sector presents significant opportunities for women to excel, while helping drive the energy transition; from the development and energisation of assets, through to designing innovative revenue models that reflect the shared economy.
Engaging the next generation will also be key. Upon joining Anesco, I established the Young Professionals Network (YPN), as a majority of our staff are under 35 years old. While passionate about the company and making a real difference, they were not proportionally represented. The YPN now has a direct voice at the top, helping to co-develop our culture and corporate strategic initiatives, whilst being a forum for developing leadership skills.
Ahead of writing this, I asked my fellow female colleagues what advice they wished they’d received when starting out in their careers, along with their tips for managers on promoting diversity and equity. They told me:
1. Representation and role models matter. Think what practical steps you can take to further representation within your own team and organisation.
2. Build your network. Every professional needs to learn the skill of networking and how to develop and nurture their own professional network.
3. Get a mentor or sponsor. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask someone and set time aside to regularly check in with them.
4. Believe in yourself. Every time I have offered a woman a promotion, they initially tell me they think they can’t do the job. Don’t do that! You wouldn’t have been offered the role had your manager believed you would not succeed. For managers, don’t interpret doubt or self-criticalness for lack of interest or inability.
5. Know yourself. Do NOT change your core values to confirm or fit in. You are a better colleague and leader when you are your authentic self.
6. Communication is key. Never forget communication is a two-way process. It involves actively listening to ensure all parties are understood.
7. Actions speak louder than words. Positive change starts with us. Think what you can influence or affect in your role.
Within Anesco, 40% of the leadership team is female and across the company as whole this figure is 34%. Just as with the energy sector, we are committed to transitioning to a more sustainable and equitable future.
A version of this article was first written for Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) for an article series running in PV Magazine.
