SPIE INTERVIEW EN

1. Why did you join SPIE ?
Laure Simon: I used to work in a communications agency, but I wanted to give new
impetus to my career by working in a company. A year ago, when I heard that the post
of communications manager at SPIE Belgium was vacant, I hesitated at first. I had an image
of a very male-dominated company. But when I found out that the Group has decided to
make the gender diversity of its teams one of its priority strategic goals, I applied for the job.
How do you communicate on this topic?
L.S.: We pay particular attention to female profiles. We issued a press release recently
presenting a site visit by a group of young women who are receiving training in electricity.
In our promotional videos, we ensure that everyone is evenly shown on screen.
What concrete actions have you taken?
L.S.: We work closely with members of the So’SPIE Ladies network to promote the role
of women. For International Women’s Day, we ran a competition in which employees could
express their view of gender diversity at SPIE Belgium. Those who were the most committed
and the most inventive were invited to see an interactive play on the subject of sex
discrimination in the workplace. The initiative was a great success!
40-year-old Laure Simon is someone who takes the place of women in companies very seriously.
At SPIE Belgium, her central role as communications manager means is well placed
to get something done about it. She is an ardent campaigner for the cause.
Find more about our job offers on www.spie-job.com/en
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“The gender diversity
of teams is a priority
strategic goal.”