FeatureNatalja Kissina serves as Vice President, Human Resources for Gulf countries. In her own words, she is fortunate to have built a career that brings with it a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment. It is lucky to be surrounded by colleagues who have encouraged, coached and mentored her throughout her career. She is also proud to have worked in organisations that place gender equality at the centre of their vision and strategic agendas.
Natalja’s ideal work environment is where gender balance is integral to how the organisation conducts business. At Schneider Electric this is a key priority globally and locally.
The goal is to have women representing 50% of all new hires, 40% of frontline managers, and 30% of senior leadership by 2025
Embracing and welcoming people from all walks of life, ages and cultures is something Natalja enjoys. She is keen on playing a role to promote flexibility at work principles that empower and meet the needs of women and men to manage their unique life and work.
Upon reflecting on some of the challenges she faced in the past, Natalja realised that she was sometimes setting herself back because of self-imposed internal obstacles, rather than external ones. In these moments, she sought words of encouragement and words of wisdom from family, friends and mentors who have always been there to fuel her confidence, beliefs and faith. She is a strong advocate of the idea that every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.
Embracing and welcoming people from all walks of life, ages and cultures is something Natalja enjoys
Schneider Electric prides itself on nurturing an inclusive culture where women are empowered, enabled and visible in the organisation. It recently signed the SDG 5 Pledge to accelerate gender balance in UAE’s private sector, which aims to increase the representation of women in leadership roles to 30% by 2025. This initiative will serve as a beacon for gender equality and women’s empowerment across the country and beyond.
Globally, the company has progressed on female representation on the board and its Executive Committee. The goal is to have women representing 50% of all new hires, 40% of frontline managers, and 30% of senior leadership by 2025.
It is exciting to see UAE placing gender equality and women’s empowerment amongst the centre of its vision. Some great examples of advancements include labour law changes, which extends maternity leave provisions, offers equal pay, and includes policies that support greater gender equity in the workplace.
It is exciting to see UAE placing gender equality and women’s empowerment amongst the centre of its vision
The company’s leadership development and people vision are vital to power Schneider Electric’s continuing transformation into a more innovative, inclusive and diverse organisation.
Natalja is keen on playing a role to promote flexibility at work principles that empower women and men to manage their unique life and work.
