Female empowerment and leadership at Cellnex

Being part of a group gives us a sense of identity and belonging that contributes significantly to our self-esteem and emotional well-being. Groups provide us with an environment of emotional and social support that helps us cope with stress and adversity. Interaction with other members of the group fosters the development of social skills and the creation of meaningful bonds, strengthening the social fabric and promoting a sense of community and solidarity. In short, belonging to a group not only enriches our personal lives, but also strengthens our ability to collaborate and achieve common goals.

Family, friends, work colleagues, the feeling of belonging to a shared project … these are all groups that allow us to feel supported and safe, especially when the group is a minority.

According to the INE, 54.2% of university students are women. But, if we look specifically at STEM career students, the percentage drops to 36%. As a consequence of this lack of students, in the world of STEM jobs women represent only 26.4%, according to a recent ESADE study. Proof of this is that inequality also exists in an innovative and technological company like Cellnex, which needs STEM profiles. At the close of 2023, women represented 31% of the company’s workforce; while in STEM positions they represented 27.25%, slightly higher than the percentage in the results of the ESADE study, a significant improvement on the previous year’s figure of 19.6%.

With this situation in mind, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion area within the Cellnex People team has designed a specific programme for all women in the company to receive specialised training to help them gain visibility, unleash their potential and develop their professional careers. “The program is aligned with the company’s EDI strategy and priorities and covers four dimensions: awareness-raising, leadership, growth and outsourcing” says Imen Toumi, Global Lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Cellnex. “It focuses on women receiving training in skills such as self-knowledge, development, networking and leadership.”

The programme, specifically for improving women’s growth skills, has implemented two actions: Female Empowerment Itinerary and Take the Lead.

Female Empowerment Itinerary is aimed at all women in the company and seeks to develop the tools necessary to shape their professional future through training, self-knowledge, networking and increased visibility. It is a joint approach that aims to forge powerful connections and amplify impact. “The itinerary consists of eight months of training involving such areas as time management or personal branding as well as mentoring or networking sessions,” says Toumi.

This first edition of the itinerary involves the voluntary participation of 95 women from the 10 countries in which Cellnex operates. “I think it is crucial to rectify the gender imbalance and lack of inclusion in leadership. However, I think it is just as important and essential for these efforts to be based on competence and the appropriate leadership qualities and attributes,” says Pamela Eden of Cellnex UK. For her part, Gabriela Guerado-Romero from Cellnex France explains: “I am very excited to be one of the women on the itinerary. I think my profile fits perfectly: I am an engineer, under 35 years old, and a manager of a technical team that works in a multicultural environment.”

Take the Lead is a development programme tailored to Cellnex’s talented female leaders. “The Programme aims to enhance women’s leadership skills to improve their opportunities for professional advancement and, in line with ESG objectives, increase the representation of female talent in senior management positions,” says Susana Herreros, Global Head of Talent & Leadership at Cellnex.

Over seven months, 16 women from the different countries where the company operates will receive practical in-person and on-line training to foster the development of a sustainable, integrative and transformative leadership capacity.

The commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is not just a matter of numbers, but also of concrete actions that promote a fairer and more equitable work environment. The programmes that Cellnex is implementing, dedicated to female empowerment and leadership, seek not only to close the gender gap in the STEM field, but also to inspire future generations of women to pursue their professional goals without limitations. Taking part in these programmes fosters a sense of belonging, creating a network of support and solidarity among the women in the company, strengthening the ability to collaborate and achieve common goals. Ultimately, the true measure of success will be to see more women leading with confidence and contributing significantly to development and innovation within the company.