In what circumstances did you use quotasC

With the crisis, does the diversity becomes a problem in rich countries

Anne Lauvergeon: It is one of the subjects of the next Women's Forum of Deauville, one of the great advantages is to speak truth... The key to be in a developed or emerging countries it is to understand the diversity and to have a corresponding offer. Diversity is an imperative, not an object of luxury. If companies trap, they won't go away.

Carlos Ghosn: This is not a concern for rich countries. It is sufficient for proof, look at the countries of Eastern, Communists, who are those with the most promoted equality between men and women. No, diversity is not "a third car. A tip is to optimize the performance a little. On the contrary, it is at the heart of the performance.

Is it necessary to legislate on the matter

A. l.: because they are multinational, our respective groups adopt everywhere the same types of practices. They cannot afford to wait that the legislation is changing in each country to act.

C g.: For me, first of all, the watchwords are: education, experience and sharing knowledge. Share experiences well made and well constructed can convince the more reluctant. However, when one part of lower...

A. l.: as in France, in the industry.

C. G. : ...It is not always possible to escape regulation and quota. Must be required at startup.

In what circumstances did you use quotas

C. g.: quotas are useful in determining the speed of change. At Nissan, was 0.5 of women in management. It is mounted 5 in three years by way of explanation and exchanges best practices.

A. l.: when it moves not quickly enough, but only in this case, then Yes, quotas have their usefulness. In 2007, with Areva, it has for example set 20 the percentage of women in different committees of management for 2010.

However, they are not the panacea...

A. l.: quotas were a humiliating: is it in position to meet a quota or its qualities I believe more in the establishment of indicators for measuring recruitment, training and promotion.

C. g.: the quotas and indicators are there to remind the realities of common sense. A woman manager or leader does demonstrate sufficient authority We know the answer, because we all have a mother. Is the matrix operation of organizations effective Yes, here again, most people have experienced the dual authority of their parents. Diversity is a victim of "blind spots" in the head, but we must hunt down relentlessly and blow.

Adapt the French law is thus not a requirement

C. g.: can already deal with the existing legislation. The law must accompany something already.

A. l.: counting techniques are prohibited in France but, in practice, can be based on the criterion of social diversity. See the case of our plant in Chalon-Saint-Marcel: could hire locally with a wide variety of youth and young men and women of all social backgrounds. It is a question of voluntarism. For a Group President, create conditions for diversity, is refuse manager clones, even though, in practice, it is most reassuring and comfortable. It is also not just knowledge, but also capable of listening.

You work in a male universe... How you react when you hear sexist comments

A. l.: I have not this experience with Areva, probably because when you have a woman President from itself, it is necessarily evolve his State of mind. On the other hand, I hear sexist comments outside of the company. They are expressed so polished and wrapped but they do not prevent the stereotype. Some of them relate to me: after ten years at the head of an industrial group which is installed on the first step of the podium, whose turnover and staff doubled and whose profitability continued to improve "Anne Lauvergeon is really an industrial", queries on a padded way.

C. g.: I hear less sexist remarks that a different pattern, because my name is associated with the issue of diversity and my commitment to women is sufficiently known. However, when happens to me to hear, my reaction is to try to understand: but why he said it Because, finally, were mothers, wives, daughters... I have the same misunderstanding to the xenophobic speech: why are these words

Is this a problem of mentality

A. l.: absolutely. It has to be vigilant: the crisis, both risk and opportunity, when more remains a risk for women.

C. g.: this is not a question of mentality, it is also a problem of ignorance. Respond to sexist remarks or xenophobic by facts or explanations may change the address.

You would therefore favour the therapy by example...

C. g.: Yes. Keep, the Japan, the reluctance towards the work of women. But if you send Japanese leaders in Romania, where 50 of the management is female, they come back with certainty, but with questions.

And if Lehman Brothers was called Lehman Sisters...

A. l.: the only certain thing is that it cannot manage humanity with 50 of the capacity of the planet. Men and women must not oppose but work together effectively.

Because of the richness of diversity, companies better understand their customers and then know better to adapt to their expectations. They then do not develop next to society but become the reflection.

The company must therefore understand better standing

C. g.: an example: women choose an automobile including its functionality and design while the men, they think rather mechanical. It must ensure that management integrates this dimension there and knows talking to female populations.

A. l.: in nuclear power, why an also high degree of non-accession by women Because electricians are men who have always had the habit of talking to men. However, today, must speak to the whole of society... The last book of Alain Minc evokes the possibility of demonstrations of "young white male" anxious to protect diversity. This is a frightening representation of the future. The greater risk lies rather in refusing to see things as they are. The confinement is lethal to global issues.