“We want to make women more visible in the company”

When Claudia Rongits and Andrea Asvazadurian-Mayerhofer from the Women’s Network at ERGO Austria speak, you can feel their enthusiasm and drive. They are part of a five-member team that manages the network, which currently has around 55 female colleagues.

Claudia Rongits works in marketing at ERGO Austria, while Andrea Asvazadurian-Mayerhofer is involved in organisational development. Their commitment to the Women’s Network holds special significance for both: “The network is a true passion project. Getting to know colleagues from other areas of the company and exchanging ideas is very enriching,” says Claudia Rongits.

The Women’s Network in Austria has been active since June 2022. The background is that working women often face multiple burdens – including their jobs, household responsibilities, childcare, or caregiving. The aim of the network is to provide women with the opportunity to make themselves more visible in the company, raise awareness for their concerns, and improve their career opportunities.

Open exchange among women

For the past two years, the Women’s Network has been meeting monthly, offering a platform for mutual support and encouragement. “The network is a safe space for honest and open exchange among women,” says Andrea Asvazadurian-Mayerhofer. Today, the Women’s Network counts 55 active members from various units of ERGO Austria. The five members of the so-called “operational system” coordinate working groups, organise meetings, and align planned measures with the management board.

The Women’s Network has set ambitious goals. It aims to bring (even) more women into leadership positions – including part-time roles – and promote exchanges with other (women’s) networks to discuss topics and learn from experiences. Presentations for network members are organised to raise awareness of their own potential and how to best utilise it. Support for parents, sports activities, and personal development programmes are other important components.

The network can already look back on some successes. Idea competitions with raffles, such as for the Women’s Run in Vienna, have increased visibility and motivated joint activities. Regular informative intranet posts and articles in the employee magazine “ERGO Insider,” as well as event-related presentations in the foyer and the “ERGO Breakfast” series, also contribute to making the network’s concerns more known within the company. “The team spirit in the network is simply fantastic,” says Claudia Rongits. “Everyone pulls together and contributes – it brings immense joy and motivation.”

Support for parents

Another milestone for the network was the introduction of a summer holiday programme, which will first take place in July 2024 under the motto “Olympic Summer Games.” ERGO Austria will cover the administrative costs and provide a subsidy.

“You need strong partners and supporters when you want to balance children and a career,” says Andrea Asvazadurian-Mayerhofer. Therefore, she is particularly pleased that Philipp Wassenberg, CEO of ERGO Austria, is an official sponsor and supporter of the network: “DEI are not just values that we promote as ERGO Austria – they are the foundation of our shared success. Different perspectives and experiences make us stronger and more innovative as a company. I am particularly impressed by the commitment of our Women’s Network, which actively contributes to fostering talent, supporting careers, and creating an inspiring work environment,” the chairman of the board proudly states about the achievements.

Text: Kristina Tewes-Goergens

Explore more

The women's network posts reports on the various initiatives on the LinkedIn channel of ERGO Austria:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ergo-oesterreich/