Measures to promote women on the Management Board, the Supervisory Board and in senior executive positions

UNIQA is convinced that a high degree of diversity can enhance its success on a sustainable basis. Diversity at management levels has a positive impact on the corporate culture. We understand diversity as different nationalities, cultures and a collective of men and women.

In 2016, Jutta Kath became the second woman appointed to the Supervisory Board of UNIQA Insurance Group AG, thereby increasing the percentage of female Supervisory Board members to 20 per cent.

Over the course of 2016, the proportion of women on Management Boards and in senior executive positions throughout the Group rose to 25 per cent. The proportion of female managers in top positions in Austria, below the Management Board level, stands at precisely 20 per cent, while the proportion of women in Management Board functions in the international field is over 29 per cent.

In autumn 2016, UNIQA started a Group-wide Leadership Development Programme with multiple kick-off events. Women make up 20 per cent of the participants in the SHAPE programme for leading managers, and 35 per cent of the NEXT programme for management talent of the next hierarchical level. In terms of professional development for managers, we believe that a very promising approach is to undertake joint development activities for both women and men.

Enabling employees to achieve a work-life balance and providing them with easy access to services that make everyday life easier, especially for mothers, are key factors in promoting women. UNIQA has created a comprehensive range of services known as “Freiraum” (Latitude) that addresses these needs.

In conjunction with an external partner (KibisCare), this range of services includes a comprehensive childcare service even on “bridging days” (between a public holiday and the weekend), private tuition, as well as a broad range of health and sports activities. Advice and support with caring for family members is also offered as part of the “Elder Care” scheme. More female than male participants took advantage of the offer for individual management coaching as a further development measure in Austria in 2016.

UNIQA also supports flexible working hours and offers the option of teleworking. In 2016, 22 per cent of administrative employees in Austria made use of part-time working, while 13 per cent opted for teleworking.