“Tatiana Lluent is an impressive appointment for the position, and we look forward to the joint exchange around the promotion of women and diversity in terms of nationality, origin, and identity,” says Hiltrud D. Werner, member of the board of management – integrity and legal affairs, Volkswagen AG. “For us at Volkswagen, diversity means finding the right people for the right job at every level, regardless of cultural heritage, age, or gender. Only those who consider diversity today can imagine its impact tomorrow and use these to advance the transformation of society and business. With this endowed chair, we would like to support this vision and the research needed to develop it.”

The German Cabinet approved a gender quota bill for management boards of publicly traded companies on January 6, demonstrating that the advancement of women in management will continue to grow in importance. Binding quotas should ensure that the proportion of women in management positions increases significantly.

The research of the chair will center on social and organizational processes and examine how career advancement, compensation, and entrepreneurial activities differ across genders. Furthermore, the chair will explore mechanisms that create opportunities to reduce and overcome inequalities and highlight the benefits of diverse leadership teams. Lastly, the chair will serve as a platform for exchange between leaders of diverse cultural backgrounds in middle and senior management.

“Tatiana’s research is deeply rooted in diversity and gender issues within organizations. It therefore builds excellently on our existing activities, such as the Inclusive Leadership Roundtable, EQUAL4EUROPE, and the Women in Leadership Club,” says Jörg Rocholl, president of ESMT. “As a signee of the Diversity Charter, we are committed to creating an environment free of prejudice and one in which all ESMT employees and students are valued. With the new chair, we will further advance this commitment.”

With students, faculty, and staff from more than 75 countries, ESMT strives to create a diverse, multifaceted, and inclusive working and learning environment.