Delphine de Clerck was recently elected president of the Federation of Women Business Leaders of Luxembourg (FFCEL) after having held the position of former general secretary. Silicon Luxembourg spoke to her to find out more about her ambitions and the need for more visibility for women in business.
Congratulations on your new role as president of the FFCEL. What past experiences do you bring to this role?
I was first a product manager in the food industry after which I became an owner and manager in the iron industry. During this period I moved to Luxembourg, about 12 years ago, and dedicated myself to my family. While here, I and my former husband took over a headhunting company where I was in charge of talent management which I quit two years ago to become a professional coach and freelancer for a relocation company.
How did these experiences shape your desire to join the FFCEL?
I found that the professional environments I worked in never gave a lot of space for women. There has always been a significant lack of recognition towards women in the industries I’ve worked in which is why I joined the FFCEL. If 10% of women would take the lead in big companies we would be able to increase the GDP by 10% by 2050. The impact of women cannot only be complimentary to men but it can actually increase the efficiency and performance of companies worldwide. That’s why I joined the FFCEL, to increase our visibility and become a systematic reference in the business world.
How do you hope to achieve these goals as the FFCEL’s new president?
It’s not an easy task but each milestone is important. First of all, we need to have a real network of women, a sorority which works together towards a common goal. The federation can offer its members this as well as trainings on how to start and conduct a company. We also give access to events to increase their networks with economic actors and ministries and are working on creating more partnerships to increase the visibility of women in business.
How accommodating is Luxembourg’s business landscape towards women?
I feel like in Luxembourg, business is made by men for men and they give no place for women to be in higher-up positions like CEO or General Secretary. Most of the time, when they interview women for such positions, the first question they ask is whether you are ready to travel and work outside of office hours without considering that many women also play a bigger role than men in raising children and therefore need more flexibility. Furthermore, attractive women often have their competence put in doubt and suggestions are made that they only got to their position through other means.
Men and women do not have to be opposed to one another but can bring out important synergies. Women are not afraid of bringing down walls so I hope male management becomes more open to women in business.
What memberships does the FFCEL offer?
We have two kinds of memberships, the first is becoming an active member and the second is what we call observatrice. This allows women to be part of the federation for two years, exchange with members and attend our events without being an active member. It also helps them get an idea of what the FFCEL is about and also to profit from the educational resources we offer. However, the FFCEL is only open to women who occupy certain positions within their company and have some impact in their chosen industry.
What advice do you have for women entrepreneurs wanting to succeed in a male-dominated field?
The most important piece of advice I could offer is to not stay alone, you have to have a good support network and have someone you can talk to. When you start down this path, you need to be able to let go because being a woman entrepreneur is a tough path and you will need all the resources available to you to succeed.
