176
A Farmer’s Daughter – Travels from the paddock to the boardroom
By Kristina Hermanson
A big part of innovation is reliance on diverse perspectives. In agriculture today, our greatest potential lies in gender equality on the farm and in agribusiness management. FROM THE BEGINNING – EVERYTHING WAS A POSSIBILITY Raised in a small rural community in Wisconsin’s Dairyland, USA, I lived in an environment where men, women, and children alike contributed to a successful household, family business, and com- munity. Where working mothers woke at 4 am for farm chores, held an office job during the day, raised a family, and led major community programs every year. Alongside these role models in my early life, I also grew up with parents who taught me that opportunity and potential know no gender; for me everything was possible, from becoming a ballerina to an engineer, to taking over the family farm. Today I am far away from my origins and now find myself one of less than 6 per cent of female CEOs in Australia’s agricultural industry. We are all born with potential, irrespective of gender; so where did things go wrong in the world of gender-balance as we migrate from the paddock to the senior manage- ment and Board positions in our sector? Having studied mechanical engineering at uni- versity, my working life has always been very male-dominated and one that I have enjoyed. Early on in my career I often overlooked some of the bias and judgement which other helpful col- leagues later pointed out. I subsequently spent 15 years in various global businesses across Europe which exposed me to
countless women who were succeeding in busi- ness. Usually, their success occurred by fitting the mould that society placed on them and as well as the stereotypes of many male leaders before them. I asked myself, over time, if this was an ideal way as a manager to maximize diversity and potential. Defining moments have featured heavily through- out the 2.5 decades of my career such as reactions to pregnancy – a persistent and unresolved issue in maximising female participation in management. I was also inspired by male and female leaders who broke the mould, asserted themselves – spoke openly about entrenched corporate behaviours which inhibit women and reduce potential contri- bution to the shared goals. Working across many different cultures in my
Powered by FlippingBook