Gender Balance: Promoting diversity and an inclusive workspace
As part of the UniCredit Group, we are fortunate to have access to an extensive network, a large talent pool, and a broad range of expertise through the experience of our employees. We can rely on each other for the benefit of our customers.
That can only work when they meet employees who embrace our principles because they find themselves in a pleasant working environment. Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment that is also supported by all employees is particularly important to us.
In recent years, we have already made considerable progress and Bank Austria has been chosen as one of the most popular and best employers in Austria.
If we unlock the potential within our Bank and implement our new blueprint for banking, together, we can be the better bank our customers, investors and employees need.
We’re glad we have succeeded in implementing essential goals of the group-wide DE&I strategy in Bank Austria successfully.
As a financial institution, we recognize that divesity, indluding women leadership, is not just a social imperative but a strategic advantage.
Progress in Gender Equality
Over the past few years, up to the end of 2023, Bank Austria has made significant progress in positioning female employees throughout the company and especially in leadership positions:
- 59.0 % of our employees are women.
- 50.0 % of the UCBA Management Board are female
- 36.4 % of the Supervisory Board are female
Current Developments
At some point, target quotas were not enough for us: Since 2023, we have been focusing on promoting gender equality at all levels of the organization. Here we follow our DE&I Framework.
Our Activities
- Promoting gender parity at all organizational levels: The implementation of the group-wide Gender Balance Program, which aims to anchor gender equality in our corporate culture. This particularly includes ensuring equal pay for equal work.
- Support through the international mentoring program WeFly and specific trainings such as "Inclusive Leadership" and "Unconscious Bias", to promote a more inclusive work environment.
- Participation in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which highlights our efforts for transparency and commitment in the areas of gender equality.
- Increasing cultural and ethnic diversity in our workforce and a more diverse corporate culture. We believe diversity creates creativity.
- Improving work-life integration, well-being, and flexible working models for our employees.
- Utilizing inputs from our diverse workforce to optimally fulfill our customer requirements
- Improving digital and physical accessibility for both our employees and our customers
- Ensuring that suppliers adopt our DE&I principles
UniCredit is the first pan-European bank to win a Global EDGE Certification for gender equity and inclusion.
Marking significant progress in gender equity, banks in Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, and Serbia received EDGE Certifications, joining UniCredit's already certified banks in Italy, Germany and Austria.
Andrea Orcel, CEO of UniCredit: "UniCredit is setting an example for sustainable business practices in Europe. I am proud that we have become the first banking industry organisation to hold EDGE Certification in 10 countries, and the first pan-European bank with Global certification. Being a champion in gender diversity, equity and inclusion is an integral part of our culture and reinforces our commitment to a clear set of principles and values as a crucial component of our continued business success. The rich diversity within our team creates the inclusive environment needed to provide best-in-class solutions to our growing client base across Europe."
Committed to improvement
We want to drive change, innovation, and sustainable development. That's why we are reinforcing our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment in the coming years. We aim to create the fairest and most positive working atmosphere possible, where it's all about teamwork and togetherness.
For more details on our DE&I ambitions and measures to promote gender equality in the workplace, please visit the official website of the UniCredit Group.
