Policy for increasing the underrepresented gender at the Company’s other management levels
Background
The Board of Directors of Brødrene A & O Johansen A/S (hereinafter called AO) has set target figures for the gender composition of the Board of Directors and prepared the following policy to increase the proportion of the underrepresented gender at other management levels of the Company.
This has been done pursuant to Danish Act No. 1383 of 23 December 2012 according to which the largest Danish companies are to set target figures and prepare policies for the underrepresented gender in the management bodies of the companies and to report on them.
The purpose of the rules is to obtain a more equal distribution of men and women in the supreme management bodies.
In the long term, it is AO’s plan that the gender composition at the Company’s management levels shall reflect the overall gender composition of the workforce, both at Board level and at other management levels. In AO’s opinion, it will strengthen the business and its results in the short run as well as the long run.
This policy focuses on the representation of women at the Company’s other management levels. The purpose is to give women the opportunity to gather the necessary experience to take on positions in the management bodies of the Company or other companies.
Other management levels
This policy refers to other management levels in AO, which are defined as leading positions with staff responsibility not related to the Board of Directors.
Other management levels therefore include the Executive Board, functional managers, store managers, and functional mid-level managers.
Initiatives to increase the proportion of the underrepresented gender
AO wants the employees to experience that the Company has an open and unbiased culture allowing each individual to make use of his or her skills and talents in the best possible way regardless of gender.
The overall gender composition of the Company consists of approximately 80% men and 20% women, while the gender composition at other management levels consists of approximately 90% men and 10% women. However, the gender composition of the executive management, including functional managers, consists of 62% men and 38% women.
It is AO’s plan that the gender composition at the Company’s other management levels shall reflect the overall gender composition of the workforce.
AO focuses on the following initiatives to increase the proportion of the underrepresented gender at other management levels:
- All management positions are posted internally, and employees are encouraged to apply for the positions regardless of gender. AO focuses on encouraging qualified candidates of both genders to apply for any position.
- A formal recruitment process is followed in connection with the filling of vacant positions at all management levels, as it secures the recruitment of the best qualified employee. In order to secure equal opportunities for both genders, AO focuses on offering its employees flexible schemes for education, training and personal development.
- A good balance between work life and personal life is ensured through staff development interviews, and a clarification of the individual employee’s own wishes for training needs and career development is established.
- Appropriate professional and personal skills development is offered, either by means of training, changed job content, or changed responsibilities in the employee’s current position. There is focus on encouraging both genders to develop their own skills.
- The setting of target figures for the gender composition at other management levels.
There is follow-up on the above-mentioned initiatives on a regular basis, and the results are reviewed once a year.
Expectations regarding results
In general, the Board of Directors and the management level of the Company consist of very few persons, and the gender shares are therefore susceptible to random changes. The development of the gender composition at other management levels is therefore to be seen over a longer time horizon.
The set target figures are not to be understood as fixed and unalterable quotas, as the most important thing is that the Company’s managers have the necessary skills. Instead, target figures and policy for the gender composition serve to raise awareness of the gender composition in such a way that it becomes a fundamental part of assessments on an equal footing with professional and management skills, when the Company recruits or appoints managers.
The Board of Directors checks the target figures, the policy, actions, and results once a year in order to review and, if necessary, adjust the target figures and the prepared policy fo rthe development of the Company.
The statutory report on the gender composition of management for 2019 is available at