Simona Belea, Continental Romania: “In every company, leaders must be careful to promote a culture of equality and inclusion”

“In Continental Romania we have 19,000 colleagues. Out of those, a third are working in a R&D and out of those, a third of them are women. So, we are quite well represented in this area. We have a lot of areas where we can offer opportunities for new employees. Looking at some strategic areas, I can mention sustainability, autonomous mobility, smart mobility, user experience connectivity, software architecture, safety and more. Wherever your interest is in technology, you will find your way with us,” Simona Belea, Head of Autonomous Mobility, Continental Romania said during Women Professionals in the Automotive Industry conference organized by Automotive Today.

“One key aspect is to offer a variety of areas and job opportunities to attract new employees. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have experience in the automotive industry. You can come over, contact us, show that you have the right attitude and that you are smart, curious, courageous, and then we will teach you the rest and support you in your development.

Everything starts with the leaders. In every company, leaders must be careful to promote a culture of equality and inclusion.

We support our employees by offering them a sense of belonging, by hearing their voice, by making them feel valued. Our role as leaders is to promote an environment of inclusion. If we promote such a healthy culture, women will feel empowered to step up and take a leadership role.

You can advance as a manager; you can advance as an expert in a field. We have multiple examples of women who are highly valued experts in their area. Sky is the limit but in the right company culture.

When I became a leader, I had the feeling of finally finding my place and doing a good job.”

Full recording of the conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D70hWlXRgA&t=732s