We have to re-think our connotation about leadership, what we genuinely define as a “good leader” and the attributes we prescribe to such a person, e.g. arrogant, over-confident, manipulative, risk-prone, to name a few provocative one – actually the exact opposite of being a good leader. All these attributes are sometimes mistaken for charisma.  For me, a good leader should be humble, sensitive, integrative, considerate. Attributes that many women naturally do have. So we women need to be more confident in ourselves and change the professional environment, and not necessarily change the way we are.

My personal goal during my tenure as VIAC’s Secretary General, besides bringing VIAC to the next level, was the support and promotion of new talent and raising awareness for the importance of diversity when making appointments of arbitrators. I am proud to say that the number of female (and young arbitrators) has increased steadily under my term of office.