“Change must be driven from the top”

When you talk with Marianne, you immediately get the impression you’re speaking to someone with experience from a wide range of areas and companies. Someone who has always had a clear goal in mind. But how did Marianne come to work in her current position?

“Everyone deserves a chance and there are different ways to pursue your goals or advance your career,” says Marianne. “My parents were always very clear in that respect: You should go where your passion and conviction lead you.” This mindset is reflected in the international path Marianne and her husband chose, spending several years working in England, the U.S. and Israel.

When she became pregnant with her first daughter, she and her husband decided that he would stay at home primarily. Her advice is to talk to each other and have a frank discussion – caregiving roles don’t automatically have to fall to women.

This offered Marianne the chance to concentrate on completing her doctorate in plant breeding and phytopathology. “I just could never decide, I like both fields so much,” she says with a laugh.

She then started working in a medium-sized family business specializing in vegetable seed. “It wasn’t easy, especially in the beginning,” she says. “We now had two young daughters, and I was constantly asked why I had children at all if I was always working. No one would ever have put that question to a man with children in the same position. I would then get mad and reply: ‘The girls also have a father. We’re a team’.”

Marianne’s daughters are now grown up and have children of their own. She thinks the situation has changed in the meantime and people are more willing to rethink their own prejudices. But she still gave her daughters the advice to discuss with their partners who would stay at home and who would continue working for the time being.

Diversity is enriching

Marianne encountered a rather conservative tone at her first company; agriculture was still a “male-dominated industry” there, as she puts it. Nevertheless, she refused to give up and instead made her position clear, securing a place at the table. “I had to fight for that,” she recalls. “I’ve always felt it important to get selected because I’m the best person for the job, not because I’m a woman. At the same time, I believe that we women still have to perform better than a man in the same position – and that’s unfair, because it’s strenuous and takes a lot of energy.”

Encouraging other women, and fostering diversity and equality, have always been important to Marianne. When a Works Council was to be established at her previous company, she took the initiative and became its chair – a role that gave her exposure and helped her grow, as she learned how the board of directors thought about the future of the company. Years later, unexpectedly, the company was acquired by Monsanto. That was initially a small shock, but it turned out to be an enrichment for the corporate culture: “Monsanto had a very strong focus on diversity, inclusivity and special development programs for women. That gave me an incredible push. The new opportunities allowed me to move from purely executional activities to higher leadership roles, where I was able to develop further strategic thinking and broader business acumen.” Marianne sees Monsanto’s approach as a clear example of how diversity can improve the corporate culture and move a company forward – when it’s made a priority. Mentoring also plays a major part. To this day, Marianne is committed to supporting young women in their career paths. “I’ve been at the Business Unit Vegetables for two years and really cherish it. Today I’m still the only woman in the management team (MT), so we still have work to do. That’s why I make sure that female colleagues who report to the MT are given all the support and encouragement they need.”