Leonardo with Springboard, for the empowerment of women

In recent weeks, in partnership with Springboard, a conference took place in Windsor, UK, to launch the new edition of the Springboard programme, promoted by Leonardo to develop the self-awareness and decision-making abilities of all female colleagues in the company.

“Amazing, phenomenal, inspiring, empowering”: Just some of the words used to describe Leonardo’s first ever Springboard Conference that took place in February. The event provided an opportunity for more than 140 women from across the international business to come together, celebrate the work of Leonardo women and inspire participants to take the next step on their development journey.

Since partnering with Springboard in 2020, Leonardo colleagues of all ages and seniorities from Italy, UK, USA, Switzerland, France, Poland, China and Saudi Arabia have taken part in six cohorts of a development programme designed to empower women. This includes enhancing participants’ skills and abilities, along with challenging power and equality, while building confidence, assertiveness, and a positive image at work and at home.

Through seminars and keynote speakers, conference attendees learned practical skills centred on the art and science of performance and influence. They also had the opportunity to network with senior female leaders from across Leonardo and reinforce the relationships that have been built between one another, further strengthening the community and sense of belonging that has been established through the Springboard programme.

The keynote speaker was 2014 Rugby World Cup-winner and motivational speaker Heather Fisher, who told those attending to “trust the process” and that through investing in yourself, resilience and self-belief, everyone can be successful.

Wendy Allen, Leonardo UK People Director, was one of the champions of Springboard and spoke at the conference. She said: “We want everyone at Leonardo to feel their contributions are valued and their efforts recognised. For those who are in the minority in our business, we continue to work hard to achieve this, and Springboard is an innovative lever to support the women in Leonardo. It also demonstrates our commitment to investing in achieving better gender balance at all levels of the organisation.”

Leonardo Head of Education & People Development, Susi Galasso, added: “It’s a key priority for our business to recruit more women into the sector, and support the progression of our women within the business. Springboard is creating a community that generates a greater sense of belonging within Leonardo and by empowering our women; we are empowering the organisation as a whole to achieve more.”

Two cohorts are currently underway, with further cohorts planned in future