“Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress” is the 2024 International Women’s Day theme. Celebrated annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day serves as a global focal point in the women’s rights movement. This year’s theme represents the importance of equality as companies shift toward a more balanced and sustainable economic approach.
Carole Neyrinck, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager for ARaymond, a global supplier of fasteners.
One woman who is familiar with this theme is Carole Neyrinck, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager for ARaymond, a global supplier of fastening systems for the automotive, energy, construction, agriculture, and healthcare industries.
Neyrinck is an engineer committed to the environment, equity, and equality. In this Q&A, she shares her thoughts on her journey to her current leadership role at ARaymond, the overall state of women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industries, and how female representation can be improved going forward.
Fastener Engineering (FE): Tell us about your career and how you got involved in sustainable development.
Carole Neyrinck (CN): I spent three decades working as a biochemist engineer after earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in this area. After a long career in the pharmaceutical industry, I joined ARaymond in my role as CSR manager in 2019.
My job was always challenging, but I was able to raise my three children while working in production workshops and then implementing information systems. Soon after joining ARaymond to lead CSR, I began to focus on environmental goals, bringing clarity and structure in the approach so that the company acts in coordination for all projects in all departments.
We work to limit our contributions to climate change and, with our partners, support them in doing the same. Some tried to push back, but I was strong and assertive, trusted and encouraged by my management. I continually develop my knowledge and skills, always learning and exploring new territories.
FE: Why is it important for companies to develop policies that recognize the impact of climate change?
CN: When you think about climate change and the need to decarbonize, all companies are affected. We work to limit our contributions to climate change and with our suppliers to help them do the same. Taking care of the environment consistently has become an increasingly strong emphasis each year, as it’s no longer an option to ignore it.
FE: As we mark International Women’s Day, how has being female impacted your career?
CN: I’m thankful that I was raised in a family with a mother who was very attentive to being independent, and not relying on anyone for your living conditions. Having that as my background, I didn’t really feel different from a man in terms of my skills and competencies. I was raised with principles of equity and equality.
When I started working, in the team of my peers, I was the only woman. And my direct reports were only men. I was young, only 25, and the men were sometimes 50 years old. Some tried to push back, but I was strong and assertive and skilled and competent.
For me, if you are competent and skilled, you will be recognized. I always tried to be as competent as possible, always learning. And now, I’ve passed these important lessons from my mother onto my own children.
“Mentoring is a key element that can help women advance in their careers, and can help build on the core skills you bring into a job,” shares Neyrinck, who is dedicated to supporting females in the workplace.
FE: What barriers or obstacles do women face in advancing their careers within the CSR field, and how can these challenges be addressed?
CN: For women in industries where they are underrepresented, it’s all about being confident in yourself. I’ve rarely felt differences between men and women in work, and in those rare cases, I would always stand up for myself when I felt disrespected. In those few instances, I would not let this pass, and was straightforward to tell the person not to do it again.
In terms of career advancement, mentoring is a key element that can help women advance in their careers and can help build on the core skills you bring into a job. You must always be learning and have programs to support that learning.
Having supportive bosses and mentoring programs — like I do in my current role at ARaymond — has been a key element of my ability to grow throughout my career. I make sure we continue to offer that mentoring to young men and women today. A supportive male boss can help usher in a generation of confident new leaders who are a strong mix of men and women. And in CSR, the number of women taking on key roles is quite encouraging.
A combination of solid roots, strong skill development and being in a group that empowers you will lead to the amplification of women’s voices in key roles both on the factory floor and in the boardroom.
FE: How has the role of women changed over the years in the fastener industry? How much progress are you seeing?
CN: I’m seeing more women hold positions related to business development, manufacturing and maintenance, innovation, finance, purchasing, and data management — all of which are important technical aspects of fastening solutions. The female ratio in the fastener industry is still not at the level it needs to be, and progress is necessary to better attract, develop, and promote women in the industry.
Reaching gender balance is a key asset to enable the long-lasting transformations that the fastener industry, and most industries, need. My hope is that a socially just ecological transition will happen on all levels in corporations to accelerate progress in gender balance. As this happens, more and more women will be attracted to the industry.
FE: How important are a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility goals, and how important is it for women to have key roles in their implementation?
CN: CSR goals are essential because the world is becoming more disrupted and complex, and our global success relies on diverse collaboration. We must anticipate risks and see opportunities to get better prepared, so we’ll be better positioned for sustainability. We recently joined a pact with 150 business leaders in France to commit to decarbonization, and our efforts in automotive, energy, construction, and agriculture are all moving in an eco-friendly direction.
Women must be included in the conversations about this critical decarbonization planning. By nature, women are more focused on taking care of something for the long term. Women are a key asset for CSR, and men are also needed there — a diversity of opinions is the key. Beyond gender diversity, we also need a mix of ages and cultures to offer input.
FE: As a female in a leadership role, what are the key changes you aspire to see for future generations? How can we attract more women to engineering and other STEM fields?
CN: I see the role of the engineer developing to be more about the capacity to develop solutions that contribute to the common good, and not simply fulfilling customer expectations.
There is a role for women to play in that. Engineers need to develop solutions with a systemic approach and consider the social implications of these solutions and how to make a positive contribution to the environment. The role of the engineer is changing and is more than just technical. People who can embrace this approach will succeed — including women from the current and future generations.