As part of her work for Grodan, Marketing Director Gonneke Gerkema is often the only female in management teams. For herself, her daughter and future generations of women, she has a personal wish to see more gender equality in the workplace. “Moreover, various studies show that a better gender balance is also good for business,” she says. To play an active part in making a difference, she recently joined the Gender Alliance for Innovation in Agriculture (GAIA) on behalf of Grodan. To tie in with this, we asked some of our other female colleagues to share their experiences of being a ‘woman in horticulture’. While being the only woman in the room sometimes has its upsides for Mona Nazari, North America Marketing based in Vancouver, Canada, she would like to see more women entering the industry. “Women bring different perspectives, which can be especially vital during the current period of transformation.”
In North America, we are well into a transformation period for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). As we witness increased consolidation and increased private-equity investment, the dynamics are shifting from what was once largely an industry made up of multigenerational family businesses to highly sophisticated corporate organisations, with roles previously not seen. During this period, I believe women have a big opportunity to make their mark and be part of reshaping a previously male-centric field of work. I must admit, I’ve always found it a little strange to describe women as ‘minorities’, but in the business context we certainly are not the majority.
When I joined Grodan two years ago, I was impressed to see so many friendly and inspiring women at the company, including in senior positions, and I immediately felt very welcome. The horticulture industry was completely new for me, but everyone was very supportive and understanding, and I was pleasantly surprised to be allowed plenty of time to get to grips with the basics. Now that I’ve settled in, I love working in this industry!
Positive impact
When I do find myself being the only woman in the room, my point of view is valued and seen as a benefit. Building off that, it means you certainly stand out – and I view each occasion as an opportunity to make a positive impact. But I’d like to see more women entering this industry because I think they have a lot to offer. For example, various statistics show that female-led companies perform better and have higher employee satisfaction. Women also often bring different perspectives and more relevance, which can be especially vital during a period of transformation.
I have been in networks and associations at former posts and they are key in helping drive the attraction, retention and development of women leaders. Personally, I was part of forming a network of women in CPG and retail. I led the committee for recruiting and engaging the next generation of female leaders through hosting collaborative seminars with MBA students to raise awareness of opportunities beyond traditional finance/banking. I believe with GAIA we have a great opportunity to have a similar impact. Hopefully, we will start reaching people who are at the onset of their career journey, as most women going into business may not have CEA or horticulture top of mind, or even be aware of it as an option.
Trailblazing reputation
The horticulture sector offers a wide range of opportunities – whether women are looking to work in finance, sales, marketing, logistics or tech, or on the supplier, operator or commercial growing side – so I’m very excited that Grodan is living up to its trailblazing reputation by joining GAIA to help spread this message.
Advocate of meaningful change
I am fully committed to the industry at this point, and I can’t imagine myself ever going back to mainstream business sectors. There are so many exciting developments – whether from a tech aspect, or in terms of helping to tackle society’s challenges such as climate change and feeding the growing population.
Furthermore, the beauty of the horticulture industry is that it is small enough for you as an individual to make your voice heard and be an advocate of meaningful change. So if you’re passionate about actively shaping a more sustainable future and making the world a better place, come and be part of the transformation!
