“A clear commitment to diversity”

The REWE Group has taken on the patronage of the Cologne-based corporate alliance “Mit Frauen in Führung” (With Women in Leadership). In doing so, the company is sending a clear signal for equal opportunities, diversity and the strategic promotion of women in management positions.

As a founding member of the alliance since 2016, REWE Group has been committed to the visibility and development of female senior managers for years. With the assumption of patronage, a new stage is now beginning – under the motto Women’s Drive, which was chosen very deliberately, as it is also the name of REWE Group’s own development programs for female senior managers and high potentials. As the motto of the two-year patronage, it stands for the drive that many women demonstrate every day: Taking responsibility, leading, growing and making an impact.

REWE Group Management Board member Daniela Büchel, who took over the baton from her predecessor Birgit Oßendorf-Will, Stroer Group, was proud that REWE Group is taking over the patronage of the Cologne alliance ‘With Women in Leadership’. For us, this is much more than a symbolic act – it is a clear commitment to equal rights and diversity. Especially at a time when many companies are scaling back their diversity activities, we are consciously setting an example. We chose our motto ‘Women’s Drive’ carefully: It stands for the drive that many women show every day – the courage to take on responsibility, the motivation to develop, the ability to lead and inspire other women.

Promotion and networking

Back in 2017, REWE Group laid the foundation for development programs aimed at female colleagues with initial management experience with “Women’s Drive”. This resulted in two programs, two training courses, a follow-up, open training offers and the women’s network fernetzt, which has been offering space for exchange, mutual support and joint growth since 2019. The response has been great – and the impact is visible: positive developments at the third management level show that the measures are taking effect, and equal opportunities are becoming an integral part of management development. And last but not least, from this year onwards, all divisions will also be certified according to the “diversity” aspect in the central job and family audit.

With the patronage of the Cologne-based alliance “With Women in Leadership”, REWE Group is once again demonstrating its commitment to diversity and supporting women on their way to those management levels and areas that have lacked diversity to date.