Lerøy has set itself an ambitious goal: By 2030, 40 per cent of the company’s managers are to be women.
“The Group’s share of women in management positions is currently 24 per cent. There’s still a way to go before we reach the goal, but things are heading in the right direction, and we’re confident that it’s entirely achievable. To get there, we need to take a targeted approach to both internal skills development and external recruitment. At the same time, we can see the value in taking inspiration from Lerøy’s experiences in other countries,” says Vibeke Søbstad, HR Manager at Lerøy.
Increasing the focus on female managers
“We’re using this year’s International Women’s Day to highlight this goal within Lerøy, both nationally and internationally,” she says.
Søbstad is also part of Lerøy’s HR network working on culture, diversity and inclusion, and emphasises the importance of bringing into the spotlight how Lerøy can achieve its goal of 40 per cent female managers by 2030.
“The goal is absolutely achievable, but we have to work proactively to reach it. We want to visualize how we can attract more female applicants for management positions, and show Lerøy Spain as a good example” she says.
Lerøy Processing Spain’s success story
Lerøy Processing Spain can already point to impressive results, with the figure for female managers at 57 per cent. This success shows how a long-term, targeted focus on culture and skills building can deliver good results, from which the rest of the Group can learn.
“Our work to promote women in management positions is a natural part of our approach to management and talent development. We put people and skills first, irrespective of gender,” says María Stefanova, Director of People & Values at Lerøy Processing Spain.
Stefanova goes on to explain that the company has worked with employee representatives to draw up an Equality Plan, resulting in several concrete measures to promote equality in the workplace.
Inclusive language, flexibility and courses in gender-balanced management
The company offers training in “inclusive language”, focusing on gender-neutral formulations because Spanish traditionally uses the male gender as standard. In addition, courses are held on gender-balanced management, and regular pay reviews are conducted to ensure there are no pay disparities for roles with the same responsibilities.
“It’s important to us that both genders have equal opportunities,” says Sacha Fernandez Mendoza, Talent Coordinator at Lerøy Processing Spain.
Inclusive language is also used in job adverts to encourage both men and women to apply. The company has also stressed the importance of a fair system of promotion.
“We have a clear skills-based system, which ensures everyone is assessed objectively, without interference from subjective factors,” Mendoza says.
To support work–life balance, Lerøy offers flexible working time and home-working options. This allows everyone to take on more responsibility at work, without it intruding in their private lives.
“The flexibility gives both men and women the opportunity to develop their careers while maintaining a healthy work–life balance,” he says.
From administrator to manager
Gabriela Ortiz is an excellent example of how the company’s targeted work has made it possible to progress quickly and take on more responsibility. Gabriela joined Lerøy in 2018 as a production administrator and, after just a year, became a technician in the product development department. Following the merger of the production and product development departments in 2024, she advanced to manager of Ready Meals, with responsibility for a team of seven and the company’s biggest customer.
“The fantastic team I’m part of has been absolutely crucial to my success. The passion I have for my work motivates me to do everything I can to ensure that we – as a team – achieve the goals we’ve set ourselves,” she says.
Success as a building block
“Lerøy Processing Spain has shown that systematic work on equality delivers results. Their experiences can be an inspiration for the rest of Lerøy to achieve the goal of increasing the share of female managers. Now it’s a question of building on that success, sharing best practice and continuing our efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces throughout the Group,” says Head of HR VAP, Sales and Distribution, Kjersti Selvik.