Bea Haring: ‘Show some grit and be yourself’
Thu 01 January 1970
, Ernst & Young
Since 2008 Bea Haring has had the distinction of being the first woman on Ernst & Young’s Executive Committee, and a standard bearer for female leadership.
You have reached the top at Ernst & Young Nederland. What’s your secret? ‘I gained first-hand experience in how this particular male bastion operates. I graduated in Tax Law from Leiden University and started as a junior tax adviser with Ernst & Young in 1990. Ten years later I became a Tax partner; I was the second female Tax partner at the time. My motto is, make your ambitions clear, show some grit and, above all, be yourself. My being on the Executive Committee shows that it is possible for a woman to reach the top.’
It seems logical for you to have ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ in your portfolio. ‘Yes. Thanks to our Women’s Leadership Programme the number of female partners has doubled since 2005, but adjustments to the gender balance have remained urgent and vital; not only to achieve greater balance in decision-making processes, but also because clients increasingly ask for mixed-gender teams. Being unable to fulfil those kinds of wishes as a service provider would obviously undermine one’s own continuity. Research has also shown that mixed-gender organisations perform better.’
What is your view on the added value of female leadership?
‘Women are better cooperators and are more focused on the long term. Men are result-oriented and more decisive. I’m generalising of course, but there is a fundamental truth here. The point is that a combination of these qualities enables you to face outside challenges better. It’s all about balance.’
As a last point, do you have a single piece of advice to give to ambitious women?
'Diversity can be made into something very complicated. That’s why it’s better to take it as a given from the start. You don’t need to make a tremendous effort to raise awareness, which is the basis of everything. For example, one typical female quality is self-effacement. But in order to achieve something one simply has to highlight one’s qualities as an individual from time to time. Always grasp that opportunity, I would say.’
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