QUESTION 3

Discuss the major challenges facing Alison Bourne in her new role?

QUESTION 6

If you were the CEO of Bergmann Engineering Works (Int.), what would you have done to ensure Alison Bournes successful integration into Bergmann Engineering Works (SA)? (15 marks)

Alison Bourne: leading at Bergmann engineering works (SA) Linda Ronnie and Sarah Boyd Linda Ronnie is based at the School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Sarah Boyd is based at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa he noisy chatter from a band of engineers and technicians carried on, Tuninterrupted, as their new CEO strode across the open plan office into the executive suite. It had been just one month since the company had officially transitioned from Fairbrother Engineering - an independent, family-run manufacturing firm outside Cape Town - to Bergmann Engineering Works (SA), the South African division of a multinational conglomerate based in Sweden. As the different production teams understood it from their outgoing CEO Greg Cooper, the friendly acquisition meant they would carry on with business as usual, even as the transition brought a new senior leader. Alison Bourne crossed the threshold into her corner office and closed the glazed glass door. Forsaking the wide mahogany desk and matching chair, she sat down in the large armchair usually reserved for visitors and let her mind drift to the events of the past four weeks: so much had happened, and still so much needed to be done. She did not expect it to be a flawless transition of power, but this last meeting had just underlined the growing sense of unease she felt from her new team. It had not gone well. When Bergmann decided to take over Fairbrother Engineering, the international Board of Directors had sought out the services of a fresh, innovative person to lead their new acquisition. Bourne had come highly recommended. She held undergraduate degrees in business science and engineering, which she earned cum laude, and a master of engineering with distinction. Her rise through ranks at other design and manufacturing firms and her innovative streak, acknowledged through several local industry awards, spoke volumes. At 45, Bourne would be the youngest and only female executive in the history of Fairbrother History aside, when the CEO, Mikael Blomvist, had called to personally court her for Bergmann (SA)'s most senior position, Bourne felt confident that her background was a good match for the needs of the firm, and she was full of ideas for how to take the team into the next phase of growth. Before she could set herself to analysing her predicament, a voice cut through her thoughts. It was her PA, Sheryl Michaels. "When would you like to schedule the next strategy meeting?" asked Michaels. Bourne could not afford to put off another opportunity to get the management team in sync and on her side. "Let's make it two weeks from today." That should be enough time for her to formulate a strategy. Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have dis- guised names; financial and other recognisable information to protect confidentiality. DOI 10.110VEEMCS-05-2019-0110 VOL. 9 NO. 3 2018, pp. 1-18, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0821 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 1 Fair brother engineering Long before Fairbrother Engineering was on the radar of corporate giants like Bergmann, it was a nimble, high-performing SME in a quickly industrialising South Africa. John Fairbrother started the firm in 1979 when, as a seasoned mechanical engineer, he joined the wave of entrepreneurs growing the country's defence, mining, and electronics industries with small, niched firms. Fairbrother Engineering established itself as a designer of specialised equipment for the mining industry, eventually becoming one of three preferred suppliers within the country, and developing a strong continental reputation in Zambia and Zimbabwe, By 2005, the company had become a veritable family business, with John's son-in-law Greg Cooper at the helm, his grandson Ralph Fairbrother on the business development team, and his nephew, Grant Cooper, a project engineer. Under Greg's leadership, the company vertically integrated to include manufacturing capabilities and grew to a team of 450 employees by 2019. It was part of a strategy to position the company for diversification amidst changing social and economic tides. In the wake of South Africa's political democratisation in 1994, Fairbrother had been somewhat pro-active with transformation with its hiring practices: 67 per cent of employees were people of colour and 20 per cent were women. Still, the majority of these members served in supporting roles, with few in management positions, and none at the executive level. Their organisational makeup reflected industrial norms as well as some ugly underlying truths about the field that were brought to light in September 2018 by one of the country's more visible engineering figures. Posting on his Linkedin profile, the CEO of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, Manglin Pillay, made plain the subtext of engineering's power imbalances: "The fact that more men occupy high profile executive posts is tremendous not because of gender but because of appetite for work load and extreme performance requirements at that level, choosing what is important and where to allocate time," he wrote. By contrast, he posited that women "prefer to work part-time or to dedicate themselves completely to child rearing or pursuing other meaningful exploits generally related to caring." Investing in female engineers, therefore, was a waste. Although Pillay's words were met with public condemnation that eventually led to his resignation, they also found a warm reception in the private conversations of some industry leaders: "Look, I'm not saying none of them can hack it," Ralph, who was now Fairbrother's Head of Business Development, explained to Grant, now Operations Manager, over a lunchtime chat about the scandal. "Sure, there's people like your mom - Rachel is super clever and hard- working, and she's done an amazing job with her firm. But honestly, she's the exception to the rule, like he said. That's just how it is, so statistically, why would I, as a business, put my money on them? Grant nodded silently, trying to hide his discomfort. Ralph could not be serious. Had he not seen all the sacrifices Rachel had made over the decades to become the entrepreneur she was today? The balancing act between raising a family and tackling rigid work demands, not to mention the hostility she faced from her colleagues which their fathers certainly never had to do? Knowing this and the other barriers his mother had faced as she climbed the ladder, Grant felt it was impossible for anyone to support Pillay's views. He did not want to rock the boat, but in that moment, he realised for the first time that Ralph, his own cousin, was absolutely clueless about the very real professional Obstacles for women like Rachel. Six months later, Greg Cooper made three announcements: he officially declared his retirement from Fairbrother; the impending acquisition by Bergmann Engineering Works; and the advent of a new CEO for the company, Alison Bourne. Meet Alison Bourne As Bourne contemplated her new role as CEO, she tried her best to ignore the prefix that was so readily attached to it in press releases and official announcements: first woman." This, of course, was not her first time being the lone female - that dynamic had been a mainstay of her engineering career. Yet, when she first began her professional life, it had not registered that greatly in her mind. She remembered her first job as a support engineer for another local manufacturing firm, some of her most formative years. She had just finished her Master's degree and was eager to start work after six years of engineering studies. They were a small firm and she was the only woman in a team of 20. Her new colleagues had 2-5 years more experience than her and, as a new employee, she looked up to them: their professionalism, the respect they commanded with their strong work ethic, and their confident, no-nonsense way of communicating. This, to Bourne, was what it meant to be an engineer and she found it easy to model herself on their example; it came very naturally to her. And she loved her work: the process of working on a cross-functional project team where her expertise was valued. But something changed without her knowing. Or perhaps it had always been that way: a difference between how she saw herself and the way others saw her. It became known to her slowly, in small ways: her suggestions being overlooked; credit for her ideas being given to her male team members: comments about her attire; and the like. Her collaborative efforts too were perceived as being soft. She had to work harder to be taken seriously and often felt held to a higher standard. When, throughout her career, colleagues at different firms asked her casually over lunch break conversations if she had ever experienced sexism at work ("surely we don't have that here?" they wanted to know), she often thought of the countless other off-hand remarks that had been made to her, to remind her that she was not allowed to be the same kind of professional as the engineers she so respected. She realised quickly that if she wanted to advance her career - she had always assumed she would lead a team as an engineering manager one day, she would need to zigzag her way up. As soon nas she hit a ceiling at a company - when her superiors let on that they were happy to keep her exactly where she was with no chance at promotion - she moved on to something marginally bigger and better, Never mind that, in her periphery, she saw how her male co-workers with less experience and fewer qualifications seemed to be awash in internal opportunities. She knew she was not alone, that this was a pattern at even the biggest, most powerful engineering firms where there was a scarcity of role models and mentors. She read the studies: women would toil for years in the same job, hoping their hard-won degrees and dedicated work would be rewarded, only to have their merits dismissed by superiors who treated their possible future roles as mothers as imminent, and at odds with the interests of the company. She had seen it happen with her own female colleagues over the years: how they either stagnated in a role, never to contribute all that they had to offer, or left the industry for more welcoming fields that didn't care whether employees wanted to be parents or not because they found ways - flexible structures and processes - to use the talents of all their employees regardless. No, she would forge her own pathway. Inevitably, without her planning it, every three years or so she would always find traction at firms who were looking for change. It was a powerful thing, she found, the momentum of being the new hire in which the firm placed so much faith. The groundwork for the innovation awards she won down the line was always laid in those first six months at the company when the teams were receptive to change, before Bourne was made aware she was approaching another ceiling. First, she would earn their respect with her technical skills and work ethic. Engineers were always in a contest to see who could competently do the task and suffer most for it - it was their way and although she was not particularly motivated by this kind of competition, she was happy to comply. Then, satisfied that she could code, draft a design drawing, or whatever other test they had for her, her colleagues would instil their confidence in Bourne as she supported their projects with change initiatives that she devised and actually implemented. She realised she lacked access to those networks that mattered but, it was in those moments, when the process and tools that she designed were making both the product and lives of her colleagues better, that she really was part of the team. That strategy had brought her all the way to Bergmann, where she would find a new, but not altogether different, challenge at the very top Meet Bergmann In many ways, the transition of Fairbrother Engineering into an international subsidiary was always going to be an uphill battle. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Bergmann Engineering Works had companies throughout Europe, but this was its first foray into Africa. If Bergmann wanted to integrate Fairbrother into their global value stream, they would need a leader who was more than a competent engineer, but someone who understood the stakes and the delicate balances to be struck. She was up for the challenge and it was reassuring that the Board of Directors had scouted a South African for the role, even more so that they were unanimous in their endorsement of her appointment. "Fairbrother has all the experience, infrastructure, and expertise that we know will make Bergmann more competitive," explained CEO Mikael Blomvist in one of her last interviews. "But we've been here before with family businesses and without the energy and leadership of someone from outside, the transition is rocky, sometimes even a failure." The big meeting A few days later, as the team gathered in the conference room, Bourne took stock of who they were from her seat at the head of the large table: a range of ages from the mid-30s engineering leads to the 50-something executive members. They appeared to be a balanced mix of different ethnicities, far more representative of South Africa's diverse population than her previous firms had been. Among them, she counted five women, only one of whom was in a technical division. Interesting, but not surprising," she thought. Soon someone from the engineering crew was making his way to her. He stuck out his hand in a rush of words blurted: "Hello, Ms. Bourne, I'm Rich Bekker - head up technical support team in engineering, was out sick here when you came around to meet everyone last week - sorry about that." Before Bourne could respond and reassure him, he carried on: "I'm looking forward to learning more today. Welcome!" And with that he took a seat. "He seemed quite nervous," Bourne thought. However, she appreciated his enthusiasm. There, on her left, was Claasens. He looked alert, ready to go. It was a shaky start, but their budget meeting had gone well the other day. He had shared some key background about the factory and she had pointed out some concerns she had about how Fairbrother had been amortising its equipment disadvantageously on its balance sheet. It was a small bridge, but something. Meanwhile, at the very end of the conference table, almost directly across from her, sat Ralph Fairbrother. By certain measures, he had been the most viable internal candidate for the job she now held, even though the Board of Directors never said so. The last thing Bourne wanted to do was foist incorrect, preconceived ideas on her new teammates, but logic and basic principles of emotional intelligence dictated that she might experience some fire from that side of the table. Induction It was with this challenge in mind that in her first week on the job, Bourne convened a meeting of the entire management cohort, from the executive committee to team leaders to administrative members. In all, it amounted to about 35 people whom she identified as the gatekeepers of meaningful action in the rest of the company. This was where she would begin the process of earning her team's respect, as she had so many times before, starting with her own assistant, who had served Fairbrother's last two CEOs. At 52, Sheryl Michaels did not seem impressed with Bourne's first moves. "Alison, do you think it's really necessary to make everyone attend the meeting and so soon?" Michaels asked when Bourne tasked her with sending the meeting invitation. "Mr Cooper always found it much more productive to meet with the departments separately." "I appreciate that, Sheryl. But this is part of a new process - actually the very thing I want to discuss at the meeting, so I would really like to include the whole team' said Bourne. Bourne had anticipated pushback in the early days, but not right out the gate and not from her key support person. It was not the only thing Michaels had bristled at since Bourne had moved into the office. She was taken aback by how comfortable Michaels was at challenging her. Did she do the same with "Mr. Cooper"? With the other executives? However, there was another pressing matter. She had just received an email from Charl Claasens, her chief finance officer. It explained all the items he needed her to take a decision on in the budget meeting he insisted on scheduling as soon as possible - he had already sent a meeting request for that very afternoon. "Ah, yes," thought Bourne, here is my test. If I accept his proposal and address all his concerns, I have submitted to his terms. If I decline, then I must be incompetent and derelict in my duties." She checked her schedule; she was fully booked for the day, but this was important. She sent a reply asking to meet earlier, over the lunch hour. Conclusion This was one of the moments Bourne would play back in her mind three weeks later in her post-meeting analysis. Her concerns about Ralph had been well founded. Though he expressed few concerns to her in their one-on-one conversations, in these management meetings, he made a show of challenging her. He scrolled through his phone while she presented her vision for this new phase. He spoke comfortably to his neighbours while she spoke. He repeatedly interrupted her presentation with questions that she was about to answer on the next slide. Did Ralph not see how ridiculously rude and insubordinate he was being? Apparently not, because he carried on in the next meeting, this time with more pointed criticism of her ideas, appealing directly to his colleagues with all kinds of insider references that she was still getting up-to-speed on. It was a never-ending battle to maintain her authority in the room. It was not Ralph himself that bothered Bourne. Bad behaviour could be dealt with. What concerned her was the effect his behaviour would have on the other leaders and the long- term health of the organisation. Would they see his actions for what they were: personal territorialism, adversity to change, perhaps prejudice? Alternatively, would they trust that the grandson of the man who had given them their livelihoods was acting in their best interests? Regardless of Ralph's motivations, how would this power struggle look, especially to the handful of women in the room for the only female CEO most had ever worked with to have her credibility challenged at every turn? Either way, it was clear the situation she faced was the product of a specific environment and culture that she had seen her entire career. Now, unlike before, she had an opportunity to change it as a leader, was happy to comply. Then, satisfied that she could code, draft a design drawing, or whatever other test they had for her, her colleagues would instil their confidence in Bourne as she supported their projects with change initiatives that she devised and actually implemented. She realised she lacked access to those networks that mattered but, it was in those moments, when the process and tools that she designed were making both the product and lives of her colleagues better, that she really was part of the team. That strategy had brought her all the way to Bergmann, where she would find a new, but not altogether different, challenge at the very top Meet Bergmann In many ways, the transition of Fairbrother Engineering into an international subsidiary was always going to be an uphill battle. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Bergmann Engineering Works had companies throughout Europe, but this was its first foray into Africa. If Bergmann wanted to integrate Fairbrother into their global value stream, they would need a leader who was more than a competent engineer, but someone who understood the stakes and the delicate balances to be struck. She was up for the challenge and it was reassuring that the Board of Directors had scouted a South African for the role, even more so that they were unanimous in their endorsement of her appointment. "Fairbrother has all the experience, infrastructure, and expertise that we know will make Bergmann more competitive," explained CEO Mikael Blomvist in one of her last interviews. "But we've been here before with family businesses and without the energy and leadership of someone from outside, the transition is rocky, sometimes even a failure." The big meeting A few days later, as the team gathered in the conference room, Bourne took stock of who they were from her seat at the head of the large table: a range of ages from the mid-30s engineering leads to the 50-something executive members. They appeared to be a balanced mix of different ethnicities, far more representative of South Africa's diverse population than her previous firms had been. Among them, she counted five women, only one of whom was in a technical division. Interesting, but not surprising," she thought. Soon someone from the engineering crew was making his way to her. He stuck out his hand in a rush of words blurted: "Hello, Ms. Bourne, I'm Rich Bekker - head up technical support team in engineering, was out sick here when you came around to meet everyone last week - sorry about that." Before Bourne could respond and reassure him, he carried on: "I'm looking forward to learning more today. Welcome!" And with that he took a seat. "He seemed quite nervous," Bourne thought. However, she appreciated his enthusiasm. There, on her left, was Claasens. He looked alert, ready to go. It was a shaky start, but their budget meeting had gone well the other day. He had shared some key background about the factory and she had pointed out some concerns she had about how Fairbrother had been amortising its equipment disadvantageously on its balance sheet. It was a small bridge, but something. Meanwhile, at the very end of the conference table, almost directly across from her, sat Ralph Fairbrother. By certain measures, he had been the most viable internal candidate for the job she now held, even though the Board of Directors never said so. The last thing Bourne wanted to do was foist incorrect, preconceived ideas on her new teammates, but logic and basic principles of emotional intelligence dictated that she might experience some fire from that side of the table. Induction It was with this challenge in mind that in her first week on the job, Bourne convened a meeting of the entire management cohort, from the executive committee to team leaders to administrative members. In all, it amounted to about 35 people whom she identified as the gatekeepers of meaningful action in the rest of the company. This was where she would begin the process of earning her team's respect, as she had so many times before, starting with her own assistant, who had served Fairbrother's last two CEOs. At 52, Sheryl Michaels did not seem impressed with Bourne's first moves. "Alison, do you think it's really necessary to make everyone attend the meeting and so soon?" Michaels asked when Bourne tasked her with sending the meeting invitation. "Mr Cooper always found it much more productive to meet with the departments separately." "I appreciate that, Sheryl. But this is part of a new process - actually the very thing I want to discuss at the meeting, so I would really like to include the whole team' said Bourne. Bourne had anticipated pushback in the early days, but not right out the gate and not from her key support person. It was not the only thing Michaels had bristled at since Bourne had moved into the office. She was taken aback by how comfortable Michaels was at challenging her. Did she do the same with "Mr. Cooper"? With the other executives? However, there was another pressing matter. She had just received an email from Charl Claasens, her chief finance officer. It explained all the items he needed her to take a decision on in the budget meeting he insisted on scheduling as soon as possible - he had already sent a meeting request for that very afternoon. "Ah, yes," thought Bourne, here is my test. If I accept his proposal and address all his concerns, I have submitted to his terms. If I decline, then I must be incompetent and derelict in my duties." She checked her schedule; she was fully booked for the day, but this was important. She sent a reply asking to meet earlier, over the lunch hour. Conclusion This was one of the moments Bourne would play back in her mind three weeks later in her post-meeting analysis. Her concerns about Ralph had been well founded. Though he expressed few concerns to her in their one-on-one conversations, in these management meetings, he made a show of challenging her. He scrolled through his phone while she presented her vision for this new phase. He spoke comfortably to his neighbours while she spoke. He repeatedly interrupted her presentation with questions that she was about to answer on the next slide. Did Ralph not see how ridiculously rude and insubordinate he was being? Apparently not, because he carried on in the next meeting, this time with more pointed criticism of her ideas, appealing directly to his colleagues with all kinds of insider references that she was still getting up-to-speed on. It was a never-ending battle to maintain her authority in the room. It was not Ralph himself that bothered Bourne. Bad behaviour could be dealt with. What concerned her was the effect his behaviour would have on the other leaders and the long- term health of the organisation. Would they see his actions for what they were: personal territorialism, adversity to change, perhaps prejudice? Alternatively, would they trust that the grandson of the man who had given them their livelihoods was acting in their best interests? Regardless of Ralph's motivations, how would this power struggle look, especially to the handful of women in the room for the only female CEO most had ever worked with to have her credibility challenged at every turn? Either way, it was clear the situation she faced was the product of a specific environment and culture that she had seen her entire career. Now, unlike before, she had an opportunity to change it as a leader, Alison Bourne: leading at Bergmann engineering works (SA) Linda Ronnie and Sarah Boyd Linda Ronnie is based at the School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Sarah Boyd is based at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa he noisy chatter from a band of engineers and technicians carried on, Tuninterrupted, as their new CEO strode across the open plan office into the executive suite. It had been just one month since the company had officially transitioned from Fairbrother Engineering - an independent, family-run manufacturing firm outside Cape Town - to Bergmann Engineering Works (SA), the South African division of a multinational conglomerate based in Sweden. As the different production teams understood it from their outgoing CEO Greg Cooper, the friendly acquisition meant they would carry on with business as usual, even as the transition brought a new senior leader. Alison Bourne crossed the threshold into her corner office and closed the glazed glass door. Forsaking the wide mahogany desk and matching chair, she sat down in the large armchair usually reserved for visitors and let her mind drift to the events of the past four weeks: so much had happened, and still so much needed to be done. She did not expect it to be a flawless transition of power, but this last meeting had just underlined the growing sense of unease she felt from her new team. It had not gone well. When Bergmann decided to take over Fairbrother Engineering, the international Board of Directors had sought out the services of a fresh, innovative person to lead their new acquisition. Bourne had come highly recommended. She held undergraduate degrees in business science and engineering, which she earned cum laude, and a master of engineering with distinction. Her rise through ranks at other design and manufacturing firms and her innovative streak, acknowledged through several local industry awards, spoke volumes. At 45, Bourne would be the youngest and only female executive in the history of Fairbrother History aside, when the CEO, Mikael Blomvist, had called to personally court her for Bergmann (SA)'s most senior position, Bourne felt confident that her background was a good match for the needs of the firm, and she was full of ideas for how to take the team into the next phase of growth. Before she could set herself to analysing her predicament, a voice cut through her thoughts. It was her PA, Sheryl Michaels. "When would you like to schedule the next strategy meeting?" asked Michaels. Bourne could not afford to put off another opportunity to get the management team in sync and on her side. "Let's make it two weeks from today." That should be enough time for her to formulate a strategy. Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have dis- guised names; financial and other recognisable information to protect confidentiality. DOI 10.110VEEMCS-05-2019-0110 VOL. 9 NO. 3 2018, pp. 1-18, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0821 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 1 Fair brother engineering Long before Fairbrother Engineering was on the radar of corporate giants like Bergmann, it was a nimble, high-performing SME in a quickly industrialising South Africa. John Fairbrother started the firm in 1979 when, as a seasoned mechanical engineer, he joined the wave of entrepreneurs growing the country's defence, mining, and electronics industries with small, niched firms. Fairbrother Engineering established itself as a designer of specialised equipment for the mining industry, eventually becoming one of three preferred suppliers within the country, and developing a strong continental reputation in Zambia and Zimbabwe, By 2005, the company had become a veritable family business, with John's son-in-law Greg Cooper at the helm, his grandson Ralph Fairbrother on the business development team, and his nephew, Grant Cooper, a project engineer. Under Greg's leadership, the company vertically integrated to include manufacturing capabilities and grew to a team of 450 employees by 2019. It was part of a strategy to position the company for diversification amidst changing social and economic tides. In the wake of South Africa's political democratisation in 1994, Fairbrother had been somewhat pro-active with transformation with its hiring practices: 67 per cent of employees were people of colour and 20 per cent were women. Still, the majority of these members served in supporting roles, with few in management positions, and none at the executive level. Their organisational makeup reflected industrial norms as well as some ugly underlying truths about the field that were brought to light in September 2018 by one of the country's more visible engineering figures. Posting on his Linkedin profile, the CEO of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, Manglin Pillay, made plain the subtext of engineering's power imbalances: "The fact that more men occupy high profile executive posts is tremendous not because of gender but because of appetite for work load and extreme performance requirements at that level, choosing what is important and where to allocate time," he wrote. By contrast, he posited that women "prefer to work part-time or to dedicate themselves completely to child rearing or pursuing other meaningful exploits generally related to caring." Investing in female engineers, therefore, was a waste. Although Pillay's words were met with public condemnation that eventually led to his resignation, they also found a warm reception in the private conversations of some industry leaders: "Look, I'm not saying none of them can hack it," Ralph, who was now Fairbrother's Head of Business Development, explained to Grant, now Operations Manager, over a lunchtime chat about the scandal. "Sure, there's people like your mom - Rachel is super clever and hard- working, and she's done an amazing job with her firm. But honestly, she's the exception to the rule, like he said. That's just how it is, so statistically, why would I, as a business, put my money on them? Grant nodded silently, trying to hide his discomfort. Ralph could not be serious. Had he not seen all the sacrifices Rachel had made over the decades to become the entrepreneur she was today? The balancing act between raising a family and tackling rigid work demands, not to mention the hostility she faced from her colleagues which their fathers certainly never had to do? Knowing this and the other barriers his mother had faced as she climbed the ladder, Grant felt it was impossible for anyone to support Pillay's views. He did not want to rock the boat, but in that moment, he realised for the first time that Ralph, his own cousin, was absolutely clueless about the very real professional Obstacles for women like Rachel. Six months later, Greg Cooper made three announcements: he officially declared his retirement from Fairbrother; the impending acquisition by Bergmann Engineering Works; and the advent of a new CEO for the company, Alison Bourne. Meet Alison Bourne As Bourne contemplated her new role as CEO, she tried her best to ignore the prefix that was so readily attached to it in press releases and official announcements: first woman." This, of course, was not her first time being the lone female - that dynamic had been a mainstay of her engineering career. Yet, when she first began her professional life, it had not registered that greatly in her mind. She remembered her first job as a support engineer for another local manufacturing firm, some of her most formative years. She had just finished her Master's degree and was eager to start work after six years of engineering studies. They were a small firm and she was the only woman in a team of 20. Her new colleagues had 2-5 years more experience than her and, as a new employee, she looked up to them: their professionalism, the respect they commanded with their strong work ethic, and their confident, no-nonsense way of communicating. This, to Bourne, was what it meant to be an engineer and she found it easy to model herself on their example; it came very naturally to her. And she loved her work: the process of working on a cross-functional project team where her expertise was valued. But something changed without her knowing. Or perhaps it had always been that way: a difference between how she saw herself and the way others saw her. It became known to her slowly, in small ways: her suggestions being overlooked; credit for her ideas being given to her male team members: comments about her attire; and the like. Her collaborative efforts too were perceived as being soft. She had to work harder to be taken seriously and often felt held to a higher standard. When, throughout her career, colleagues at different firms asked her casually over lunch break conversations if she had ever experienced sexism at work ("surely we don't have that here?" they wanted to know), she often thought of the countless other off-hand remarks that had been made to her, to remind her that she was not allowed to be the same kind of professional as the engineers she so respected. She realised quickly that if she wanted to advance her career - she had always assumed she would lead a team as an engineering manager one day, she would need to zigzag her way up. As soon nas she hit a ceiling at a company - when her superiors let on that they were happy to keep her exactly where she was with no chance at promotion - she moved on to something marginally bigger and better, Never mind that, in her periphery, she saw how her male co-workers with less experience and fewer qualifications seemed to be awash in internal opportunities. She knew she was not alone, that this was a pattern at even the biggest, most powerful engineering firms where there was a scarcity of role models and mentors. She read the studies: women would toil for years in the same job, hoping their hard-won degrees and dedicated work would be rewarded, only to have their merits dismissed by superiors who treated their possible future roles as mothers as imminent, and at odds with the interests of the company. She had seen it happen with her own female colleagues over the years: how they either stagnated in a role, never to contribute all that they had to offer, or left the industry for more welcoming fields that didn't care whether employees wanted to be parents or not because they found ways - flexible structures and processes - to use the talents of all their employees regardless. No, she would forge her own pathway. Inevitably, without her planning it, every three years or so she would always find traction at firms who were looking for change. It was a powerful thing, she found, the momentum of being the new hire in which the firm placed so much faith. The groundwork for the innovation awards she won down the line was always laid in those first six months at the company when the teams were receptive to change, before Bourne was made aware she was approaching another ceiling. First, she would earn their respect with her technical skills and work ethic. Engineers were always in a contest to see who could competently do the task and suffer most for it - it was their way and although she was not particularly motivated by this kind of competition, she was happy to comply. Then, satisfied that she could code, draft a design drawing, or whatever other test they had for her, her colleagues would instil their confidence in Bourne as she supported their projects with change initiatives that she devised and actually implemented. She realised she lacked access to those networks that mattered but, it was in those moments, when the process and tools that she designed were making both the product and lives of her colleagues better, that she really was part of the team. That strategy had brought her all the way to Bergmann, where she would find a new, but not altogether different, challenge at the very top Meet Bergmann In many ways, the transition of Fairbrother Engineering into an international subsidiary was always going to be an uphill battle. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Bergmann Engineering Works had companies throughout Europe, but this was its first foray into Africa. If Bergmann wanted to integrate Fairbrother into their global value stream, they would need a leader who was more than a competent engineer, but someone who understood the stakes and the delicate balances to be struck. She was up for the challenge and it was reassuring that the Board of Directors had scouted a South African for the role, even more so that they were unanimous in their endorsement of her appointment. "Fairbrother has all the experience, infrastructure, and expertise that we know will make Bergmann more competitive," explained CEO Mikael Blomvist in one of her last interviews. "But we've been here before with family businesses and without the energy and leadership of someone from outside, the transition is rocky, sometimes even a failure." The big meeting A few days later, as the team gathered in the conference room, Bourne took stock of who they were from her seat at the head of the large table: a range of ages from the mid-30s engineering leads to the 50-something executive members. They appeared to be a balanced mix of different ethnicities, far more representative of South Africa's diverse population than her previous firms had been. Among them, she counted five women, only one of whom was in a technical division. Interesting, but not surprising," she thought. Soon someone from the engineering crew was making his way to her. He stuck out his hand in a rush of words blurted: "Hello, Ms. Bourne, I'm Rich Bekker - head up technical support team in engineering, was out sick here when you came around to meet everyone last week - sorry about that." Before Bourne could respond and reassure him, he carried on: "I'm looking forward to learning more today. Welcome!" And with that he took a seat. "He seemed quite nervous," Bourne thought. However, she appreciated his enthusiasm. There, on her left, was Claasens. He looked alert, ready to go. It was a shaky start, but their budget meeting had gone well the other day. He had shared some key background about the factory and she had pointed out some concerns she had about how Fairbrother had been amortising its equipment disadvantageously on its balance sheet. It was a small bridge, but something. Meanwhile, at the very end of the conference table, almost directly across from her, sat Ralph Fairbrother. By certain measures, he had been the most viable internal candidate for the job she now held, even though the Board of Directors never said so. The last thing Bourne wanted to do was foist incorrect, preconceived ideas on her new teammates, but logic and basic principles of emotional intelligence dictated that she might experience some fire from that side of the table. Induction It was with this challenge in mind that in her first week on the job, Bourne convened a meeting of the entire management cohort, from the executive committee to team leaders to administrative members. In all, it amounted to about 35 people whom she identified as the gatekeepers of meaningful action in the rest of the company. This was where she would begin the process of earning her team's respect, as she had so many times before, starting with her own assistant, who had served Fairbrother's last two CEOs. At 52, Sheryl Michaels did not seem impressed with Bourne's first moves. "Alison, do you think it's really necessary to make everyone attend the meeting and so soon?" Michaels asked when Bourne tasked her with sending the meeting invitation. "Mr Cooper always found it much more productive to meet with the departments separately." "I appreciate that, Sheryl. But this is part of a new process - actually the very thing I want to discuss at the meeting, so I would really like to include the whole team' said Bourne. Bourne had anticipated pushback in the early days, but not right out the gate and not from her key support person. It was not the only thing Michaels had bristled at since Bourne had moved into the office. She was taken aback by how comfortable Michaels was at challenging her. Did she do the same with "Mr. Cooper"? With the other executives? However, there was another pressing matter. She had just received an email from Charl Claasens, her chief finance officer. It explained all the items he needed her to take a decision on in the budget meeting he insisted on scheduling as soon as possible - he had already sent a meeting request for that very afternoon. "Ah, yes," thought Bourne, here is my test. If I accept his proposal and address all his concerns, I have submitted to his terms. If I decline, then I must be incompetent and derelict in my duties." She checked her schedule; she was fully booked for the day, but this was important. She sent a reply asking to meet earlier, over the lunch hour. Conclusion This was one of the moments Bourne would play back in her mind three weeks later in her post-meeting analysis. Her concerns about Ralph had been well founded. Though he expressed few concerns to her in their one-on-one conversations, in these management meetings, he made a show of challenging her. He scrolled through his phone while she presented her vision for this new phase. He spoke comfortably to his neighbours while she spoke. He repeatedly interrupted her presentation with questions that she was about to answer on the next slide. Did Ralph not see how ridiculously rude and insubordinate he was being? Apparently not, because he carried on in the next meeting, this time with more pointed criticism of her ideas, appealing directly to his colleagues with all kinds of insider references that she was still getting up-to-speed on. It was a never-ending battle to maintain her authority in the room. It was not Ralph himself that bothered Bourne. Bad behaviour could be dealt with. What concerned her was the effect his behaviour would have on the other leaders and the long- term health of the organisation. Would they see his actions for what they were: personal territorialism, adversity to change, perhaps prejudice? Alternatively, would they trust that the grandson of the man who had given them their livelihoods was acting in their best interests? Regardless of Ralph's motivations, how would this power struggle look, especially to the handful of women in the room for the only female CEO most had ever worked with to have her credibility challenged at every turn? Either way, it was clear the situation she faced was the product of a specific environment and culture that she had seen her entire career. Now, unlike before, she had an opportunity to change it as a leader, was happy to comply. Then, satisfied that she could code, draft a design drawing, or whatever other test they had for her, her colleagues would instil their confidence in Bourne as she supported their projects with change initiatives that she devised and actually implemented. She realised she lacked access to those networks that mattered but, it was in those moments, when the process and tools that she designed were making both the product and lives of her colleagues better, that she really was part of the team. That strategy had brought her all the way to Bergmann, where she would find a new, but not altogether different, challenge at the very top Meet Bergmann In many ways, the transition of Fairbrother Engineering into an international subsidiary was always going to be an uphill battle. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Bergmann Engineering Works had companies throughout Europe, but this was its first foray into Africa. If Bergmann wanted to integrate Fairbrother into their global value stream, they would need a leader who was more than a competent engineer, but someone who understood the stakes and the delicate balances to be struck. She was up for the challenge and it was reassuring that the Board of Directors had scouted a South African for the role, even more so that they were unanimous in their endorsement of her appointment. "Fairbrother has all the experience, infrastructure, and expertise that we know will make Bergmann more competitive," explained CEO Mikael Blomvist in one of her last interviews. "But we've been here before with family businesses and without the energy and leadership of someone from outside, the transition is rocky, sometimes even a failure." The big meeting A few days later, as the team gathered in the conference room, Bourne took stock of who they were from her seat at the head of the large table: a range of ages from the mid-30s engineering leads to the 50-something executive members. They appeared to be a balanced mix of different ethnicities, far more representative of South Africa's diverse population than her previous firms had been. Among them, she counted five women, only one of whom was in a technical division. Interesting, but not surprising," she thought. Soon someone from the engineering crew was making his way to her. He stuck out his hand in a rush of words blurted: "Hello, Ms. Bourne, I'm Rich Bekker - head up technical support team in engineering, was out sick here when you came around to meet everyone last week - sorry about that." Before Bourne could respond and reassure him, he carried on: "I'm looking forward to learning more today. Welcome!" And with that he took a seat. "He seemed quite nervous," Bourne thought. However, she appreciated his enthusiasm. There, on her left, was Claasens. He looked alert, ready to go. It was a shaky start, but their budget meeting had gone well the other day. He had shared some key background about the factory and she had pointed out some concerns she had about how Fairbrother had been amortising its equipment disadvantageously on its balance sheet. It was a small bridge, but something. Meanwhile, at the very end of the conference table, almost directly across from her, sat Ralph Fairbrother. By certain measures, he had been the most viable internal candidate for the job she now held, even though the Board of Directors never said so. The last thing Bourne wanted to do was foist incorrect, preconceived ideas on her new teammates, but logic and basic principles of emotional intelligence dictated that she might experience some fire from that side of the table. Induction It was with this challenge in mind that in her first week on the job, Bourne convened a meeting of the entire management cohort, from the executive committee to team leaders to administrative members. In all, it amounted to about 35 people whom she identified as the gatekeepers of meaningful action in the rest of the company. This was where she would begin the process of earning her team's respect, as she had so many times before, starting with her own assistant, who had served Fairbrother's last two CEOs. At 52, Sheryl Michaels did not seem impressed with Bourne's first moves. "Alison, do you think it's really necessary to make everyone attend the meeting and so soon?" Michaels asked when Bourne tasked her with sending the meeting invitation. "Mr Cooper always found it much more productive to meet with the departments separately." "I appreciate that, Sheryl. But this is part of a new process - actually the very thing I want to discuss at the meeting, so I would really like to include the whole team' said Bourne. Bourne had anticipated pushback in the early days, but not right out the gate and not from her key support person. It was not the only thing Michaels had bristled at since Bourne had moved into the office. She was taken aback by how comfortable Michaels was at challenging her. Did she do the same with "Mr. Cooper"? With the other executives? However, there was another pressing matter. She had just received an email from Charl Claasens, her chief finance officer. It explained all the items he needed her to take a decision on in the budget meeting he insisted on scheduling as soon as possible - he had already sent a meeting request for that very afternoon. "Ah, yes," thought Bourne, here is my test. If I accept his proposal and address all his concerns, I have submitted to his terms. If I decline, then I must be incompetent and derelict in my duties." She checked her schedule; she was fully booked for the day, but this was important. She sent a reply asking to meet earlier, over the lunch hour. Conclusion This was one of the moments Bourne would play back in her mind three weeks later in her post-meeting analysis. Her concerns about Ralph had been well founded. Though he expressed few concerns to her in their one-on-one conversations, in these management meetings, he made a show of challenging her. He scrolled through his phone while she presented her vision for this new phase. He spoke comfortably to his neighbours while she spoke. He repeatedly interrupted her presentation with questions that she was about to answer on the next slide. Did Ralph not see how ridiculously rude and insubordinate he was being? Apparently not, because he carried on in the next meeting, this time with more pointed criticism of her ideas, appealing directly to his colleagues with all kinds of insider references that she was still getting up-to-speed on. It was a never-ending battle to maintain her authority in the room. It was not Ralph himself that bothered Bourne. Bad behaviour could be dealt with. What concerned her was the effect his behaviour would have on the other leaders and the long- term health of the organisation. Would they see his actions for what they were: personal territorialism, adversity to change, perhaps prejudice? Alternatively, would they trust that the grandson of the man who had given them their livelihoods was acting in their best interests? Regardless of Ralph's motivations, how would this power struggle look, especially to the handful of women in the room for the only female CEO most had ever worked with to have her credibility challenged at every turn? Either way, it was clear the situation she faced was the product of a specific environment and culture that she had seen her entire career. Now, unlike before, she had an opportunity to change it as a leader