SkyTeam’s RISE program turns insight into action

 

SkyTeam’s trailblazing female leadership program continues to RISE

Building confidence. Building a brand. Building a network. These are the three blocks that formed the basis of SkyTeam’s trailblazing Reach Inspire Soar Empower (RISE) leadership development program for women.

RISE supports high-potential female leaders of SkyTeam’s member airlines to overcome hurdles and unlock their potential through mentoring, networking and hands-on training.

Now in its second year, RISE 2024 has firmly built on the success of the previous year, with 24 current and future leaders taking part from SkyTeam and our member airlines – up from 15 participants in 2023.

And, with greater communications both internally across SkyTeam and externally on social media, as well as the program’s Capstone project evolving from research-based to practical application, this year’s RISE graduates have really made their mark in efforts to address the gender gap in our industry.

SkyTeam’s RISE Coordinator Yuliia Gelion said: “Participants have now completed an eight-month journey of advancing various skills that would help them grow professionally, exhibit a strong leadership presence, and build a compelling personal brand.

“Throughout the program, the participants also worked on a group Capstone project, titled ‘Leadership by Example’.

The idea for such a practical Capstone project came out of the research done by the 1st cohort of RISE, who found out that women often lack strong female role models and the feeling of connection and understanding.”

Participants organized seven events in total, which were designed to destigmatize the industry, highlight career prospects for women, and present successful female role models to share their experiences.

In-person events took place in Salt Lake City, Mexico City, Crawley, Taipei, Jeddah, Paris, and one session was held virtually. Guests included Air France CEO Anne Rigail, Sumati Sharma, a Partner at Oliver Wyman and Founder of the Women in Aviation & Aerospace Charter, and Anneke Adema, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore and Brunei.

Yuliia said: “We have so much strong female talent across the alliance and RISE 2024 was a powerful opportunity for participants to take action around the themes that emerged from last year’s research.

“All groups reported a huge success of this initiative, with acknowledgment from the airline leadership and high engagement rates.”

The RISE program culminated in a closing event in Amsterdam, where the participants met for the final get-together with the RISE Executive Sponsor Marjan Rintel, President & CEO of KLM.

Ms. Rintel answered several questions about important milestones in her career, her leadership style, and provided some tips and tricks on how to navigate the aviation industry.