Women have conquered the working world and are increasingly found in senior positions. Three smart women entrepreneurs tell Simonne Pace their journey to the top has given them both the personal and career satisfaction they were looking for.

For women, the road to success has never been so clear of obstacles, with traditional stereotypes and social pressures slowly fading away.

“If you really want to be a high-flier, then you work hard, give it your all and go for it,” is the mantra of three women who have broken through the glass ceiling, advancing beyond middle management to become CEOs.

Vanessa Borg, CEO of Argus Insurance Agencies Ltd, Joanna Aquilina, CEO of Darag Malta Insurance and Reinsurance PCC Ltd, and Sue Pisani, a director and CEO of Studioseven, an audiovisual service provider, are among the increasing number of women making it to the top.

A few challenges remain, they admitted to The Sunday Times of Malta, such as getting the work-life balance right.

But one thing has changed for sure: they all agree that in the world of business, men now take women seriously.

Then why is it still relatively rare to come across a woman CEO?

“Possibly because so far top leadership was considered a ‘closed circle’ not easily accessible by women. However, things are slowly changing and, as women are becoming more career focused, we are seeing a growing number taking on executive and/or leadership roles,” says Ms Aquilina, a wife and mother of two boys.

“Today we see more women in managerial positions and, even though the top roles are still mainly taken up by men, it is evident that the promise of gender equality seems closer than ever.”

“There aren’t many of us because women tend to have to juggle with family and business priorities. Many, rightly so, prefer to choose family,” says Ms Pisani, who is married with a four-year-old daughter.

Dr Borg, who has an eight-year-old girl, says Argus Group, the firm’s mother company based in Bermuda, has a chairwoman and a woman CEO, and she has come across many other women in senior executive positions during her former board and management roles.

“Although women’s advance through the executive ranks has been glacial, we have made progress onto corporate boards and are occupying senior positions.”

In getting to the top, the three women said they found a lot of support within their organisations, as well as from their better halves and family members. Personal commitment, dedication, experience and knowledge of the local market are other fundamental assets.

An accountant by profession, Ms Aquilina says she moved up slowly but surely, worked in three jurisdictions and never shied away from new challenges.

She joined Darag a year-and-a-half ago while pregnant with her now one-year-old, “which goes to show that companies that truly value talent and diversity are not dissuaded by short-term delays.

“Our women-to-men ratio is almost 50 per cent both within the company and in senior management levels, which reflects the company’s commitment to providing equal opportunities based on merit and not gender. Darag has shown faith in me and, likewise, different organisations should take the challenge of believing and investing more in female potential,” she says.

It is evident that the promise of gender equality seems closer than ever

Ms Pisani, who has done it all in her business, from being an operator to carrying out the duties of secretary, logistics coordinator, financial assistant and production manager, considers herself lucky to have her mother step in whenever she needs her.

“She is energetic, can drive and has enough time to take care of my daughter’s needs when my husband and I are busy.”

Dr Borg says her company’s recruitment strategy pivots on balancing the number of male and female applicants shortlisted for each vacant post.

“Since I have held high-level positions for the past 20 years, taking the role of CEO was a natural step in my progression path, she says.

“My partner and I share the responsibility of parenting, so we each give the other the support we need. The key is to ‘let it go’. Children need to learn to be independent and help out with family chores. Learning to be responsible and capable early on is hardly a bad thing. It sets the pace for better self-management as they venture into joining the corporate world while juggling personal responsibilities.”

However, women are still haunted by a generally low entrepreneurial spirit and a host of challenges and pressures, among which is the key struggle to manage work and family.

“With young children, the pressure is on to give your utmost at your place of work and be a good wife and mother. I do get the occasional comments that I should work fewer hours, but this is not who I am or what I want. Also, very few organisations in Malta have family-friendly measures. The role might require travelling and with young children this becomes more complicated,” says Ms Aquilina, who carries her laptop everywhere and works strange hours.

Dr Borg admits managing a big career and a family takes a lot of energy, so she feels that prioritising self-care while investing time in others could work out. “This seems counterintuitive to a busy lifestyle, but you end up lightening your load and giving people around you the opportunity to be self-reliant and supportive. It’s a different story with social pressures since society at large is still getting used to the concept of women holding senior positions.”

Ms Pisani says a woman always needs to look her best, especially in her role. “I feel for men this is not so difficult to keep up with. However, socially, I do not let this affect me too much.”

Do the three women feel that the government is doing enough to encourage more female entrepreurship?

“More women in Malta are gradually becoming more entrepreneurial. However, we need to encourage more women entrepreneurs to lead the larger entities, since some are inclined to take a more prominent role within small to medium-sized enterprises,” Dr Borg says.

Ms Aquilina feels women are aware of their capabilities and do not doubt that they can move ahead. Research shows they are perceived as indistinguishable from their male peers when it comes to leadership qualities such as intelligence and capacity for innovation and even superior on honesty, fairness, compassion and a willingness to compromise. “A mix of women and men would benefit any organisation, given the right balance,” she says.

Ms Pisani thinks child care should be open to all children, not only to those attending government schools. “Parents of children who go to Church schools are at a disadvantage since after-school support is not easily available.”

Dr Borg believes the government should further introduce support mechanisms to educate, nurture and encourage female participation from an early age.

“It could help companies to further cultivate family-friendly measures to encourage a more robust pipeline of women leaders within the corporate world. Each initiative, whether corporate or government-induced, can serve as ‘small wins’ towards women anchoring their footprint.”

Ms Aquilina believes having leaders with diverse experiences and backgrounds often translates to financial and social success, so everyone should work in this direction.

Ultimately, are women better than men at seeing gaps in the market and seizing the right opportunity?

Having worked with professional, creative and resourceful men who have inspired her, Ms Aquilina admits women may sometimes need to outshine just to be visible and says that is why they might be perceived as more innovative.

“Women can combine the roles of mother and career woman easier and with greater enthusiasm. It’s harder for men to seamlessly move into that position. However, the joy and learnings of family care should not be missed by either gender.”