Professor Vince Pizzoni’s 48-year career spans industry, academia, executive search and he has held significant executive and board roles across multiple sectors, including chemicals, FMCG, oil and gas, and environmental services. He currently manages a diverse portfolio, coaching students and alumni at the University of Nottingham and several UK business schools, in addition to holding trustee and non-executive board positions. In March 2024, Vince was awarded the Institute of Chemical Engineers Davidson Medal for his dedication to mentoring early career chemical engineers.
“It’s clear that we need to get more men involved as allies. I attend many conferences, webinars, presentations, and panel sessions and often see the same men who have already bought into these ideas. It’s the 99.5% who aren’t there that we need to attract and we need to consider various strategies to engage them.”
A brief summary of a 48-year career
I studied sciences and maths at school and managed to get into the University of Nottingham to study chemical engineering. After university, I spent over 30 years in the industry, primarily in the energy sector. My career took me internationally, working in over 60 countries. I started with a technical focus, which gradually transitioned into more commercial and general management roles.
About 20 years ago, I left the industry and explored a range of jobs. One of the most interesting roles was at an independent school for girls, where I served as the head of professional guidance. Following that, I worked in executive search with a focus on finding executive and board talent for companies in the energy sector.
Currently, I have a portfolio career that combines various interests. I work in education, mentor, and coach MBA students, and serve on several boards, including the Women’s Engineering Society.
I have made it my mission in life to inspire, mentor and sponsor future generations into STEM, engineering, tech, and energy careers and have built my portfolio around four key pillars namely, education, mentoring, the energy transition and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Day-to-day role
On a typical day, I might be mentoring a variety of people both online and in person. For instance, today I’m visiting London, mentoring several individuals. This evening, I have a dinner event with POWERful Women, an organisation for which I serve as an ambassador. There, I’ll interact with many people, some of whom I know and others I will meet for the first time.
Balancing my activities comes down to a mix of experience and a natural ability to juggle multiple responsibilities. I’ve spent years honing the skill of prioritising tasks and focusing on what needs immediate attention. My portfolio includes various board roles, part-time university work helping students secure jobs and internships, and extensive mentoring activities. I’ve mentored thousands of people over the years.
Not having a full-time position allows me to manage these diverse activities more effectively. My experience enables me to provide expertise optimally and keep multiple projects moving forward without dropping any balls. Enjoying what I do also plays a significant role in maintaining this balance.
Challenges in academia
I returned to the University of Nottingham as a part-time professor, supporting students in securing jobs, internships, and placements. I do a lot of mentoring for students and some staff, and I’m involved in EDI activities with groups like the Women’s Engineering Society.
Despite a roughly equal gender split among staff, women still find it harder to reach top positions in academic organisations compared to industrial ones. Promotion processes that require geographical mobility, extensive research publications, and tenure tend to favour men, who are less likely to take career breaks for caregiving responsibilities. Although progress is being made, significant change will take time.
Evolving the conversations around gender balance
The conversation around gender balance has improved, but there is still much work to be done. While attracting women to these industries isn’t the main issue, retaining them is. This is where mentoring, sponsorship, and allyship become crucial. A significant part of my current work focuses on these areas to support women’s retention and progression in their careers.
I’m an optimist and despite the negative trends, like an increase in women aged 35 to 44 leaving engineering, there has been significant progress over the years. When I was at university, my total chemical engineering class across all four years had about 100 students with only one woman. Today, my department has around 600-700 students, 35% of whom are female. We also have much greater diversity in terms of international students and students from various backgrounds that might never have considered engineering as a career in the past.
In industry, I’ve witnessed changes as well. Decades ago, hiring biases were more overt. For example, during a hiring process, a female candidate was dismissed because she might “go off and have a child.” I fought against that mindset, hired her, and she proved to be an excellent addition to the team. Such open biases have largely diminished, although unconscious or conscious biases still exist.
In my mentoring work, the gender balance has also shifted. About 15-20 years ago, the teams I managed were predominantly male. Today, I mentor about 50% women, even though women make up only 15-20% of the engineering, tech, and energy sectors. This suggests that more women are entering these fields and seeking mentorship to navigate their careers. They face challenges as they climb the ladder, and I provide guidance based on my senior executive experience.
The need for concrete data
The new government is likely to introduce reporting for ethnicity and disability pay gaps, in addition to the existing gender pay gap reporting. This will be beneficial, as many lack the necessary data to understand these disparities fully. While people might sense how things are progressing, concrete data highlights the reality, enabling a focused approach to addressing key issues and identifying important trends.
A lot of initiatives move very slowly, and there’s a gender balance problem at the senior management and executive level. If senior managers and executives, who are predominantly male, don’t buy into these initiatives and believe in them, employees won’t feel motivated to engage either. Senior and executive sponsorship and active involvement are crucial for these activities to gain momentum.
Engaging senior leadership
We see a lot of ‘Women in Energy,’ ‘Women in Nuclear’ groups etc., within companies, but they are usually run by the women they are supposed to support. It appears that executives rarely seem to sponsor or actively participate in these groups. If top management doesn’t buy into these initiatives, progress will continue to be very slow. It’s frustrating to see groups of women having to talk only to other women about these issues without broader support.
It’s clear that we need to get more men involved as allies. I attend many conferences, webinars, presentations, and panel sessions and often see the same men who have already bought into these ideas. It’s the 99.5% who aren’t there that we need to attract and we need to consider various strategies to engage them.
Strategies for gender equity
I once gave a talk on allyship and gender equity at a major tech company with a 96% male engineering workforce, where I emphasised the documented benefits of a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Such companies perform better, innovate more, enjoy higher employee satisfaction, retain more staff, and achieve greater diversity through improved hiring practices. Among the hybrid audience of in-person and online attendees was the regional director, who became a strong advocate, demonstrating the persuasive power of clear data. This is the power of effective allyship in action.
To foster gender balance effectively, organisations must go beyond rhetoric and implement tangible strategies. This includes actively sponsoring women for leadership roles, ensuring diverse representation in mentoring programs, and promoting family-friendly policies that support both male and female employees in balancing work and personal life.
Reverse mentoring, where juniors mentor seniors, helps seniors understand the junior perspective. Sponsorship is also crucial for accelerating careers. Many women are either unaware of sponsorship or don’t know how to find a sponsor. I’ve been involved in supporting women to secure sponsors and advance their careers. Family-friendly practices that allow staff to take time off without fearing for their careers are also important.
Salary transparency is also crucial for addressing pay gaps. Companies often try to hire as cheaply as possible, but it’s important to challenge this. Women should do their homework and negotiate salaries based on their worth, not just past earnings. There is often scope to negotiate, especially beyond graduate level.
Sectors like chemicals, marine, and environmental services face challenges similar to those in energy, engineering, and tech due to low percentages of women. Culture change is the hardest thing to achieve in organisations, often entrenched by years of certain types of leadership. Unique challenges in these sectors are related to their specific cultures, but the broader strategies for improving gender inclusivity and diversity apply universally.
Being an effective ally for gender balance in organisations
As a male leader actively engaged in promoting gender balance within organisations, I’ve come to recognise the critical role that courage and commitment play in driving meaningful change. When it comes to my advice for other male leaders looking to be effective allies in this arena, I believe the key lies in taking risks and demonstrating genuine support.
There’s a prevailing tendency among senior leaders, not just men, to avoid risks. This often translates into reluctance when it comes to championing initiatives that could significantly impact gender balance. For instance, research has shown that sponsoring women for leadership roles can be perceived as riskier than sponsoring men due to differing expectations of success and failure.
The glass cliff phenomenon is interesting, where organisations facing challenges may appoint women to leadership positions. If these situations don’t improve, the blame often unfairly falls on the woman in charge. This dynamic perpetuates a cycle of perceived risk around women in leadership.
Challenges and the role of senior leadership
Despite progress, challenges persist. Budget cuts to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are concerning, reflecting potential lack of commitment from senior leadership. It’s crucial for leaders at the top to not only allocate resources but also genuinely believe in and champion these initiatives. Without their visible commitment, efforts to achieve gender balance may falter.
This shift reflects a broader polarisation where some companies remain committed to EDI efforts while others backtrack on flexibility and inclusivity. Such decisions can disproportionately impact employees and hinder progress towards a more inclusive workplace.
There’s also a concerning trend of “accidental managers” lacking proper training or suitability for their roles. This managerial gap often leads to neglect of remote workers, diminishing their contributions and career prospects. Effective leadership demands empathy, proactive communication, and genuine support for all team members, regardless of their work location.
Engaging with the Womanthology community
When it comes to engaging with my work in the Womanthology community, I encourage collaboration and connection through platforms like LinkedIn. I believe in the power of mentorship and sponsorship, not just as a one-way street but as a mutual learning experience. I’ve mentored countless individuals and gained insights from each interaction, shaping my approach to leadership and advocacy.
On LinkedIn, I actively sponsor individuals by promoting their achievements and initiatives. I’ve noticed a reluctance among some women to self-promote, so I make it a point to highlight their accomplishments. By sharing their successes and offering encouragement, I aim to boost their visibility and recognition within professional networks.
For me, networking on LinkedIn isn’t just about accumulating connections; it’s about making meaningful connections that can lead to opportunities. By engaging with others’ posts, liking, commenting, and sharing valuable content, I help amplify voices and perspectives that deserve attention. This active engagement has often resulted in unexpected professional opportunities, demonstrating the power of networking in fostering collaboration and growth.
Coming up next
Looking forward, I foresee continued involvement in mentoring across various sectors, including engineering, tech, and energy. These fields share common challenges in diversity and inclusion, and my commitment to fostering positive change remains steadfast. Additionally, my education and career guidance board roles align with my passion for empowering future leaders and promoting lifelong learning.
In essence, my journey involves advocating for inclusive practices, supporting individuals through mentorship, and driving initiatives that advance equity and opportunity. I believe in the transformative impact of small actions, whether it’s acknowledging someone’s achievement on LinkedIn or advocating for systemic change in organisational policies. As I continue to navigate these arenas, I remain dedicated to making a meaningful difference and encouraging others to join me in this pursuit.
