Champions of gender diversity: committed male executives share their loyalty-building levers
Despite visible efforts in recruitment, half of all women leave the digital sector before the age of 35. The challenge is not just to attract, but to retain. This is the ambition of Nova In Tech, a Numeum initiative that promotes the feminization of digital professions, notably through its “Champions de la mixité” afterwork series organized with IT au Féminin…
The figures are edifying: 50% of women leave the digital sector before the age of 35, according to a report by the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men in 2023. According to the same study, 45% of women leave the digital sector within the first eight years of their career. The evidence is clear: despite progress in recruitment, one of the challenges is retention.
The European AI Barometer published by Join Forces & Dare last February reveals that, while 65% of companies have an AI manager on their executive committee, parity remains a challenge: only 29% of AI managers sitting on these executive committees are women. The most exemplary sector in this respect is finance and insurance, with 51%.
50% of women leave the digital sector before the age of 35
Despite progress on the recruitment front, the real challenge now is retention. This “leaky pipeline” phenomenon is systemic:
- Inclusive work environment,
- No recognition,
- Biased evaluation criteria,
- Lack of role modeling or evolution support…
Companies have the means to act, but they need to change their approach. This is not just an HR issue. It’s about strategy, governance and performance.
A cycle of afterworks to mobilize men as allies
Since 2024, Nova In Tech, in partnership with IT au féminin, has been rolling out a 2025 cycle of afterworks entitled“Les champions de la mixité – des dirigeants performants partagent leur secret sauce“, aimed at managers, around a common thread:
How do you recruit, retain and promote female talent in the digital sector?
Our latest afterwork entitled “Retaining female talent in the digital sector – what if we changed the method?”, held at Talan, is part of our Nova In Tech action n°3 “Tous pour la mixité”, designed to mobilize men as allies and engage them in a dynamic of cultural and managerial transformation.
This event was organized by Nova in Tech and IT au Féminin, with the panel led by Delphine Remy-Boutang, and featuring : Maÿlis Staub, President of the Nova In Tech initiative, Delphine Remy-Boutang(JFD), Kaouthar Trojette(Club de Pouvoir), Antoine Wattinne(Cegid), Adrien Chaltiel(Men at Work), Matteo Bisicchia (Shh! Magazine! ), Sébastien Garcin (YZR / Men at Work), Jérôme Calmelet(Kyndryl), Jonathan Salmona(Shodo), Florence Dupré(Women4CEO), Brigitte Tropenat(IT au féminin).
Testimonials from company directors
Delphine Remy-Boutang, Founder of JFD (Join Forces & Dare):
“Only 33% of jobs in digital are held by women, 26% in AI in Europe. Women account for just 7% of female entrepreneurs. Women-only startups attract just 2% of funding. And I’d like to finish by pointing out that the algorithms that shape our research, our ways of working and our daily lives are overwhelmingly developed by men. They are biased and carry gender stereotypes. As all the figures show, action is urgently needed. .”
Kaouthar Trojette, founder of Club de Pouvoir, explains:
“It’s not just an HR issue. It’s about strategy, governance, performance and competitiveness. The real issue is why those who are there end up leaving. Why do they drop out? The challenge is to build loyalty, because this “leaky pipeline” phenomenon is systemic. With an uninclusive work environment, lack of recognition, biased assessment criteria, lack of role models, “championing”, “internal sponsor”, in short, support for development, the challenges and concrete responses are numerous. .”
Antoine Wattinne, Cegid, explains:
“In 2024, 35.83% of Cegid’s Management Committee members (CODIR BU and EXCO) will be women, and 13.44% of its senior managers will be women. Another key statistic is that, with 39% women (nearly 75% of whom have executive status) in its overall workforce, representing more than 35% of its managerial staff at the end of 2024, Cegid is in the upper echelons of French companies in the software sector in terms of gender diversity. .”
Florence Dupré, Women4CEO, stresses the responsibility of companies in retaining talent:
“The central issue is by no means a lack of confidence among women, but companies need to be aware of the reality.”
5 concrete ways to build loyalty
- A M/F equality index
- Female leadership and mentoring
- Organizational flexibility
- Pay equity
- Involving men
Measurable results: the Indosuez example
To retain female talent, Indosuez has launched a number of initiatives in recent years, with a clear commitment from management and measurable effects on career paths.
These measures focus on pay equity, talent promotion, leadership coaching and geographic flexibility.
Jacques Prost, Managing Director ofIndosuez Wealth Management, explains:
“Gender equality is a long-term issue in our company, and requires determined action and perseverance. We remain humble on this subject, as there are never any definitive achievements. However, since 2019, when we launched our gender equality action plan, we can congratulate ourselves on a number of tangible and concrete achievements .”
As a result, the proportion of women in the company’s executive bodies has risen from 15% in 2019 to 43% today. The IT & BO subsidiary Azqore now has 40% women in senior management. Finally, in terms of female leadership, the Group announced the appointment of the first female CEO of a private bank in Belgium.
A new generation of gender equality champions
Retaining female talent is not only a question of HR, but also of practices, beliefs and the signals sent out on a daily basis. It’s up to each and every one of us to play a part in this change, and help digital businesses make real progress.
With this in mind, Nova In Tech is organizing a 7ᵉ afterwork this autumn on the theme:“Parity at the top”.
All managers, HR directors and other committed individuals are invited to join the initiative, to help shake things up. Numeum is also calling on male managers to take part, because it’s only with them that we can change the way we do things.
Managers, HRDs, committed people: join us to change things!