4.11.2019
Erste Group appoints Julia Valsky as new Group Diversity Manager
Group-wide diversity management as essential factor for business success
As of 1 November 2019, Dr. Julia Valsky (38) is taking over the Diversity Management of Erste Group succeeding Vera Strobachova-Budway in this position. In her new role, Julia Valsky will be responsible for advancing and implementing Erste’s diversity strategy and guidelines.
Julia Valsky has been part of Erste Group’s Brand Management & Company Transformation department since 2018. Formerly working at the OECD and the Federal Ministry of Education, she brings extensive experience in steering and advocating equality policy measures. In her new position, she will be directly reporting to Bernhard Spalt, Deputy CEO (acting CEO as of January 2020) of Erste Group.
Diversity as key driver for future success
"Diversity drives excellence and creates room for innovation. The manifold management experiences I gained and the people I met across countries of our group have shown me what potential we have in our banking group", says Bernhard Spalt, Deputy CEO of Erste Group. "I consider it a priority of my future work as CEO to promote diversity even more throughout the Group and to use it for our development and our success. Julia’s experience is a great asset for achieving this goal and enhancing the colorfulness of our Erste Group.”
"Diversity makes us robust, especially in a business environment characterized by complexity and rapid change. Diverse teams demonstrably achieve better and more innovative results. Therefore, it needs an environment in which people believe in their personal strengths and talents and apply them”, emphasizes Julia Valsky, who defines the achievement of a balanced share of women and men in the management positions of Erste Group as a first, central field of action.
Curriculum vitae
Before joining Erste Group’s Brand Management & Company Transformation department in January 2018, Dr. Julia Valsky was Chief of Staff in the Federal Ministry of Education and at the Austrian Mission to the OECD in Paris responsible for education and gender issues. Before that she acted as spokesperson for the Minister of Women's Affairs and in this function was responsible for the steering and communication of numerous equality policy measures. Julia Valsky holds a doctorate in sociology and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy Vienna and the London School of Economics.
Diversity at Erste Group
Erste Group defines diversity and inclusion as a vital part of its business strategy. Our founding document of 1819 states that we want to give all people, regardless of age, gender, social or geographical origin, access to prosperity. We also live and promote diversity internally, whether through programs to increase the share of women in leadership positions, measures to best reconcile private and professional life or our LGBTIQ network ErsteColours.