Written by Editors EUROGUSS 365
The data are compelling: McKinsey’s study Diversity Matters even more shows that European companies with diverse leadership teams are more than 60 per cent more likely to be above-average performers. Conversely, the likelihood of strong business results falls significantly when leadership teams lack diverse perspectives. The new “Women in DieCasting” format at EUROGUSS 2026 aims to demonstrate how diversity can act as a driver of innovation in the die-casting industry.
“EUROGUSS is far more than a classic trade fair. It supports the industry in its transformation with a range of strategic formats,” says Isabel Jeschek, Director Market Strategy & Communications at Handtmann, who was involved in developing the concept. “This also includes questions of how companies can position themselves more innovatively and resiliently as organisations and employers in times of crisis.”
The initiative arose from an observation common to many technical industries: “Diversity is not yet a given across the die-casting sector,” Jeschek notes. “We want to send a signal and demonstrate that diversity strengthens innovation and competitiveness. Particularly in the current phase of transformation, this is not a nice-to-have, but an essential success factor.”
What this can look like in practice will be explored in “Women in DieCasting”, a 90-minute keynote and panel session. The programme opens with author Martin Speer, who will outline why gender equality is not a marginal social issue but an innovation project. His concept of “active allyship” is directed especially at leaders: diversity is not created by programmes alone, but by decisions and behaviour in everyday working life.
In the following panel discussion, four industry and consulting experts will discuss what this means in concrete terms. Panelist Beatrix Keim, Director of the CAR Center of Automotive Research, emphasises that women’s expertise is indispensable for the industrial development of the sector. Panelist Tiziana Tronci, CEO and Head of New Products Development at Gefond Srl, adds: “Technologies can transform processes, but only people can truly transform organisations.”
“With the format, we want to increase visibility and showcase success stories to inspire and encourage positive discussion,” says Jeschek. The McKinsey study confirms how closely diversity is linked to performance: organisations that boost diversity in their leadership teams improve not only profitability, but also their attractiveness to talent, employee retention and climate strategy. Even a ten-percentage-point increase in the share of women in leadership roles has a measurable impact across several areas – from working conditions to sustainability goals.
Women in DieCasting not only aims to present these findings, but to bring them directly into the industry. The format opens a space for honest dialogue about responsibility, organisational culture and modern industrial development – and about how technical excellence and organisational diversity interact. Women in DieCasting is intended as both an impetus and an invitation — to everyone who shapes leadership.
