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Lindsey Hall: Hi. I'm Lindsey Hall, Head of Thought Leadership at S&P Global Sustainable1.

Esther Whieldon: And I'm Esther Whieldon, a Senior Writer on the Sustainable1 Thought Leadership team.

Lindsey Hall: Welcome to ESG Insider, an S&P Global podcast, where Esther and I take you inside the environmental, social and governance issues that are shaping the rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.

Throughout 2024, we've been bringing you interviews with women CEOs and leaders as part of our ongoing Women in Leadership series. Diversity in leadership has been a focus for many stakeholders in the corporate world in recent years, and gender diversity, in particular, is where we see most companies creating policies.

Esther Whieldon: But women still hold a relatively low share of corporate leadership roles. This is true for both management and Board positions. And we'll include a link in our show notes to our research on this topic. We know from our data what the numbers show us. But we wanted to understand what's behind those figures. How do the few women who make it to the top of their companies get there? And what challenges do they face along the way?

Lindsey Hall: So far in our 2024 series, we've heard perspectives from the U.S., Europe and Asia and from women leading companies in clean tech, consulting, consumer goods and banking. Well, today, we're talking with Fedra Ribeiro, a leader who built her career in the automotive sector.

As she'll explain, her career has spanned roles at several companies of very different sizes, including a recent stint as CEO of Mobilize Beyond Automotive. That's part of the French car company, Renault Group, that the company describes as an activist brand that aims to identify new challenges and anticipate trends in the evolving mobility space.

If you listen to last week's episode of this podcast, you heard my interview with the Vice President of Sustainability at Formula E, the racing championship specifically for electric vehicles. She talked about the big changes the automotive space is facing. I was curious to know more about how Fedra approaches leadership in a sector going through a lot of disruption and technological change. Here's our interview where she starts off by describing her current role and her background.

Fedra Ribeiro: So my name is Fedra. I am Portuguese. I was actually born in Mozambique. My role today, there's a couple of dimensions to what I do. My executive role is at Bosch as Executive Vice President and member of the Board of one of the Bosch divisions called Cross-Domain Computing Solutions.

We are a plus USD 90 billion company, privately owned. We are a foundation-owned company, and we are over 420,000 associates. And essentially, our main focus is being a technology provider. So we enable companies finding solutions to their technology problems and also end users becoming or having an easier path through life. Our motto is Invented for Life, and we manifest that in the B2B and in the B2C consumer-type space.

Lindsey Hall: You said you're born in Mozambique, and you're Portuguese. Like how did you get from A to B? What was your career path?

Fedra Ribeiro: So I have started in the automotive space a little bit by chance or very much by chance. In fact, as a child, I wanted to be an archeologist. When I was maybe 13, my dad invited me to be part of an archeology camp for vacation. And after 2 months in 40-degree Celsius heat, my desire for archaeology was melted, and I decided to pivot into international relations. And after graduation, I looked for a job, and I found it in automotive. So I never really dreamt to go into this space. Now the decision to stay there for 25 years, that is a very conscious decision because it's a fascinating industry. So that is how I started, wanting to save the world and then finding other ways to contribute positively to change.

Lindsey Hall: What does your role look like today in the day-to-day?

Fedra Ribeiro: The biggest part of my focus is on go-to-market and supporting our regional teams growing and performing. So how does a day-to-day look for me? It's generally very busy. It starts at 8:00 and ends who knows when. The leadership skills and muscle that I exercise focused essentially on enabling collaboration and transformation. At Bosch, we are at the edge of a major transformation in the automotive or mobility sector. And that means that what traditional have been industrial players are becoming software and services companies.

So a big part of my job is to ensure that our teams are equipped to face this transformation from enabling resources all the way to support growth of people. That is where I spend part of my days and then, of course, making sure customers understand what we have to offer and how we can support them also in their transition in the technology space but also in their organizational transformation.

Lindsey Hall: As I mentioned at the start, Fedra was CEO of Renault Group's brand, Mobilize Beyond Automotive, before she took on her current role at Bosch. I asked her to describe that CEO experience.

Fedra Ribeiro: That has been also a fabulous adventure. I have been blessed with a lot of opportunities. Of course, opportunities come to those that are prepared. And Mobilize is the fourth brand of the Renault Group after Dacia, Renault and Alpine. And it's a business that is focused again on the transformation of the mobility space, both technologically and in terms of business models, have mobility offerings as well as energy transition offerings. And it has been an amazing couple of years in Paris. I then returned to Bosch, and I'm also very happy to be back home, so to speak.

Lindsey Hall: Can you talk to me a little bit more about what it's like being a leader in an industry that is going through so much transition?

Fedra Ribeiro: It has been -- as a female in automotive, I think since I joined, I have seen transformation, right? Having worked for 5 different companies over the years, the smallest one around 4,000 people and the biggest one, I guess, around 500,000 people, you see a lot of transformation in daily basis.

Automotive being a very demanding industry also from a technology but also from a business model standpoint, it has transformed itself over and over again over the last 25 years. The change that we see now results in the convergence of a couple of technologies and behavioral changes. One, the electrification of the value chain of the mobility chain. On the other hand, the addition of software code to what was generally a very mechanical object.

And the idea that, especially in the last 25 years, has happened that a vehicle is not a sign of status anymore so that people are much more open to share and explore new ways of usage. So the convergence of these 3 major trends are driving a huge and perfect storm in the industry with significant pressures on all players, be it the mobility operators, the suppliers or partners like Bosch and the end users.

Lindsey Hall: Okay. Where is that pressure coming from would you say?

Fedra Ribeiro: I think a part of it is, again, the technology disruption. If you have a connected object in the field, a little bit like you have your mobile phone, you need to have a structure that supports uptime, downtime. Vehicle architectures need to change to make sure that you can accommodate for all the codes that is being developed, vehicle computers becoming faster, more efficient, with bigger ability to sustain data.

And then if you think about your mobile phone that is connected to the cloud the whole day and sending and receiving information, the same is happening in automotive. So that is a huge transformation that what was a typical industrial company, a car manufacturer is now a software company also. So that is a huge pressure in terms of transformation.

Lindsey Hall: That makes a lot of sense. Okay. You threw out the idea of being an archeologist, too hot. You moved into international relations. Keep taking us along that career path. What should we understand about what came next for you on your journey?

Fedra Ribeiro: Well, what came next is I needed the job, and I found it in automotive, and I found it fascinating. To be transparent, I'm not a car guy per se, meaning I am not fascinated by the object itself. I am very fascinated about the importance that transportation has in society from providing jobs to enabling autonomy and independence of movement from the manufacturing process to having thousands of parts, 30,000 parts that become an object of passion in the end.

So today, cars for me aren't machine. They are connected pods that carry lives back and forth. And that is what kept me in the automotive industry since 1998. First, I started at one of the Volkswagen plant back in Portugal, then joined Raytheon that had an outsourcing business in the automotive space. With Raytheon, I moved to Germany, for which I'm very grateful. Then moved to SPX, Bosch acquired SPX. I moved to Renault and then moved back to Bosch. So that is the journey in a nutshell.

Lindsey Hall: So clearly, just a ton of experiences that span a lot of companies and also a lot of geographies. This is a big question, but what were the biggest challenges you faced on that path as you were growing into your leadership roles?

Fedra Ribeiro: It's very interesting because I believe we all see the world through lenses, so to speak. We have given a pair of glasses when we are born, and that is our upbringing, our culture, the environment we live in. And the best way I would describe it is my lenses have changed throughout the years.

There have been, of course, difficulties. First time you open a bank account in a foreign country is a small one or the first speeding ticket in Germany. And I think it's in the difficulties and the resilience grows from all of those small things that become who you are and they change your -- the lenses through which you see the world. So I have learned to grow with the difficulties as much as with the achievements. I cannot tell you one because I cannot remember. The first snowy winter for a Portuguese person, I think that was a very difficult moment.

Lindsey Hall: I can imagine. On the flip side, I mean, would you say there's any advice that stands out to you that you've received from mentors or colleagues or peers that's been helpful in advancing your career?

Fedra Ribeiro: Oh, yes, for sure. I think taking your seat at the table and using it, ensuring that you set the right priorities and be present when you are present and making sure you take care of yourself and don't lose yourself through those long working days. I think those are all very good advices I got to manage your energy. They are very important.

Today, I think as a leader, I encourage everyone to own their own individuality, embrace who you are and use it to your advantage and recognize that each of us has a unique perspective and experience that can add value to the conversation that is ongoing. From all the advice I got, I would distill it like that at 52 years old.

Lindsey Hall: Okay. You said as a female in the automotive industry. And I would just wonder, like has gender been something that you felt has impacted your career? Or how has that influenced your experience as a leader in this industry?

Fedra Ribeiro: That is a question that I have reflected on for a very long time, and I do not have an answer, and I tell you why. Besides being a woman, I'm also not coming from a country that has a long tradition in automotive, and I'm not an engineer. So I don't know which of these 3 aspects have maybe marked my path more intensely. Maybe the combination of 3: being a woman from a country with no automotive heritage and being not an engineer. I think it's the combination of the 3 that have sometimes raised questions, let's say it like that.

Lindsey Hall: So that's interesting. Is it fair to say that those factors made you not an outsider exactly, but not part of the mainstream and perhaps caused you to approach leadership from a different perspective?

Fedra Ribeiro: Oh, yes, I've been exotic my whole life.

Lindsey Hall: Okay.

Fedra Ribeiro: The bird of paradise, I guess. So yes, of course. I think it has created a lot of opportunities. Of course, it has created also doubts and self-doubt because I mostly don't look and behave as the people around me. So I do not feel what the stereotype of the person that is for a very long time in automotive.

Of course, we all have our biases. I have my own. I took a test, and I found out that I do have bias. So I think as long as we are conscious of the bias that we have and the fact that others will see you through their lenses, you turn whatever you are into an opportunity. So I never let those ideas of being a little bit different stop me from getting that seat at the table and owning my own opinion.

Lindsey Hall: I increasingly hear about the value of diverse perspectives in leadership. Don't just want everyone's nodding their heads and having the same ideas around the table. You want to hear from people with a different background, a different point of view.

Fedra Ribeiro: Yes. And it can be daunting when you are starting and intimidating. I encourage everybody to dive and to just be yourself. And this diversity of thought is beneficial in finding solutions and bridges in environments where oftentimes people look at things in a very harmonized or unidimensional perspective.

Lindsey Hall: And I can imagine that, that kind of perspective is also valuable, in particular, in an industry that, as you've described, is going through so much transformation and sort of the status quo, it no longer works, right? So you need to kind of disrupt. You need to think differently. I mean how do you see that playing out in your particular industry?

Fedra Ribeiro: I'm influenced by that paradox, which is the fact that a lot of people look at problems in a certain way. So you want to be positive and contributing in a constructive way to that change. What was the norm for expectations before isn't the norm of expectations now. And people accept it not only because technology has transformed but also the growth of China as a real mobility player has been established.

So that actually has helped me establishing myself also because on one hand, you have a country that is emerging and that -- where people look at things in a very different way. And you have technology driving different behaviors. That has helped me to mature also my role in companies as an agent for change.

Lindsey Hall: You started to touch on this question, but let me dig in a little bit more. How would you describe your leadership style? And also, how has that evolved over time?

Fedra Ribeiro: Oh, very interesting. How has it evolved over time? Of course, I think when you are younger, starting in a new role, you want to be right. You want to do things perfectly. You try really hard not to make mistakes. And I think that evolves over time.

I became much more accepting of my own mistakes and failures and have encouraged people around also to try more. I do like laughing, and I don't know if that counts as a leadership style. But I believe that joy should be a part of how you spend your days. Transparency, consistency with sprinkles of joy and sense of humor, I guess it's my perfect combination in terms of leadership style.

Lindsey Hall: I love that. I haven't heard that answer before about joy. So that's...

Fedra Ribeiro: I think I'm a failed stand-up comedian, I believe.

Lindsey Hall: So it's interesting because a lot of our -- you're describing your sort of younger you and your approach earlier in your career. A lot of our listeners will be men and women earlier in their careers who are trying to grow as leaders and grow as leaders, in particular, with the sustainability lens on. Based on your experience thus far, what advice would you give to someone who's just starting out?

Fedra Ribeiro: I think it's very important to, like I said before, own your individuality. I think it's very hard to fulfill your potential if you are dressed in somebody else's clothes, so to speak. So own being unique, I think it's very important. And be confident in it would be my second advice. Find people around that are your cheerleaders when you are not in the room. Don't underestimate the importance of having a support system. Nothing like a monthly happy hour with your friends and supporters to find energy if you are lacking some.

Advocate for change. If you're coming in new, you have a new perspective. Use your position of, let's say, new entrant to champion new perspectives, sustainability being one. Encourage people around you to create this more inclusive culture that you can grow from. And be a role model. Everybody can be a role model. Set a positive example to those around you. And I think from those 4 or 5 things, you will, for sure, blossom.

Lindsey Hall: That's great advice. On the topic of what gives you joy, what gives you energy, when I asked you about the experience as CEO of Mobilize, it sounded like you were very energized and joyful about that. Is there anything you can tell our listeners about that experience that really stood out to you?

Fedra Ribeiro: I think growing businesses is something that excites me. And I do the same. I have the same joy in my current job, if not more. I moved to Paris alone for a period. And I guess that ability to move out of my comfort zone at a certain age is the energy you see that I feel a certain pride of having been able to disrupt myself, not only the businesses around me.

So I think that's the project that gave me the most energy was that move. I think today and when I look at my team at Bosch, I feel the same energy by bringing this business into what is supposed to be as a huge player in the market. We are a very large team. So I think I get energy from different things.

In the case of Mobilize was this idea of setting up a start-up, moving to a new place and challenging myself. At Cross-Domain Computing Solutions is having the power and the resources and the brains to disrupt a complete industry. So it's different energy sources.

Lindsey Hall: I'm a fellow former resident of Paris. Right out of college, I moved to Paris to be an au pair for a year with a French family, and it remains one of the most formative experiences of my life. Tell me more, like what did you do? Where did you live when you got there?

Fedra Ribeiro: I lived in hotels, worked 14 hours a day and loved the ride from the hotel to the office at 7 in the morning when the city is quiet. And you drive by the Seine, and you see the light, and you feel this is an amazing place to spend time. I guess you understand me.

Lindsey Hall: What is the development -- whether it's technological or otherwise, what's the thing you're most excited about in the automotive industry at this moment in time?

Fedra Ribeiro: I think the speed of software that is being developed and included in the industry. And the fact that it's being disrupted from outside in and inside out is the most exciting trend or the most exciting thing to address. So I think it's going to be an amazing industry in the, like, next 25 years with the increase of -- I don't want to say only electrification but also optimized carbon initiatives and greener, hopefully, a greener mobility environment. So I think that's the most exciting thing, how you can transform such a big industry with all the vehicles in the field and turning into a much more friendly means of transportation.

Lindsey Hall: You rightly mentioned the role that China is increasingly playing in this picture. I mean when you look at the global landscape, how would you describe the global landscape? And how does your job play out geographically?

Fedra Ribeiro: It's hard to bet, right? So I spend a lot of time traveling, Korea, China, North America, India, of course, Europe. I do think each of these regions have a unique selling point. I think we all benefit to become a little bit more pragmatic and fast as the industry is in China.

At the same time, Japan, Korea and Europe have a very strong focus on precision, high quality of their products. In North America, very disruptive in terms of user and business modeling. So I do think -- I would hope that all of these regions bring their best to the table, and we have the best mobility industry ever.

Lindsey Hall: I know we've only just started to scratch the surface of your deep experience over many years, many different companies. But what have I not asked about that you think is important for our listeners to understand about you, about your approach to leadership and about women in leadership more broadly?

Fedra Ribeiro: I would say embrace the change and embrace the flow. I think it's the economies and countries and cultures, they sometimes increase the speed of change, and we are living one of those moments now. For me, it's important to leave a little bit a legacy. I realize that achieving goals are -- is inevitably linked to who you are as a person. Leave that legacy of growing the places you are in.

Lindsey Hall: So today, we heard Fedra describe leading in an industry going through huge transformation, thanks to a variety of factors, everything from technological change to the evolving way consumers think about their cars. And she talked about her experience as someone who doesn't conform to certain auto industry stereotypes. She's a woman for starters, and she's not an engineer by background. And this unique perspective can sometimes bring self-doubt, she said, but it's also a strength. And she encouraged people to champion new perspectives, including sustainability and create a more inclusive culture.

Esther Whieldon: Fedra also encouraged aspiring leaders to lean into their individuality. She said don't underestimate the importance of having a support system. And like other women we've spoken to in the series, she talked about the importance of mentors, but with one twist. She said everybody can be a role model. 

We'll continue to bring you interviews with CEOs and executives for our Women in Leadership series. So please stay tuned.

Lindsey Hall: Thanks so much for listening to this episode of ESG Insider. If you like what you heard today, please subscribe, share and leave us a review wherever you get your podcast.

Esther Whieldon: And a special thanks to our agency partner, The 199. See you next time.

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