Cell C CEO on ‘good-looking’ women in the workplace
Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos wants a woman to take over his position at the company when he steps down, stating that the mobile operator currently employs many “good-looking women and clever women” in senior positions.
Dos Santos explained his stance on empowering women in the workplace during a recent interview on CliffCentral’s Leadership Platform.
He said African women have a higher tolerance level than men, something he noticed while working for Vodacom in Mozambique.
When Dos Santos came to Cell C after working for Vodacom, he said there were few female-empowerment initiatives at the company – and he promised to change that.
Women have a “bitch switch”
Dos Santos said Cell C’s staff complement currently sits at over 60% female, with many women at a senior executive or management level in the company.
“We have good-looking women, we have clever women, we have smart women, and that has created a different environment,” said Dos Santos.
“I think we have to empower the female individuals. Today a lot of women are independent.”
He stated that Cell C’s next CEO should be a woman.
“I’m hoping that one day when I step down from Cell C, a woman will be the CEO of the company. They have a different way of managing, they have a different way of engaging in meetings, it creates a different dynamic,” he said.
“If I can use the term on your radio station, you know women do have a bitch switch, and boy if you see two women fighting it is worse than two men.”
Miss South Africa interns
Dos Santos said Cell C – which sponsors the Miss South Africa pageant – also offers all Miss SA finalist an internship for a year at the company to assist them in gaining work experience.
“It brought a whole different atmosphere. Can you imagine you got 12 gorgeous women and you say four or five of them walk into your company – do you know what it does to the atmosphere in that company? The men dress better, they shave every morning.”
Dos Santos said the Miss SA contestants who stay at Cell C after their internships are hardworking and loyal, and make valuable contributions to the company.
[Update]
Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos has responded the outcry following his comments:
“As a CEO with a strong track record in the empowerment of female employees, in South Africa and in many other African countries that I have worked in, I am saddened that my stance has been taken out of context,” said Dos Santos.
“The comment I made when asked about women empowerment was part of a broader interview about leadership on CliffCentral. I regret my choice of words which I realise were offensive.”
“I mentioned that, in my experience, I have seen instances where women do not support each other to get to the top. This has purely been my observation and perhaps one of several reasons why women are under-represented in leadership positions.”
“This is not an environment that was created by women, but one that has been entrenched in the general workplace. And that is why I have put a lot of effort and focus into the empowerment of all employees, but particularly women at Cell C.”
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