The 56-year old gentlemen, who even opens the elevator door gallantly for female visitors, does not see himself as a men-hater. «Women just work better than men, they are more accurate and focused,» says Mägli, who has been with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for 25 years. «Women want to get the job done and achieve their goal. Men prefer to exert power and control. Besides, they want to have the edge over women even if lacking the basis. Ten years ago René Mägli dismissed his last male employee. That one would rather stow away documents he didn’t understand than acknowledge the women’s superiority. «He wanted to be better than women but wasn’t.» Since then, Mägli has only hired women for his office in Basel.
In October 2007, it was his 100th. Spread over three floors, they work in three departments, moving not only millions of tons of cocoa, coffee, cotton, sugar and other commodities from their desks but also tires, furniture and consumer goods made by multinational corporations. They submit tenders and handle the accounting. And they succeed: Over the past five years, the Basel-based MSC cargo division as an independently operating unit has increased its sales by 25 percent each year.
«There is no chick alarm or mare-biting going on around here.»
Upon hearing about one man and 100 women, men with a positive attitude probably think of James Bond or a story from the Arabian Nights. Those of a more negative inclination may instead quote a Chinese saying: two women under one roof spell trouble. Mägli dismisses both notions: «There is no chick alarm or mare-biting going on around here.» If an argument is in the air, he prefers to send those involved out to lunch—at his own expense. This has happened but once so far. Yvonne Hagmann has worked at MSC for 22 years. The atmosphere at work is good even without male colleagues, she said in an interview with German radio broadcaster ARD. No bickering whatsoever. «At first I thought, oh my God!», explains Amina Macharia (24), Head of Crosstrade/Coffee. But now she enjoys the familial atmosphere in her workplace.
Women know how to set priorities and are cost-conscious
What Mägli particularly appreciates about women is that they know how to set priorities and are cost-conscious «by nature». Unlike men though, women need to be told that they are good. «It is very important to motivate them.» This involves both words and deeds: A year ago he bought his «ladies», as he calls them, tickets for the Robin Williams concert. The year before he sponsored a cooking class at a 17-point Gault Millau restaurant. The gentleman puts great emphasis on a good atmosphere in the workplace. Any visitor would readily notice its large windows and lots of plants. The boss mentions his favorite principle: «It’s all about people.» His keen interest in body language and Feng Shui seems fitting. He doesn’t have a secretary, which to him would be just another «macho affectation». However, he does have a handful of assistants. And it goes without saying that the company also trains half a dozen apprentices.
Regardless of all the harmony, do phrases like «My ladies» and «Women work better» not simply suggest that women work for less? René Mägli hurries over to his desk, which sits on the edge of a room full of women, and pulls out an article from a union paper. Since MSC as a family-owned company with a staff of 28,000 worldwide does not publish any financial results or salaries, the union editor conducted a survey among the women, which lead him to conclude: The Women are paid industry-standard salaries.
René Mägli, who is neither macho nor womanizer but a discrete gentleman, has stirred a lively debate with his unconventional personnel policy. René Mägli: «I don’t have anything against men; I always hire the candidates with the best qualifications who are a good match for our team – and so far these have always been women.»
Leveraging the experience of older workers
A Handelszeitung article about the «Cock of the walk» met with an astonishing response, first in Switzerland and then also in Germany (ARD Radio Broadcasting). «Captain Mägli and the women,» «Mägli and his ladies» or «Ladies first at MSC» read some of the headlines. Following these reports, he received a letter from a 55-year old woman who had trouble finding work. «I invited her and offered her a job because she was qualified and a good match for the team,» he says, adding: «Today, we often forget to leverage the experience of older workers.»
Despite its younger than average staff (roughly 30 years), the fluctuation at MSC is low. 10% of the women have been with MSC for over 10 years, 30% for over 5 years. At MSC «the ladies» can also hold management positions while working part-time. Currently, this is true for two employees. And the rule for everybody is: If they have a baby, they go on paid leave and later return on a reduced schedule.
The other day René Mägli received a form from Total E-Quality. This organization sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research analyzes and recognizes operations with equal opportunities of women and men in business, science, politics and administration. According to the cover letter, the typically recognize only German companies but will be happy to make an exception this time.
The new boss of the cruise ships is – a man!
More troubling was the following news recently leaked to the public from the MSC office in Basel:
A second man has been hired as of November 1, 2007: The cruise business, which accounts for 10 percent of overall sales, will be separated from Mägli’s cargo department with its 360 container ships. The new boss of the cruise ship operation will be – a man! «There were only two qualified candidates on the market for this job, and the woman happened to work for a competitor,» Mägli explains with regret. However, the man will only take over the department with 10 cruise ships. And perhaps the new boss will not be cock of the walk for long. For if he can find enough qualified men, he may also hire them, of course.
(sis, October 16, 2007)
Company
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s second largest shipping company headquartered in Geneva, has annual sales of over CHF 4.5 billion and 28,000 employees. MSC generates 90% of its sales with its 360 container ships and 10% through its cruise business.
The boss of 100 women
Companies
Swiss shipping company MSC, headquartered in Geneva, is making headlines for two reasons: On the one hand, it is the world’s second biggest business of its kind despite the fact that Switzerland is landlocked. On the other, the 100-strong staff of its Basel office is entirely made up of women. At the helm of the all-female crew is René Mägli, who believes that women do not strive for power and hence work better. With his approach to personnel policy he stands alone in Switzerland, perhaps even in all of Europe.