COCA-COLA HBC ITALIA AND JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT ITALIA TOGETHER AGAINST GENDER STEREOTYPES IN STEM SUBJECTS

As part of the STEMInTheCity event, promoted by the Municipality of Milan, a digital workshop to discuss new technological skills and the gender gap with company managers

Milan, May 14, 2020 – Coca-Cola HBC Italia, the main bottler of The Coca-Cola Company brand products in Italy, and Junior Achievement Italia, a non-profit dedicated to economic-entrepreneurial education in schools, renew their commitment to fighting gender stereotypes in the field of STEM subjects, which are now fundamental to respond reactively to a labor market increasingly focused on the importance of technology. In the framework of the STEMInTheCity digital event, promoted by the Municipality of Milan, almost 200 students from all over Italy were able to participate free of charge in the GIRLS IN STEM digital workshop in which Roberta Cocco, Councilor for Digital Transformation and Civic Services of the Municipality of Milan and Giangiacomo Pierini, Director of Institutional Relations and Communication of Coca-Cola HBC Italia spoke about career opportunities in this area.

"This emergency has made the fundamental role of technology and other STEM disciplines in our lives even more evident. Boys and girls are getting to know a new way of studying, relating, training and living everyday life and it is the task of the institutions and the entire economic, cultural and social fabric to ensure that all this enormous heritage is not dispersed. It is really time to change our attitude and perspective and offer our young people the tools and knowledge to be protagonists of their future," said Roberta Cocco, Councilor for Digital Transformation and Civic Services of the Municipality of Milan.

For Coca-Cola HBC Italia, the commitment to creating a welcoming and meritocratic workplace is confirmed by the incidence of women of 40% in managerial positions compared to the national average of 14%, as well as at the level of middle managers where the presence of women is at 36% compared to 28%*. In the company there is a vast female leadership in key roles at the head of the Marketing Department, the Purchasing Office, in the Quality Department and in the Commercial Department where the Channel Manager Ho.Re.Ca. he heads the largest sales force in the country of over 800 people. The support for working women is also demonstrated by the initiatives that the company has put in place over the years to reconcile private and professional life, such as the possibility of clocking in once when entering the office to manage one's day flexibly, or with the introduction of remote working over 6 years ago which, among other things, has made it possible to quickly implement the safety measures provided by the Government following the COVID-19 emergency.

"We participate with great conviction in STEMintheCity happy to offer an opportunity to discuss such a central issue in their future so that they can make career choices in an informed and conscious way." underlines Giangiacomo Pierini, Director of Institutional Relations and Communication of Coca-Cola HBC Italia "In addition, as a company we work to create an inclusive work environment, in which the only criterion for selection and career progression is merit, while supporting women's work with active policies that allow them to reconcile private and professional life or that support workers returning from maternity leave with dedicated training".

During the workshop, the second edition of the Girls in STEM Award, created by Junior Achievement Italia and promoted by the Coca-Cola HBC Italia Foundation, will be launched. The prize reserved for female students between 16 and 18 years of age who most stand out for the skills shown in STEM will be awarded on June 5th, during the BIZ Factory event with which every year JA Italia rewards the best business ideas of students from all over Italy who have created real startups, through the educational program Enterprise in Action. The young winners will have the opportunity to be mentored to continue building their future, supported by experts in the sector, as well as to be able to visit the Coca-Cola HBC Italia production plant in Nogara (VR), the company's largest in Europe.

"We are proud to offer female students a moment of encounter with those who have always known the relevance and dynamism of the paths offered by STEM subjects," says Miriam Cresta, CEO of Junior Achievement Italia. "It is important for us to offer them not only an event they can attend, but to give them the opportunity to interact through direct contact to encourage them to evaluate new perspectives and understand together what the steps are to achieve them."

The collaboration between Coca-Cola HBC Italia and Junior Achievement Italia has been going on for three years now and is part of the #YouthEmpowered project, the company's program dedicated to young people to support them in knowing their attitudes and acquiring professional skills to facilitate their entry into the world of work. From its inception to date, the #YouthEmpowered project has involved over 50,000 students throughout Italy.

*=ISTAT 2016