Sabrina Corbo is a woman in a man’s world. She is not afraid of a challenge. Executive Vice President of the Green Network, an Italian energy company, she has relocated to London to take on the larger energy companies. The energy market is highly competitive, but Corbo is up to the challenge – she has been succeeding in Italy for the last decade. Running an energy company in Italy taught her many things. Take a back seat to no-one. Surprise your customers. Live your values. As a company, Green Network distributes its profits to invest in green energy from bio-mass generation as a by-product of agriculture to waste-based generation in manufacturing. Corbo is also clear that the responsibilities of leadership include giving as well as leading. She is a philanthropist who has established a school. This initiative arose from her personal desire to ensure that Green Network was a family friendly company. Child care, in her view, is not simply something leaders should aspire to provide in order to support women into work and into senior positions. It is an essential part of a modern workplace, a central part of the employer/employee relationship. An obligation, not an option. In the end, for Sabrina, the values that you hold are demonstrated in action. So, a green energy company doesn’t simply provide clean energy, it invests in green energy itself. A woman Chief Executive doesn’t just say she believes in balancing work and family life, she provides the means. And, of course, as an Italian, you can believe her when she says that family always comes first!
