Winifred Dente degli Scrovegni, nata a Singapore, nel 1997 ha sposato un aristocratico italiano, già Ambasciatore, il Duca degli Scrovegni. Lavora con Citibank, un’impresa finanziaria americana, da più di venticinque anni. Attualmente Responsabile delle Risorse Umane di Citibank Taiwan, in precedenza era Responsabile delle Risorse Umane per il settore Mercati e Ricerche dell’Asia Pacifico. Winifred è sostenitrice della Singapore Symphony Orchestra da più di dieci anni. Nel suo tempo libero, ama leggere, ascoltare musica classica, cucinare e realizzare da sola i i propri gioielli. E’ anche impegnata nel counseling alle ragazze madri e dedica del tempo ai bambini malati di cancro.
Mrs Dente degli Scrovegni when did you meet Mr Siniscalchi the first time and get to know his work as an artist?
I met Mr. Siniscalchi more than ten years ago, through my husband; at that time, we didn’t know about his artistic gift and his passion on painting. Only these recent years then we discovered that he is indeed a very talented artist with a purpose to promote world peace.
As a lover and a connoisseur of arts on the one hand, and a person with a long experience of work in an international setting on the other, do you think Fronteversismo conveys a message which is precious all over the world?
Fronteversismo is a new movement which urges people to stop and take a moment to think about the purpose in life in a very challenging world. The world we live in is full of negative energies so I think Fronteversismo did convey a message which is very precious all over the world as it reminds people to consider both sides instead of just looking at the surface of things.
You care much for single mothers and children with cancer. How positive on them could be art, generally speaking, and Fronteversismo in particular?
When I look at each and every piece of Mr. Siniscalchi’s painting, I am overwhelmed by an unspoken peace and I feel tranquil. In my personal opinion, introducing art especially Fronteversismo, will encourage them to be in touch with something more eternal as well as a new education by appreciating art.
4) You have a key role in your company because nowadays we work much in teams, better to say intercultural teams, and you don’t have only to choose the right person but let’s say the right people to connect together. How helpful but, also how difficult to handle with, is cultural diversity in an organization?
We hire people by their merits so it is important to ensure that we place the right people in the right role. With the global shift of economic power toward Asia, it is common to have teams with diverse background from different countries, bringing in different skill sets, it can be fun as we can learn from each other, working together to achieve the common goals of the company. The difficulty can be overcome by reminding employees that they need to keep the cultural differences in mind, learn to respect and manage the relationship sensitively and appropriately.
5) Even though generalizations might lead to a rather superficial view, do you think there is something that we, as Western women, should learn from Far East women, particularly in the approach to school and work?
This is a very good question. I think we can learn from each other. As an Eastern woman, I married an Italian from Europe; we have lots of cultural differences however we have one thing in common – love. Love transcends everything else. There is an increasing number of students from Asia travelling to the U.S.A. and Europe to further their studies. Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are attributes that bring these students there; the other reason is also that they can find balance in school compared with remaining in their countries. However, in the recent years, we are also seeing more students from China and India travelling to Singapore to study from middle school to university.
The perception is that Western women have a much more balanced life at work whereas Eastern women are working long hours, there is a glass ceiling for Eastern women to reach the top; however this is changing as I am seeing more and more Western and Eastern women holding important positions at work.