Today, I hosted a lunch with the female Heads of Unit in the Committee’s administration. This was our second lunch together. We’d invited a speaker from the external HR world. The basic theme was: quotas or not? Our speaker explained to us how, slowly but surely, quotas, or targets, were having an effect in the European Commission. But a large majority of the ladies present were against the idea as being patronising. The question arises, then, as to how to do it. Or, as I formulated it, how to make sure that we are able to appoint women directors and above, as well as Heads of Unit? My own conclusion is that we must grow our own, identifying potential management material early, training it up, working hard to avoid glass ceilings being built in people’s heads, and introducing reforms and policies that enable colleagues with young families to envisage getting a foot on the managerial rung.