Italy is celebrating a major victory for women in the workplace with the first ever appointment of a female director at the helm of powerful industrial employers' federation Confindustria.
Emma Marcegaglia, 46, will step into the shoes of current president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo after winning a landslide vote on Thursday.
Industrialists voted 125 out of 132 in her favour - a higher percentage than that received by any of the 26 male presidents in Confindustria's 98-year history.
''I'm thrilled, happy and proud, and I'll put all my effort and knowledge into the job,'' said Marcegaglia, who received a standing ovation after her appointment was announced.
A visibly moved Cordero di Montezemolo said it was ''a great day''.
''Emma knows the membership system and will know how to continue its work while ringing the changes. I call it dynamic continuity,'' the chairman of Ferrari and Fiat said.
Marcegaglia's appointment has been well received on both sides of the political divide as an important step forward in a country that has one of the lowest rates of female directors in Europe.
According to a survey by Milan's Bocconi business school, women in Italy occupy no more than 9% of high-level management posts.
''Her appointment gives prestige to all women,'' said Equal Opportunities Minister Barbara Pollastrini.
Pollastrini's predecessor under the last Berlusconi government, Stefania Prestigiacomo, said: ''It's an important indicator of the evolution of Italian society, a sign that another glass ceiling for women has been shattered''. But Social Solidarity Minister Paolo Ferrero said he had reservations about celebrating Marcegaglia's new post too soon.
''Let's see what she says and does,'' he said.
Ferrero has clashed with the employer's federation in the past few weeks over a package of new laws aimed at improving work safety following a string of deaths in the workplace.
The government wants to push through stiff penalties for companies failing to adhere to safety regulations before the upcoming general elections next month, but Confindustria is strongly opposed to the proposed sanctions.
Ferrero said he hoped Marcegaglia would stick to her word over making safety a priority issue during her presidency.
Marcegaglia will take over from Cordero di Montezemolo when his four-year run comes to an end on 21 May.
The Mantua-born businesswoman is co-chief executive of her family's steel company, which has annual sales of four billion euros, and is also president of Arete Onlus, a non-profit organisation that funds activity at Milan's San Raffaele university.
At Confindustria she has most recently held the post of vice-president for energy, the environment and infrastructure.
A mother of one, she attended the Bocconi business school and has a master's degree in Business Administration from New York University.
At 31, Marcegaglia was also the first woman ever to head Confindustria's young industrialists' division.
