Kirsten Sánchez Marín, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion and Sonja Kuch, Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager
Our everyday life is affected by a range of influences that can make even the simplest decisions more complicated. Although we appreciate the value of diversity, by force of habit we often go with the familiar.
Our diversity at Henkel also offers us numerous opportunities to tread new paths. Kirsten Sánchez Marín, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion, and Sonja Kuch, Global Diversity Manager, explain why it can be a rewarding experience to sometimes discard those old established attitudes.
Diversity is an important factor for our success at Henkel and therefore part of the Corporate Strategy. Are you making progress in this area?
Kirsten Sánchez Marín: Yes, we are. The company is now more diverse than it has ever been. For example, the proportion of women in managerial positions has steadily risen at Henkel over recent years, and our teams are becoming increasingly international. But that is no reason for us to relax. We intend to continuously work on topics such as flexible working and women in managerial positions, for example through our internal diversity campaign this year.
What exactly is the main purpose of the campaign?
Focusing on the motto “Wir leben Vielfalt! – We’re living diversity!”. Henkel Global Diversity Week 2015 kicked off on June 8th. Billboards at Henkel’s Headquarters in Düsseldorf.
Sonja Kuch: Building on last year’s campaign – “Inclusion starts with I” – we are taking things a step further this time: Everyone will have heard phrases such as “That won’t work anyway” or “Yes, BUT …!” particularly in relation to topics such as flexible or virtual working, or cross-border projects. We are presenting employees who embrace diversity, who break the mold and who demonstrate that such prejudices are frequently unfounded. The faces behind the stories offer proof positive that old attitudes need to be discarded in order to open up new perspectives. Our aim here is to encourage as many employees and managerial staff as possible to open their minds to a change in perspective.
Why is that so important?
Kirsten Sánchez Marín: We see diversity in every region and in every team. In a highly competitive global market environment, this gives us a major edge. However, we must learn to properly embrace diversity and to fully accept individual differences in order both to develop personally and to improve our performance at Henkel. That way we can change the “Yes, BUT…” into “Oh, but YES!”