The headquarters of the CEOE hosted this Thursday the act of delivery of diplomas to the 22 large companies, SMEs and institutions that officially adhere to REDI, the first inter-business network and experts on diversity and inclusion of LGBTI employees in Spain, which already has 80 associated companies in just two years since its foundation.
Specifically, REDI, through its general co-directors, Marta Fernández Herraiz and Óscar Muñoz, has welcomed 15 large companies, which have collected their accreditation this Thursday: AB InBev, Allianz Seguros, April, CHEP, DLA Piper, DOW, El Corte Inglés, Endemol Shine, ING, Microsoft, MSD, Orange, Groupe Renault, Salesforce and Schneider Electric. There are also 7 SMEs and institutions that have also joined: Aiwin, Arawak, Editorial Comares, Egencia de Expedia Group, Fides Consultores, Fundación December 26 and The Brownie Film Co.
The event was attended by the Vice Minister of Employment of the Community of Madrid, Eva María Blázquez Aguado; the Secretary General of the CEOE, José Alberto González-Ruiz and speakers from renowned firms such as El Corte Inglés, Lilly, Nielsen, Openbank-Santander, Groupe Renault, Repsol, SAP and Telefónica.
The CEOE General Secretary, José Alberto González-Ruiz, welcomed highlighting the need to apply a more inclusive policy in companies so that "for the management of companies it is important to know, understand and manage diversity". The closing speech, by the Deputy Minister of Employment of the Community of Madrid, also influenced the institutional implication for the “fight against discrimination of any kind”.
Miguel Castro, Global Director of Inclusive Culture at SAP and President of REDI, inaugurated the meeting highlighting that the large number of companies associated with REDI demonstrates that allies are in all types of professional sectors and industries, with inclusive leadership being precisely the key component for Get the benefits of diverse organizations.
The event continued with a round table about the role of Senior Management as an ally of LGBTI Diversity in the Company, moderated by Ana Zumalacarregui, TRUE agency director.
Patricia Daimiel, General Director of Nielsen Iberia, highlighted the responsibility of his company with diversity and inclusion, which is based on “understanding that having teams of diverse people and using that wealth to generate innovation and better decisions is a competitive advantage, in addition to being Right". In his opinion, leaders within each organization are urged to “get involved in leading the change actively, by being at the base of the organizational structure and being the ones who should lead, because the important ones are the employees, the people” .
For her part, the Director of CSR and the Foundation for Inclusion and Sustainable Mobility at Groupe Renault, María Luisa de Contes, he pointed out that, his being a firm belonging to the engineering sector and male dominance, is being promoted “an even deeper social change as a way to include the LGBTI collective, which guarantees the effective exercise of rights; change that, in turn, is visibly reflected in the company. ”
In that same line has pronounced Joaquín Hormaechea, Director of Talent, Culture and Internal Communication of Repsol, recalling that the company has adhered to the United Nations Principles of Business Conduct "facing discrimination against LGBTI people", thus reinforcing its business strategy to fight it Hormaechea explained that Repsol believes that there is a “clear relationship between the results of a company and its management of diversity and that it is necessary for companies to advance in an inclusive culture where the difference and heterogeneity of the teams is seen as an advantage and an aggregator of value for the company and for society ”.
The Director of Labor Relations and Prevention of El Corte Inglés, Pablo Tauroni, He has put the focus of his intervention in the role of large companies with a strong presence in all areas of economic activity in Spain. Tauroni He explained that the strategy has been based on “facilitate awareness training for the leadership dome, with maximum participation through the ADIM project and with a firm commitment of the board of directors to expand the diversity agenda ”.
Maria Alonso, Director of Legal for Spain, Portugal and Greece of Lilly, explained that “working the aspect of LGBT diversity It has led to some employees leaving the closet after being inside for many years and now feel comfortable showing themselves as they are. ”
Arancha Díaz-Lladó, Director of Sustainable Innovation and Diversity of Telefónica, and Ezekiel Szafir, CEO of Openbank, of Santander, have starred in the inspiring talks in which both have defended that “the impulse of diversity and inclusion in companies is an engine of improvement, regardless of the scope of production and number of workers. In particular, to ensure the functioning of a diverse workforce, it is necessary to ensure an inclusive work culture that ensures the full integration of each individual and avoids reinforcing closed identities. ”
The Deputy Minister of Employment on the other hand, showed that “addressing the psychosocial risks that the LGBTI group may suffer in the course of their work and personal life is a point that will be part of the new Master Plan for Occupational Risk Prevention that is finalizing the Community of Madrid with the social agents ”.
Marta Fernández Herraiz Y Oscar Muñoz, REDI Co-Directors General, have closed the meeting by summarizing the main messages of the session.