Creating Trusted Alliances with Industry Organizations

Challenge

We recognized that our new focus on advancing diversity and inclusion would require help and learning from others we trust. 

Actions

At Univar Solutions, an increased focus on advancing diversity & inclusion has led to the organization’s commitment to four key areas of focus - Education, Resourcing, Teaming, and Partnership. If there is one thing the company knows for sure it’s that going at it alone is not an option. Leveraging strong partnerships and learning from those who have come before is at the very heart of the way the company conducts business and is working to redefine our industry. In August 2019, after just a few short weeks of global announcements about the company’s focus on advancing diversity & inclusion, the team in Brazil joined up with one of the companies' strongest supply partners to deliver two days of inclusion workshops. The purpose was to elevate the discussion around and increase understanding of unconscious bias as the company begins to create engaging programs in the region to increase awareness and improve the employee experience. We leaned on the experience of our supplier partner to help educate employees and guide the conversations based on their own success and learnings over several years. 

Outcomes

More than 130 employees and leaders were impacted by the workshops, sparking an energy and alignment across the business. Local leaders and organizers received numerous mentions of thanks from employees with a new understanding and new bonds made with a strategic supplier. 

Quote

As one of our main supply partners, we share similar values with Dow, which is also a leader and resource in advancing the theme of Diversity & Inclusion for us and the industry. One of the fruits of this partnership was the impact of conducting workshops with Dow’s local GLAD Network, the chemical industries first LGBTQ+ employee resource group. The workshop resulted in the participation of 130 employees where we provided valuable information, greater openness and understanding about the topic of unconscious bias. This engagement paved the way for us to implement our LGBT+ Network in Brazil, which also generated more than 40 registered allies. Although we are at the beginning of a long journey, we can move faster when we have the collaboration and experience of partners like Dow. Ours is a place where people matter and together we win!

Jorge Buckup
President Univar Solutions Latin America
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