Over the last year we have continued to place the spotlight on the long-standing issues related to Diversity & Inclusion, actively contributing to industry-focused discussions and holding ourselves accountable to the diverse mix of engineering talent that makes up our Middle East business.
Elevating the conversation around diversity has led to WSP in the Middle East being named ‘Diversity & Inclusion champion of the year’ and once again been recognised as a Great Place to Work™.
To mark this year’s International Women’s Day we invited our clients and industry partners to share their thoughts on diversity & inclusion in three podcasts airing this week.
As part of our wider ‘Anticipate’ podcast series, the episodes will showcase unique perspectives on topics that challenge many organisations.
- Episode One: ‘A small word with a big meaning’ features Dean McGrail, Managing Director of WSP’s Property & Buildings business and Salma Aboul-ela from Emaar who tackle what we really mean when we use the word ‘diversity’.
- Episode Two: ‘Diversity wins but gaps persist: How can we close the inclusion divide?’ hosted by Gurminder Sagoo, Client Director for WSP explores diversity in a broader sense and discusses ways in which we can tackle the inclusion divide with Ashwaq Albabtain, Project Manager at The Red Sea Development Company and Gurmeet Kaur, Partner at Pinsent Masons Middle East.
- Episode Three: ‘Unconscious bias training: Is it enough?’ hosted by Caroline Parsons HR Director and Director of Shared Services for WSP continues the focus on Diversity & Inclusion by taking a closer look at unconscious bias training with Sheree Atcheson - Global Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Peakon, Maria Manzoor, Head of HR Ramboll MEAP, and Nicolina Kamenou-Aigbekaen, Professor of Human Resource Management at Zayed University.
Our Middle East CEO, Greg Kane, commented on the need to vocalise our support for diversity & inclusion. “At WSP Middle East, diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace is something that is ingrained in everything we do. We have, for some time now, been a vocal supporter for industry change, but implementing change at an industry level requires the work of many instead of the work of a few.
“Embracing, empowering, and celebrating diversity is something that every company needs to have a stake in. After all, a diverse blend of voices leads to better discussions, better decisions, and ultimately better solutions for our clients, our projects, and our people.”
For the latest insights from WSP Middle East’s podcast series, visit wsp-anticipate.com.