As a global company active in more than 80 countries worldwide with people from various cultures, generations and backgrounds as well as colleagues with different personalities, diversity and inclusion matter to us at BENEO.
Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of our company culture, enhancing our creativity and expanding our perspectives. Why do we focus on D&I? Simply put, diverse teams make better decisions, and inclusive companies are stronger companies. Especially in today’s volatile world, where adaptability and varied perspectives are key to navigating uncertainty, having a variety of voices at the decision table is not just nice – it’s essential.
We appreciate that the different personalities, perspectives and backgrounds of our employees contribute to the sustainable success of our company. Therefore, BENEO’s diversity and inclusion initiative is also part of our corporate sustainability strategy: The healthy planet plan. On this agenda, we are striving to create a work environment with fair opportunities where each of our colleagues can develop and bring in their full potential. In our policies, leadership, and daily behaviour we intend to foster inclusion, supporting the development of all our employees.
Trainings and initiatives are part of BENEO’s diversity and inclusion agenda
Besides improving our policies and processes, various initiatives are starting up. Raising awareness of the topic and its dimensions, supporting the engagement of our colleagues, and offering training and workshops around unconscious biases and intercultural collaboration are just a few examples. In April, our eLearning courses “Curb your Bias” and “Cultural Diversity” were rolled out to most of our BENEO locations worldwide. Additionally, we are supporting international mobility within our teams, enabling colleagues to broaden their horizons. Our teams benefit from fresh ideas and our organization from better collaboration, overcoming silo thinking. Supporting young talents from different backgrounds in their first steps into work life, as well as offering buddy programs and team development for multicultural teams, are further milestones in our diversity and inclusion agenda.
“Within our impact area diversity and inclusion, we would like to contribute to an attractive and engaging workplace, where all BENEO colleagues can bring in their talents”
Gudrun Dold, HR Projects and Employer Branding Manager,
Impact Area Diversity and Inclusion BENEO
An initiative can only thrive with the engagement of our teams. Together with our colleagues from all corners of BENEO and within the entire Südzucker Group, to which BENEO belongs, we are collaborating in various initiatives. Let´s zoom in😊.
The ambassador network: voices from around the globe
In early 2024, we kick-started the diversity and inclusion ambassador network. Its purpose is to build bridges and facilitate dialogue across all our locations. Let’s meet some of our D&I ambassadors, their motivations, and the impacts they see.
“Personally, diversity & inclusion means more than gender, nationality or race. It’s about bringing diverse opinions to the decision tables at BENEO. Inclusion is a key ingredient, that ensures that our strategies are as diverse as the markets that we serve, preparing BENEO for the fast changes that are coming.”
Denisse Colindres, Senior Nutrition Communication Manager,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, USA
“To me it is very important that every single person receives the same respect and can feel comfortable and accepted anywhere.”
Anne-Catherine Van Den Heuvel, Corporate Communication Expert,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, Tienen, Belgium
“I was born into a multicultural household, and grew up between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where over 200 nationalities, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and faiths call that place home. I went to classrooms where no 2 pupils were from the same country. Later in my life, I was fortunate to call many countries home as I lived the expat life. For me, diversity is the path to bring forth dialogue in a good intention and promote understanding of different interests, believes and lifestyles.”
Samer Al-Ogidi, Sales Administration,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, Wijgmaal, Belgium
How BENEO ambassadors drive growth and promote diversity
We are also very curious about how our ambassadors perceive diversity and inclusion at BENEO and what benefits they see for our company. Noëmie, for example, sees many benefits by being surrounded by a diverse group of people. This relates to learning as well as personal and organizational growth. Juliana as well as Denis think that BENEO, as a multinational company, is already doing a lot and continuously improving. And still the journey has only started.
Application Center Manager,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, USA
Head of Quality BENEO-Orafti Group,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador,
Oreye, Belgium
Area Sales Manager,
Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, USA
Noëmie, USA: “To me, D&I means embracing everyone for who they are and valuing their perspectives, ideas and opinions. Surrounding yourself with a diverse group of people and making sure everyone feels included opens yourself up to learning and personal growth. Fostering a safe and inclusive work environment for ALL employees allows an organisation to progress and grow. Even if it is difficult to measure.”
Denis, Belgium: “My impression is that BENEO is rather open and inclusive – we have a lot of nationalities and are quite diverse in our BENEO community. The engagement in diversity and inclusion makes us unique as an employer and creates a safe place for everyone to work.”
Juliana, USA: “Diversity is deeply ingrained in my identity. A woman, born into a multicultural family and raised in a country of mixed nationalities, I have lived in Brazil, England, Switzerland, and now the US. These experiences have made me empathetic, curious, and appreciative of differences, fueling my commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. BENEO has always been a company committed to improvement, and this extends to our approach to diversity. Each year, we see real progress as BENEO embraces diversity more fully. We are seeing the growing benefits of a diverse team. It’s crucial to discuss and highlight these benefits so everyone understands its importance. This is why the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiative is so relevant. It supports and drives this ongoing improvement.”
Denis, Belgium: “Recently, we have been offering opportunities to young people who do not always have the necessary wealth of experience. Because we have decided to reach out to less experienced talents and develop them ourselves.”
Our diversity and inclusion ambassadors also initiate local activities, such as gifting to our colleagues on International Women’s Day in the US. They do this because they know the location-specific nuances best.
We meet regularly within the BENEO diversity and inclusion team, but also within the larger Südzucker Group ambassador community. We also embrace ambassadors from further locations within our team.
Südzucker Group’s cross-divisional diversity project team
Guided by the principles of equality, openness, respect, and empathy, colleagues from various companies within the Südzucker Group collaborate on initiatives to strengthen diversity and inclusion. The most recent campaign on Diversity Day* 2024 focused on “Why diversity and inclusion matter to us.” From our BENEO team, our colleagues Greta and Maria participated with their statements.
Join us in standing up for open and respectful collaboration. Every day, we strive for diverse perspectives and inclusion because our colleagues are the key to our success. Thank you to all the colleagues within our BENEO team and within Südzucker Group jointly collaborating with us on these topics.
*Diversity Day is an initiative promoted by Charta der Vielfalt, a German organization supporting diversity at the workplace. More information can be found at: Charta der Vielfalt – Für Diversity in der Arbeitswelt.