Bühler is a Swiss multinational plant and equipment manufacturer, known for plant, equipment, and related services for processing foods and manufacturing advanced materials. It´s a quite pragmatic and operational-driven field with a predominantly male workforce and only 17% share of female employees. What is remarkable, however, is that Bühler`s management includes 14% women – with an increasing tendency.
Even if a diverse community was not a big priority or even an issue in the beginning, this aspect has now been given a strong weight in Bühler's company mission and corporate values.
Today I´m talking to Suat Demokan, Global HR Business Partner – Manufacturing, Logistics & Supply Chain about Bühler’s way to more Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and but also and mainly about his very personal experience with the topic.
Corinne Schneider, D&I Ambassador and former Global D&I Lead also attended the interview and will tell us a bit about Bühler’s specific programs in this field.
What you will learn
DE&I is also an investment of trust[AU3] . Until you can measure the effects on KPIs it can take years
Creating a diverse and inclusive company culture means continuous work where you constantly must refresh, adapt to new learnings and development!
Honest DE&I work means offering strategies on how to deal with insecurity, and tools for a healthy conflict communication. It´s about supporting and accompanying the process of transition from where we are as a company / society to where we want to be.
Tips
Awareness and consciousness is not enough.
Try to actively challenge the things you think need to change.
Think about a personal situation where you directly or indirectly have been affected by bias. Then use that emotion to feel what DE&I really means and convert it into productive energy to advocate for the topic!
Suat Demokan has started his professional career in consultancy for Software Solution with EY before having become self-employed for 6 years serving customers cross industries on solution for financial consolidation. After having joined Sulzer for a global project in 2004 Suat has decided to change functional direction and started an HR career in 2007 with serving in almost all roles from the basic factory HR manager up to a Global HR Executive. After more than a decade in Sulzer he was seeking for a new challenge and has joined Bühler as Global HR Business Partner for Manufacturing and Supply Chain. In addition to this role Suat has taken on responsibility as HR Business Partner Europe as of 2019.
Suat is a dual citizen (Swiss/Turkish), is married since 26 years and has two grown up children. In his rare spare time he enjoys playing football, golf and hiking with the family and dog.
This Episode is supported by Advance, Gender Equality in Business of which Bühler is a member.
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