Diversity goes beyond gender, and it goes beyond age and nationality. It is about all people, all backgrounds, all phases of life. It is about ethnicity, experience, educational background, age, competence, culture, point of view, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. It is also about different perspectives and diversity of thought.
Inclusion puts diversity into action by creating an environment of belonging, respect, and connection. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive workplace for all, where uniqueness is valued, and everyone is treated with respect.
In Andreas T. Tapia’s words: “Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work.”
Then & now
Historically, our industry has predominantly attracted male employees both at sea and onshore. For more than a century, we have proven our ability to adapt to shifts in markets and societies. We have a strong and proud legacy at Odfjell. We need to continue delivering world-class services, while renewing our organization to keep our competitiveness over the long run. This includes developing more diverse and inclusive teams, with a range of expertise, experience and backgrounds, that will work together to solve the challenges of tomorrow.
We are committed to increasing diversity and putting our words into action. We have set a key target for our shipping shore organization to reach a minimum 30% gender balance, at all levels, by 2030. This is an ambitious target for Odfjell, as we have a gender imbalance at several levels today.
Why set a diversity target and how do we get there?
“We believe that accessing and providing opportunities to a wider talent pool is the right thing to do. Also, we are here to stay. We aim for sustainable and long-term success. We want to provide a representative and inclusive workplace for all, where uniqueness is valued, and everyone is treated with respect. A workforce that will retain and attract tomorrow’s talent. We believe that increased diversity will improve our ability to innovate, solve problems and stay relevant.”
Kristian Mørch, CEO
Our executive management and board are committed to increasing the diversity of our organization. Beyond established efforts, we have started implementing several new initiatives to boost gender balance and diversity in the areas of recruitment, performance management, retention, compensation review and rhetoric. We also work with, and support, industry networks in parallel initiatives.
To get to increased diversity, we will need to work systematically over time. We will need to take specific actions on how we engage with employees. And it starts even before that – it starts when potential employees out there first learn about Odfjell. We are not talking about quotas, and we will continue to seek the best hire while working hard to ensure a balanced pool of candidates. We will systematically pursue this goal, work together to overcome barriers, strive to advance diversity and become more accepting of diversity in all its shapes and forms. This will benefit us as individuals, businesses, and societies.
