Diversity
People
Why is D&I important for you?
It is both personal & political for me. Growing up as a child to migrants from Africa, seeing their experiences but at the same time forming my own experiences as a first-generation Afro-Swede has given me two different perspectives – as swede but also as a black outsider at the same time. From that experience came my personal longing for belonging but also being able to empathise with other’s experiencing being an outsider in different ways. This birthed the passion in me working with equality for all.
I am incredibly grateful for being able to work with Diversity & Inclusion and creating impact on a greater level. Having both the mandate to influence, but also the resources – it truly is a privilege.
What is most difficult working with these questions?
That change takes time. You need to develop resilience and patience within work connected to equality. But at the same time, you develop the skill to identify small achievements. That makes me appreciate the humble beginnings even more.
“It can be difficult to see that what you do creates change or has an impact, so to acknowledge the small “wins” and celebrate is a must for me!”
Sometimes it can be a bit lonely, feeling a heavy load of responsibility resting on my shoulders alone – so it is encouraging to know that we do the work together.
It is one thing to take set the direction, but the whole organisation needs to contribute for us to actually make the move.
One thing you are a bit extra proud of achieving?
I am proud of getting the basics in place by challenging traditional mind-sets and routines. This covers everything from how we educate ourselves and collecting data to raising awareness of problematic situations. This has set the scene for us in our team, People Experience, to start working more systematically with Diversity & Inclusion in all parts of our Employee Journey. I can see that we are more open and forward-thinking when talking about new ideas and ways of working. People really try to push this agenda and create impact.
One other thing I want to highlight is all rewarding discussions I have had with different teams around our business. For example, breaking the stigma around mental health has been liberating, showing how we as colleagues can support one another. Also, together gaining understanding about our different racial realities and reflecting about privileges.