Diversity defenders

#diversity #inclusion #equity #workforce #change

Diversity and inclusion are instrumental to perform and to innovate. Therefore OPmobility is putting in place concrete actions to reach group-wide ambitious objectives. Let’s discover diversity defenders, who have at heart to make positive change.

An ambitious commitment to diversity and equal opportunities

At OPmobility, women make up 30% of the global workforce. With women engineers and managers currently comprising 24.4%, we aim to reach 30% by 2030.

David Meneses, Executive VP, People & Sustainability

Targets for female representation and cultural diversity in the automotive sector

OPmobility is pursuing an ambitious Diversity and Equity Impact program. “Nevertheless, a lot remains to be done,” David Meneses continues. By 2030, OPmobility’s target is to have over 30% of women in managers & engineers’ positions; and 40% at senior executive level. “To get there, we must pull all the levers we have, fostering internal talent and ensuring that we recruit more women. Tackling the issue by its roots involves going into schools and universities to persuade young women students to choose scientific, computer, or technology studies and to consider careers in our industry.”

Recognizing that diversity encompasses many dimensions, OPmobility is also fully engaged in promoting cultural and intergenerational diversity among its teams. “We’re placing a new focus on integrating local talent into our management teams,” adds David Meneses, “and opening up our sites to potential candidates from various backgrounds.” Here, too, tackling biases is key: “We have plenty of potential positions for all types of applicants from a wide range of profiles and expertise!”

International career at OPmobility: a cross-border career path

Regardless of all our differences, we at OPmobility all share a common, can-do approach in which taking decisions and deploying fast are valued – and in which mistakes are there to be learned from.

Jonny Su, Information Systems & Services Europe Regional Manager, C-Power Business Group

From China to the United States, via Europe: a testimony to cultural and professional diversity

I have been at OPmobility for over 16 years now. Starting in my native China, where I helped the company go from running four plants in Asia to 11 in just five years on an Information Systems / Information Technology (IS/IT) perspective, I was then seconded to the United States to deploy enterprise resource planning systems. Three years later, in 2018, I moved to Paris to head C-Power Business Group in Europe, and work at α-Alphatech R&D center which gathers more than 700 employees from 30 nationalities.

I remember the big culture difference between Asia and America, as well as between US and Mexico – and delighted by how we, as a company, found ways to make these differences productive. Three years later, in 2018, I moved to Paris to head C-Power in Europe and work at α-Alphatech Research & Development center which gathers more than 700 employees from 30 nationalities.

2014_RA_Centre_Recherche_Alphatech.jpg The α-Alphatech R&D Center in Compiègne (France)

The α-Alphatech R&D Center in Compiègne (France).

Here, too, diversity is a huge part of my everyday work: our IS/IT team is based in 10 countries in Europe, each with their own culture and ways of working. I also deal with different parts of the organization, too, liaising between my IT teams and other departments who discuss their problems and needs with me. What is truly heartening is that, regardless of all these differences, we at OPmobility all share a common, can-do approach in which taking decisions and deploying fast are valued – and in which mistakes are there to be learned from.

Although developments in remote conferencing technology have reduced the amount of travel required, I still think it’s important to foster exchange between countries and departments with in-person meetings. We held an IT seminar for our European IS/IT teams at the Arevalo plant in Spain, for instance, and this really helped my teams gain an understanding of the reality of digital industrial manufacturing – and to get to know each other personally.

A personal and professional path marked by diversity

I am among the 700 people across 23 countries involved in the WoMen@OP network, which gathers OPmobility associates whatever their gender.

Simona Bobinger, Quality Director at Exterior Business Group, Munich, Germany

Combining professional and private lives

For me, diversity has always been part of who I am: I was born in Romania, moved to Germany and studied Business and Engineering. Then after graduation, I went into Automotive Tier 1, once again an environment with a minority of women on board.

I have been at OPmobility for 12 years now— and have seen a positive change in culture in the industry in that time. Originally a Program Manager, I was offered my current position as Quality Director for Central Europe region at Exterior Business Group.

For me, this was both a step up in the hierarchy and a step sideways into a new area. At first, I wondered whether I would be able to handle it as I’m also a mother but now I am embracing the change combining my personal and professional lives.

I am among the 700 people across 23 countries involved in the WoMen@OP network, which gathers OPmobility associates whatever their gender. We recently held an event within the local initiative in Germany about working parents, and one of the three people talking about combining professional and childcare responsibilities was a male colleague originally from Mexico. That’s diversity at OPmobility today !