A forthcoming webinar organised by the FIDIC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council is set to look at building a diverse and inclusive industry for a diverse world.
More than ever before, the engineering, construction and infrastructure industry needs to become more diverse and inclusive to meet the challenges of an increasing diverse world. The webinar, Building a diverse and inclusive industry for a diverse world, organised by FIDIC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council and sponsored by infrastructure engineering software company Bentley Systems, FIDIC's 2023 webinar strategic partner, will review the industry’s progress towards becoming more diverse and inclusive by hearing from a range of speakers from across the world.
Speakers at the webinar include: -
- Michele Kruger, Functional General Manager, SMEC, (South Africa).
- Josie Fitzgerald, Land and Water Leader, Aurecon (New Zealand).
- Athena Sooklall, Major Project Executive, WSP (Australia).
- Natalie Plummer, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Bentley Systems (USA).
- Jyothsna Amrith, Project Manager, SYSTRA (Denmark).
The webinar will also highlight some of the current initiatives of this newly revamped FIDIC advisory council, which is providing a diversity of input on multiple levels including regional, gender, cultural background, working environment and organisation diversity.
FIDIC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council promotes inclusion and diversity for a sustainable, transparent and more profitable engineering industry. The council also plays a key role in supporting wider representation and inclusion from more diverse groups as influencers in the consulting engineering industry and advocates for why diversity and inclusion matters to business and its benefits.
Dr Michele Kruger, functional general manager water and environment at SMEC South Africa and chair of the FIDIC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council, and who is speaking at the webinar, said: “Through its newly constituted task groups, our advisory council is aiming to confront issues like neurotypical versus neurodiverse colleagues, how can it be made easier for female engineers to continue their career while having young children and how access to best practices revolving around diversity and equity can be ensured to all members and firms. No doubt some of these issues will come up during the discussion at this webinar.”
The free-to-attend webinar, which is open to all global engineering, construction and infrastructure professionals, will explore these issues in more detail and map out some effective and practical measures to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion across the sector.
