On 21 September 2023, Kuehne+Nagel, a leading international logistics provider, organized an event in Mumbai, promoting gender diversity and inclusion. The event titled ‘Generating the Ripple Effect for Change’ brought together Kuehne+Nagel’s leadership and women leaders from diverse fields to celebrate and share their inspirational stories.
The occasion celebrated the contribution of women in the country’s logistics sector. The company highlighted its initiatives and ongoing projects related to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. The event had insightful panel discussions around experiencing discriminatory practices in workspaces and measures taken to break these biases.
With over 79,000 employees at 1,300 locations in close to 100 countries, Kuehne+Nagel Group has made its strong global market position in air, sea, road, and contract logistics, with a focus on integrated solutions. The company recently held an event in Mumbai, titled ‘Generating the Ripple Effect for Change,’ to celebrate and felicitate women who serve as examples of courage, hope, and resilience, each possessing an inspiring story to share. This event underscores the company’s dedication to nurturing an environment where talent flourishes, innovation thrives, and every individual is valued for their uniqueness. The company believes diversity acts as a catalyst for innovation, fostering an environment where fresh ideas prosper, and business excellence is achieved.
The event was truly a breakthrough for women across all sectors. David Roussiere, Managing Director, Kuehne+Nagel India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp along with notable dignitaries. “No business today can survive without a focus on gender diversity. We believe diversity is an important element that will unlock the potential of our company and that is central to our strategy,” said Roussiere, while welcoming the audience.
Two insightful and motivational panel discussions on ‘Navigating the unconscious bias,’ and ‘Breaking the bias’ were held wherein the women panelists recounted their life stories, shared their unique journeys and experiences, and discussed their sources of inspiration.
Kalyani Raj, President, AIWC and Alankrutha Attaluri, Joint Revenue Commissioner, Mumbai along with women leaders from various industries shared meaningful experiences, inspiring everyone, especially Kuehne+Nagel’s next generation of women leaders. The panelists unanimously agreed on competency, courage, communication and ethics being the pillars that help move up the professional ladder and achieve goals.
In the first panel discussion on ‘Navigating the unconscious bias’ many relatable stories shared by the panelists inspired the attending delegates. Women on the panel agreed that taking up new opportunities, challenges and not being limited by their own job description helps shaping up any individual’s career graph. There was unanimous support for sabbaticals or taking a break from work for personal growth.
One of the panelists narrated a personal experience of her mother’s journey. She shared that the previous generation of career women, felt a sense of glorification if they could do everything by themselves. Based on this, they nurtured the current generation with the belief that women should continually challenge their limits, never pausing for rest. Nonetheless, the modern career-oriented woman now sees taking breaks or sabbaticals as integral to their career journey. During the panel discussion, the participants explored reasons why women should not carry guilt for these career pauses and discussed the importance of organizations providing support for such pursuits.
The second round of discussion was around ‘Breaking the bias’. The panelists exchanged their professional insights and emphasized the vital role of open communication in addressing biases. They stressed breaking this pattern requires individuals to speak up and organizations to enforce diversity-focused policies. Women should be considered and recruited for a wide array of roles and positions to promote diversity and inclusion.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Marcus Balzereit, SVP Sales and Marketing, Kuehne+Nagel APAC, who appreciated women for mastering all parts of life, while striving in leadership journeys.
