Community Unification: Pride Celebration
In a significant move towards promoting diversity and inclusion, Santander, one of Spain's leading financial institutions, convened representatives from four of the country's biggest companies for a discussion about LGBT+ issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The panel, moderated by FELGTB, Spain's main LGBT organization, featured representatives from Telefonica, Inditex, BBVA, and Santander. The event was opened by Roberto di Bernardini, the global Head of HR for Santander Group, who showed a video reminding everyone that no one should have fears of showing who they are.
Elisabetta Galli, Head of Learning and Development for Santander Group, closed the event. She announced that Santander has signed an agreement with FELGTB to offer mentoring to the trans community. Santander's initiative is part of their ongoing efforts to support diversity and inclusion.
Santander has several programmes aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion. They have a 17th Euros from your salary programme and a 16th Euros from your salary contest, both designed to support diversity and inclusion initiatives. More information about working at Santander can be found on their website.
Eva Diaz, CEO of Appogeo Digital, emphasized the importance of visibility of all types of diversity, especially from senior leaders. She stated that one of the most important steps for businesses to take in improving diversity and inclusion is to normalize being unashamedly who we are. The most important thing that senior management can do in a company is believe in diversity of all kinds, according to Diaz.
Inditex has taken a similar approach to video conferencing during the pandemic and also developed an initiative called "Meet your Colleagues" to normalize remote working and encourage people to feel comfortable communicating from home. Chema, a representative from Inditex, highlighted the importance of this initiative in fostering a culture of openness.
Jose Antonio from BBVA stated that the employee networks at BBVA have been critical to building an inclusive working environment. He also mentioned that training for employees to not make assumptions and be more inclusive is a step taken by companies to improve diversity and inclusion.
During the pandemic, Telefonica has found that allowing people to be flexible in how they interacted with video conferences has been a successful way of reducing fears. Lluis Casanova, Managing Director of Santander Global Tech, conducted an interview with Eva Diaz, CEO of the startup Appogeo Digital, discussing diversity and inclusion.
Spain is considered one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world, legalizing gay marriage in 2005 and serving as a model for gay rights in Europe. However, a 2019 study by ADIM found that 72% of employees in Spain and Portugal are not open about their sexuality at work or with colleagues.
Santander's LGBT+ employee network, Embrace, has grown, and the company is undertaking various activities during June and July for Pride in Spain and other markets around the world. The event was one in a series of activities related to education, diversity & inclusion, and acknowledgements at Santander.
- Santander's push for diversity and inclusion extends beyond finance, as they have also partnered with FELGTB to offer mentoring to the trans community, highlighting their commitment to various aspects of diversity.
- In the realm of business, not only Santander but also Inditex emphasizes the importance of visibility, evident in their "Meet your Colleagues" initiative, aiming to normalize remote working and foster a culture of openness.
- Social media and entertainment platforms have a crucial role in promoting diversity and inclusion as well. An interview between Lluis Casanova from Santander Global Tech and Eva Diaz, CEO of Appogeo Digital, was conducted on such a platform, discussing diversity and inclusion in the midst of the pandemic.
