As part of MOC 2024, a panel discussion titled “Empowering People: Building the Next Tier of Leaders While Ensuring Diversity and Inclusion” aimed to highlight trends in workplace diversity between men and women in the energy sector, with a focus on women’s roles in leadership and decision-making.

The panel was moderated by Iman Hill, Country Manager of VAALCO, with the participation of Ivan Almeida, President of ExxonMobil Egypt for Upstream, Kristian Svensden, Upstream Country Manager of Chevron Egypt, Wang Hao, CTO of Energy, North Africa Region at Huawei, and Reham Mohamed, General Manager of Business Development at the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM).

At his speech, Svensden said “We are proud that half of our workforce is made up of women. Success in the workplace requires equal opportunities for everyone. Diversity is important and necessary to recognize different opinions and integrate them into the business system. I would like to commend the educational level of Egyptian cadres, which is distinguished.”

Almeida stated, “At ExxonMobil, diversity and respect for cultures are fundamental to our work environment as a global company. Operating in 19 countries, we are committed to upholding these principles, which enhance our workplace. Women occupy many leadership roles at ExxonMobil, and we believe that all perspectives must contribute to achieving our goals.”

While, Hao stressed that his company is keen to create a cooperative environment that allows all individuals to freely express their opinions and ideas, and everyone participates in discussing solutions for any challenges.

For her part, Mohamed confirmed that working within a diverse team is the best way to implement strategies and innovation to achieve the best results, noting that diversity in skills, opinions and personal characteristics is ultimately leads to the success of the organization.