Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa has launched a new diversity and inclusion action plan.
The plan includes setting a gender equality target to increase female representation in the workforce and in executive management to 25% by 2025.
Female representation at the company was 19% in fiscal year 2020 and 12% in executive management in same year.
Siemens Gamesa has also appointed a new global head of diversity and inclusion, Marta Jimeno, who will be supported by the newly formed high-level diversity and inclusion advisory board.
Jimeno, supported by the newly established board, will set the tone and direction going forward.
The board’s members represent different levels of management and areas of expertise and are diverse in gender and nationality.
Siemens Gamesa CEO Andreas Nauen said: “Our company and the wind industry have lagged on diversity and inclusion issues.
“We recognise though that they are critical for business recovery and further success as they are true drivers of performance.
“That is why we are intensifying our efforts with this new action plan to create lasting change within Siemens Gamesa, leading to a more open, diverse and inclusive society.”
To foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, the company’s action plan is built on three pillars of diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equal opportunities.
The groundwork for diversity and inclusion was laid in the past three years by introducing several new policies and processes addressing issues such as harassment and discrimination, smart working and digital disconnection, Siemens Gamesa said.
The new action plan will reinforce Siemens Gamesa’s commitment by introducing a number of policies and guidelines that will expand diverse and inclusive recruitment, extend the parental leave possibilities and promote LGBTI diversity, among other things.
The company said it believes that a “diverse set of employees, skill-sets and life paths result in better outcomes for the business, as the wide range of planned actions reflect”.
Jimeno said: “To be truly successful, we must harness the unique skills, experiences and cultural assets of all our employees.
“They must feel valued and included for who they are and what they contribute to our business.
“That is why diversity and inclusion values must be at the heart of our decision-making and team-building and it we will put more processes and systems in place to embrace these values.”
Siemens Gamesa recently announced that it was one of 380 companies included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) 2021 for the second year in a row.