Today marks two years since the +D program was launched, Tecpetrol’s drive to foster greater gender, cultural and generational diversity in the workplace. The company is firm in its conviction that the attributes and unique qualities of each of its employees help to build a stronger and more resilient team, and that dialogue encourages talent to grow. In this note, we review the milestones of an initiative that is going full steam ahead.

In July 2019, Tecpetrol launched its declaration of diversity, committing to respect and encourage the unique qualities differentiating each employee, a guarantee of the place that plurality has on its agenda. The company has since then carried out an extensive diagnostic survey working with over 18 focus groups, getting feedback from 120 women in the company and holding an opinion poll among some 500 participants. This gave birth to an action plan, framed in the +D program, envisaging “specific initiatives we are deploying to allow each employee, from wherever they are working, to put this declaration into practice,” according to Ricardo Markous, the company CEO, adding that “for Tecpetrol all forms of diversity are important. It’s my personal wish for each of us to be able to work without fear and without pressure, showing ourselves to be who we really are, in a safe and inclusive environment.” The CEO was speaking at the opening of the webinar on The ABC of sexual diversity: the closet is for clothes, organized by Tecpetrol with the twin objectives of commemorating the second anniversary of the +D program as well as LGTBIQ+ Pride Day.

One of the program’s top milestones during 2021 was the creation of +D Governance, an interdisciplinary and multicultural team set up to define and develop a common approach supporting diversity throughout the organization. Another significant achievement at the end of 2020 was when the company was the only one from the energy industry to be shortlisted for the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) awards in recognition of its work to promote gender equality. Also, this year, the company’s employees launched the LGTBIQ + Allies Group on their own initiative to start tackling the challenges so often faced by this group, focusing on eliminating biases and barriers to achieve a workplace free of discrimination.

In turn, in addition to flexible schedule policies, reducing the working day for mothers and introducing special work from home policies, Tecpetrol is driving the following initiatives: 

• Maternity coaching - to accompany women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood until they return to their jobs in order to support them in the development of their careers.
• Lean In Together Circles - to promote dialogue between women and men to make gender biases visible and work together to find compatible solutions and opportunities.
• Dual careers - to support spouses whose partners are assigned to work outside of their place of origin, so that there is equal access to career opportunities.
• Paternity coaching - to help promote a sense of co-responsibility among fathers and mothers regarding the care necessary during the first years of their children's lives.
• Mentoring - to provide support by shadowing the careers of Tecpetrol women to give them tools for growth and promotion to higher-ranking positions.
• Training - to provide emotional support and workshops to detect, recognize and work on unconscious biases.

“We‘re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far, although we’re aware that we still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. We have great plans for this year to continue consolidating diversity as an intrinsic value of our culture,” anticipates Pablo Ledesma, director of Human and Institutional Resources.

To learn more about the most relevant milestones and results notched up by the program during 2019 and 2020, watch this video.

We also invite you to visit our diversity section containing all the information.