LEAD Newsletter Special Ahold Delhaize Interview International Women’s Day – March 2018

By Subarna Malakar, Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Ahold Delhaize

 

Commemorating International Women’s Day

March 8, 2018 – Purple is the official color of International Women’s Day, and many associates proudly wore it as Ahold Delhaize and our local brands mark March 8 with special events to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality.

The activities included a live broadcast from 14:00 to 16:00 CET (8 to 10 a.m. EST) at most of our support offices and the celebrated of the launch of a special edition of the book Wisdom Warriors: Women with the Courage to be True to Themselves by author Carol Seymour. The book, prepared exclusively for Ahold Delhaize, is a compilation of over 200 stories from accomplished women leaders, including nearly 30 profiles of outstanding talents from within Ahold Delhaize and our brands.

“Diversity matters. It is important, not only in terms of gender, but general diversity for us as a company,” Ahold Delhaize CEO Dick Boer says in a brief video to commemorate the day. “This is why we have also said in our vision that we want to be a sustainable, inclusive and diverse workplace.”

During the activities, “have the debates, have the discussions and be inspired by each other,” Dick adds. “Tell your true stories. Learn from each other. And inspire us.”

The live broadcast was hosted by the Stop & Shop team in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Program included:

  • Our Pledge for Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Welcome by Executive Committee members Frans Muller, Abbe Luersman and Marc Croonen, 14:00 – 14:15
  • Bring Your A-Game: Keynote Speaker Carol Seymour, author of Wisdom Warriors, 14:15 – 15:00
  • Panel Discussion: Insights from Ahold Delhaize Wisdom Warriors (Stacy Wiggins, Dawn Perry, and Kerri Aguilo) , 15:00 – 16:00

Local leaders and associates continued the celebration with follow-up activities and discussions focused on diversity and inclusion. Below are some photos  of local activities from across our brands!