Working at Pembina | Inclusion & Diversity
Advancing gender diversity in our workplace
Tue, 14 Jul 2020
At Pembina, we believe in having a work environment where employees feel valued and respected. Our Inclusion & Diversity Stand reflects our commitment to diversity, equal opportunity and ensuring that our employees have the ability to thrive in an inclusive environment.
An important part of Pembina’s commitment to inclusion and diversity is gender equality and advancing female representation in the workplace.
Leslie O’Donoghue, a member of Pembina’s board of directors since 2008, believes that diversity is just that – it’s about having diverse opinions and perspectives and feeling empowered to voice your ideas.
“It’s important to see diverse people in different roles so that you can imagine yourself in those roles and understand what’s possible,” says Leslie. “When we value diversity and inclusion, everyone has a voice and, in the end, a better culture and business is created."
Pembina currently has four women on its board of directors (representing 36 percent of the board of directors), and has improved the Board’s geographic, educational, experience, and age diversity over time. Overall, Pembina’s Board recognizes the importance of director diversity and has a written policy that serves as a framework for promoting diversity of all kinds.
Having support from the top-down is key in making space for diverse backgrounds, opinions and skills. Fortunately for Leslie, she had supportive male and female leaders as roles models throughout her career.
“I benefitted from working with people who cared about diversity and diverse perspectives and who pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It’s about having the right people around you while also recognizing opportunities and taking risks,” says Leslie.
Leslie was Executive Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of Nutrien Ltd. (formerly Agrium) and prior to that, she was the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy & Corporate Development Officer of Nutrien. While at Nutrien, she was encouraged to pursue a role on a board to broaden her experience. Joining Pembina’s board of directors – her first such appointment – gave her a better perspective on how collaboration and recognizing different points of view improves decision making.
“It’s important to surround yourself with people who are going to challenge you, boost your confidence, and have your best interests in mind,” says Leslie. “One of the differentiators for Pembina is its culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Finding a company like Pembina where the culture and ethical leadership aligns with your personal values is key.”
Pembina has made important strides in increasing the number of women at all levels of the organization, because having a respectful, collaborative and fair work culture is a core value and a future competitive advantage for the Company. Women currently represent approximately 27 percent of Pembina’s workforce, which is higher than the Alberta mining and oil and gas extraction industry median for all employees of 21.5 percent in 2017, the last time this data was published, and the most closely comparable industry group. 48 percent of employees identify as female at our head office in Calgary and 12 percent identify as female at our field office locations. Pembina currently has six female executives (21 percent of our executive team). We are confident that, by continuing to identify female candidates for higher level executive positions, and with the growing number of women in management, our succession planning will lead to more women moving into executive positions and will enable us to attract more female talent at all levels of the organization.
Leslie O’Donoghue, a member of Pembina’s board of directors since 2008, believes that diversity is just that – it’s about having diverse opinions and perspectives and feeling empowered to voice your ideas.
“It’s important to see diverse people in different roles so that you can imagine yourself in those roles and understand what’s possible,” says Leslie. “When we value diversity and inclusion, everyone has a voice and, in the end, a better culture and business is created."
Pembina currently has four women on its board of directors (representing 36 percent of the board of directors), and has improved the Board’s geographic, educational, experience, and age diversity over time. Overall, Pembina’s Board recognizes the importance of director diversity and has a written policy that serves as a framework for promoting diversity of all kinds.
Having support from the top-down is key in making space for diverse backgrounds, opinions and skills. Fortunately for Leslie, she had supportive male and female leaders as roles models throughout her career.
“I benefitted from working with people who cared about diversity and diverse perspectives and who pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It’s about having the right people around you while also recognizing opportunities and taking risks,” says Leslie.
Leslie was Executive Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of Nutrien Ltd. (formerly Agrium) and prior to that, she was the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy & Corporate Development Officer of Nutrien. While at Nutrien, she was encouraged to pursue a role on a board to broaden her experience. Joining Pembina’s board of directors – her first such appointment – gave her a better perspective on how collaboration and recognizing different points of view improves decision making.
“It’s important to surround yourself with people who are going to challenge you, boost your confidence, and have your best interests in mind,” says Leslie. “One of the differentiators for Pembina is its culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Finding a company like Pembina where the culture and ethical leadership aligns with your personal values is key.”
Pembina has made important strides in increasing the number of women at all levels of the organization, because having a respectful, collaborative and fair work culture is a core value and a future competitive advantage for the Company. Women currently represent approximately 27 percent of Pembina’s workforce, which is higher than the Alberta mining and oil and gas extraction industry median for all employees of 21.5 percent in 2017, the last time this data was published, and the most closely comparable industry group. 48 percent of employees identify as female at our head office in Calgary and 12 percent identify as female at our field office locations. Pembina currently has six female executives (21 percent of our executive team). We are confident that, by continuing to identify female candidates for higher level executive positions, and with the growing number of women in management, our succession planning will lead to more women moving into executive positions and will enable us to attract more female talent at all levels of the organization.
Leslie O’Donoghue, Director since December 2008
When we value diversity and inclusion, everyone has a voice and, in the end, a better culture and business is created.