Working for a
gender-balanced,
diverse and inclusive
energy sector

At bp, we see DE&I as a business imperative as well as the right thing to do. We are determined to maintain our focus on DE&I and nurture inclusive, representative workplaces as we navigate our business through the energy transition. Being part of the Energy Leaders’ Coalition gives us the opportunity to share best practice, collaborate with and learn from other organisations on similar journeys.”

Louise Kingham, UK Country VP, bp

At Centrica, we’re on a journey to make sure that all colleagues feel welcome and can thrive. We know that by creating a more diverse workforce and a truly open and inclusive working environment that values and leverages the benefits of that diversity, we will win as individuals, as a business, as a sector, and as a society. It’s clear more needs to be done to attract, retain and develop women in the energy sector. I’m therefore delighted to join the Energy Leaders’ Coalition, as I passionately believe that we achieve more by working collectively than individually.”

Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive, Centrica plc

At Equinor, we strive to ensure that all our employees reach their full potential, and we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.  As an industry, we know that we need to do more to ensure that women are better represented, and I am very pleased that we have joined the POWERful Women’s Energy Leaders’ Coalition to help drive this.”

Alex Grant, UK Country Manager and SVP, Equinor

The ELC serves as an excellent platform for generating insightful ideas and practical strategies to drive change within our organisation and across the industry. It is a supportive peer network that fosters collective engagement to achieve gender parity. Leadership commitment is key to lead the transformation at pace! When leaders of large organisations publicly commit to gender parity, it raises awareness on the need to attract and develop top female talents to address the many complex and thrilling challenges our industry is facing.”

Miya Paolucci, UK Country Manager and VP Member GEMS Executive Committee, ENGIE

The ELC helps me to understand whatever challenges we see with diversity, inclusion, and gender within Ørsted in a broader context of the energy industry. It represents a safe space where companies can come together to share best practice and learn from one another. Energy has some long-standing imbalances to address. We’re all in this together and in coalition we are able to provide stronger leadership. Our industry and its leadership community must transform. Key success factors are attracting talent and developing effective, high performing teams. Diversity is key to both. It’s a vision that we share with other members of the ELC and we’re more effective driving towards that vision collectively.”

Duncan Clark, Head of Europe Development, Ørsted

I am proud to be a visible leader for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within both RWE and the broader industry. On a personal level being a member of the ELC has offered me a deeper understanding of the topic, impacting how I lead and advocate inclusively and enabling me to make impactful interventions at critical moments. The pragmatic nature of the ELC also means we can drive strategies which make a difference across the sector and in RWE.”

Tom Glover, UK Chair, RWE

POWERful Women’s ELC is a key driver as we work to achieve gender equality in the Energy Industry. We want to work alongside our peers to create an inclusive environment where women from all backgrounds, and at all stages of their careers, feel that they can thrive in our industry. The ELC allows us to share successes, best practice, and reflect on where we need to focus our future efforts. We all understand the value that diverse and inclusive teams can bring to a company and we remain committed through our own business, and as an ELC member, to continue to drive for gender equality”

Parminder Kohli, UK Country Chair, Shell UK

At Subsea7, as a global business where around 50% of our workforce operates offshore, achieving gender balance is significantly more challenging than in onshore environments. Being part of the ELC has provided a unique platform for learning, networking, and challenging each other as CEOs, holding each other accountable. Within Subsea7, we are evolving our approach by sharing best practices and learning from each other’s experiences, both from our leaders within Subsea7 and the ELC. This supports our goals of creating an inclusive environment and increasing female representation in our leadership positions, both on and offshore. As a member of the PfW ELC I have witnessed firsthand how our combined efforts to address gender balance and inclusion are making a tangible difference to the future of energy in the UK.”

John Evans, CEO, Subsea7

“As a forum, the ELC is unique in being the only time we, as UK company leaders, get together on a very important topic. The meetings are an opportunity to have open and honest face-to-face discussions about the challenges we face as leaders in driving change towards common goals on gender diversity, and in support of POWERful Women’s objectives. Importantly, we learn from each other, identifying new approaches and policies that make a difference, and holding ourselves and each other to account on rolling them out.”

Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO, SSE

Being part of the ELC provides me with a unique opportunity to use my influence to shine a light on all things DEI. I can showcase the great initiatives National Grid is undertaking, discuss the challenges we are still facing and learn from the best practices of others. Exchanging ideas with other industry leaders helps us all continuously improve our DEI efforts. Leadership commitment and accountability on this issue brings immense positive value to our business. Creating an inclusive culture that embraces diverse perspectives enables us to achieve our energy ambitions more effectively. When more people are involved, we are able to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and make better decisions.”

Cordi O’Hara OBE, President, National Grid Electricity Distribution