A Youth Commission, mentoring for in-field profiles and parenthood workshops are just some of the +d initiatives programmed for this new budget year, dovetailing with the renewal of the Governance Committee.

The team in charge of discussing and defining the direction and actions of Tecpetrol's diversity program has just been renewed. “Our Governance Committee is a dynamic group, and every year we change out some members to enrich our collective experience and bring in new perspectives, renewing our energy as a whole,” explained María Laura García, Chief Human Resources Officer, to Tecpetrol Hoy. “Since the program launched in 2021, our initial ideas have expanded and acquired greater depth,” she added.

“The idea is for our Governance Committee to be as diverse as possible, involving people from different backgrounds, nationalities, ages, work area and gender in a context of equality, as they can contribute unique points of view from their roles and their own life experiences,” pointed out Julieta Delorenzi, Cultural Transformation Sr. Manager, as she explained how the Committee works.

José Feretti, Country Director in Colombia, joined the Governance Committee in 2023. “I didn't think twice when they asked me, as I really wanted to work alongside those people taking specific actions to achieve greater diversity,” he emphasized. “The great challenge we have ahead is to ensure that each person understands what we’re doing and can make the most of the actions being taken. We must ensure that there’s widespread awareness of the process of change that has been underway for several years."

The new roster of Committee members is completed with Ana López, Commercial Sr. Analyst. "I will be keeping a close eye on the issue of generations, and we’re already receiving ideas for the Youth Committee," she commented. “Tecpetrol is creating more spaces in which we can listen to proposals, and on the Governance Committee, we’re also looking at ways to implement them,” she added.

Ana is the youngest member and will be the link with a new Group of Allies centered on young people, a group being formed under her guidance. “We really need to understand these new generations and the increasingly demanding challenges they bring to the table, so that we can create valuable experiences for them and move forward,” explained García, who is continuing her tenure on the Governance Committee alongside Daniel Valencio, Julieta Delorenzi and Esteban Grassi.

Asking the right questions to achieve a clearer focus

Guided by the oft-quoted minority group principle "Nothing about us without us," we recently conducted a survey on diversity issues that saw an impressive turnout from our employees. The survey was designed to let respondents voice their concerns, aiming to shape future actions based on the analysis of over 530 comments received.

The survey revealed a strong demand for better communication about ongoing initiatives. Another issue raised came from the women working in the field, who specifically called for Mentoring programs. "The results show widespread engagement. The challenge is now to maintain this participatory spirit to ensure the success of current actions and implement new ones," shared Ana López.

“One of the challenges we face this year is to continue expanding the vision that each person has about how they can contribute to the company through their own characteristics,” added geologist Daniel Valencio, Vice President Exploration & Development. “We have just finished designing a Microaggressions Workshop so that people can identify what’s happening and help others to work on their behaviors,” Delorenzi explained.

This new period not only sees a renewed Governance Committee but also a launch event where the Disability Allies will be presenting the new members who have come on board to work on this axis. "The objective continues to be to find ways of reducing the barriers existing for people with different disabilities," said Esteban Grassi, Commercial & Planning Manager in Ecuador.

The renewal of the Governance Committee aims to diversify both the range of proposals and the spectrum of perspectives on various issues, broadening the overall objective. “Diversity is about making Tecpetrol's talent more visible and helping it to grow,” summarized María Laura García. “We have many opportunities throughout the wealth of our diversity, and I’ll be focusing on seeking them out.”