imc Diversity & Inclusion crew looks back at 2022

Diversity. It’s hard to think of a word that’s been more polarising this year. Heidi Klum used it in practically every episode of “Germany’s Next Top Model”, positioning herself as pro-diversity in the modelling industry. The reaction may not have been universally positive, but at least the issue was on the agenda.

And now sports fans, too, have been forced to think about diversity, thanks to it being a constant feature of the coverage of the recent Football World Cup in Qatar. Many found the focus on diversity unwelcome, but then again, many also felt the matter wasn’t receiving nearly enough attention. One question came up again and again: Does diversity even have a place in professional sport? Obviously, that’s not something we at imc can provide a final response to, but what we can say is that diversity and inclusion have become even more important to us this year.

In order to establish diversity and inclusion as broadly as possible in our organisation, we launched a D&I programme – a programme organised by our employees, for our employees. To ensure everyone can find what they are looking for, the programme is structured into three main elements: EmpowHER, a programme to connect and empower women at imc; the Cultural Diversity programme; and Diversity of Interests, a programme to celebrate the personal strengths of our employees and the interests that drive and inspire them.

With the year drawing to a close, we wanted to get everyone around a (virtual) table one last time to reflect on the successful year that was and look ahead to the year to come. And that’s precisely what we did. The D&I crew’s official end-of-year debrief was held in virtual form in December. The attendees reflected on the highlights of 2022 and then got down to the exciting business of what would be happening next. The short story here is that many of the D&I initiatives were so well received at imc that they will be continued in 2023.

The InspireHER tandem programme will be back next year, helping women within the imc organisation to network, share experiences, ideas and tips, and foster personal growth through mutual reflection and feedback.

Next year will also see the return of the “Get to know more about ...” series of cultural diversity talks on ways of overcoming various stereotypes here at imc. The organising team has sessions planned for each of our locations.

The “Diversity of Interests” team is also keen to step things up next year. They will be organizing barcamps where employees from all locations will be encouraged to talk about and celebrate their respective personal qualities, knowledge, interests and talents – including personal interests outside of work, such as volunteer work, social engagement, club memberships and unusual hobbies.

Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, imc

“Our end-of-year event was truly inspiring in every respect,” says Kerstin Steffen, one of the founding members of the D&I crew. “It’s so pleasing to see that our diversity movement is growing steadily and reaching more and more employees. We’ve already achieved so much, so we’re still totally fired up to keep going. This positive spirit shone through at our get-together, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings.”

imc D&I crew looks back at 2022

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Kerstin Steffen, Director Brand Strategy, imc

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