Anne Morel, SVP Global Carrier Sales
Diversity and inclusion has been part of Orange's DNA for several years and today we recognise its value more than ever before, not only in the motivation of our team, but also in our capacity to better serve our customers and in our overall performance.
Our most important asset is undeniably our people, and this is especially true for a Sales team. One of Orange's key priorities is to ensure our teams’ productivity, and to attract and retain the best industry talents. Developing diversity and inclusion is vital to achieving this. In my role managing Orange Wholesale International Global Sales team, I have the privilege to work with a very rich and diverse group of people from 34 nationalities in 17 countries and 40% of women, including in the management team. Our diversity naturally reflects the different markets in which we operate across the globe. I am truly convinced it helps us to form an organisation that is more considerate, but also more agile, more resilient and ultimately, capable of better understanding our customers’ needs and delivering higher performance for the Group. Not only does it bring new perspectives and experiences to a team, which drives innovation and creativity, but it also fosters engagement. Employees who are part of a diverse organisation feel comfortable to express their ideas and points of view, knowing that their voices will be heard.
And finally, looking at various business and economic surveys, the numbers say it all: “inclusive companies have 60% more chance of improving their financial performance and retaining talented employees”. The concept that “Happy employees make for happy customers” is an unquestionable truth.
Being present in diverse geographies, we also understand the value of endorsing a combination of global and local initiatives. We understand that not every policy can be universal and therefore adjust our measures at a local level to respect different cultural requirements.
Orange aims to promote diversity in all its forms, not only within our own organization, but also within the telecoms industry as a whole.
We take diversity and inclusion as seriously as other measurements of success. As with financial performance, we translate them into numbers, which allows us to set ourselves ambitious goals and track our progress.
For example, we were the first to sign the international charter for inclusive artificial intelligence, which opposes unconscious bias and promotes diversity in AI developments. To encourage youth employment, we welcome over 5,000 work-study placements on a yearly basis and have launched the Orange Apprentice Training Centre, which will prepare young people for digital jobs in the future.
In 2019 Orange signed a ground-breaking global agreement on gender equality with the UNI Global Union. We are also a committed member of The Valuable 500 global initiative, which brings 500 major corporations together to promote the employment of disabled people, demonstrating the Group's commitment to social responsibility.
These are just a few examples of the many projects recently undertaken by Orange in the fight for diversity and inclusion. The battle is not yet won, but Orange will continue to be a loyal and committed member of the cause.
