Inclusive Leadership at International Energy Week: Building the Diverse Workforce the Energy Transition Needs
I had the pleasure and indeed the honour of speaking yesterday at the International Energy Conference ( hashtagIEWeek) at the QEII in London.
Huge thanks to the brilliant team at the Energy Institute, Dr Nick Wayth CEng FEI FIMechE and his team especially Alice Macklin AMEI and Tom Bagot, for the invitation and the excellent event.
Many of my fellow speakers and panelists referenced the scale of the resourcing opportunity ahead, potentially millions of new roles needed globally to transform our industry. That reality was front of mind in my session.
Because the simple truth is this: those new recruits cannot just look like younger versions of me.
What excites me most is the opportunity this presents. With new and more diverse talent comes:
✅ Increased innovation
✅ Greater productivity
✅ Better safety outcomes
But we will only fully benefit if we evolve our cultures. Attracting talent is one thing – retaining and enabling it is leadership’s real test.
Managers and leaders must create environments where all talent is seen, heard and valued.
The good news? It doesn’t take years.
⏱️ It takes just 8 hours to turn the average leader into a more inclusive leader.
So the question is:
If not you, then who?
If not now, then when?
(Large shoutout and photo credit Georgina Worrall OBE at POWERful Women)