Promoting women and diversity, a priority for the Air Liquide Group

March 8, International Women’s Day, is the occasion to review the place of women in society, everywhere in the world. Air Liquide is involved in this day as diversity is an integral part of the Group’s strategies.

Present in 75 countries, Air Liquide encompasses diversity on all its registers: nationalities, gender, competencies, experience, handicaps…

In 1995, the Group’s Executive Management initiated the first action phase on diversity, in which operations carried out to promote women were included.

Air Liquide employs about 9,600 women worldwide. During the last two years, the percentage of women among the Group’s senior management positions has doubled, increasing from 6 to 12%. Nine women were recently appointed to the head of a country or an Air Liquide entity.

Women represent nearly 20% of all engineers and managers worldwide and 30% of all hires in this category.

The concrete action plan for “Men/Women” diversity implemented by the Group is centered on several themes:

Developing careers

A regularly held human resources review dedicated to women brings together the Group’s Executive Committee.

Communicating to and involving all the managers

To favor the hiring and professional advancement of women in the company, awareness-raising and exchange days were organized in France and Japan. Nineteen session were held and over 400 managers have already participated in them in France.

Two women are now members of the Air Liquide Group’s Board of Directors: Béatrice Majnoni d’Intignano, a university professor, and Karen Katen, a director on the boards of several companies.