Diversity and Inclusion at Autodesk Barcelona

October was a good month for me, as I had a trip planned to the Autodesk offices in Barcelona - just across the road from the beach, with wonderful views of the ocean, especially from the 6th and 7th floors. It’s an amazing location in a vibrant and culturally rich city. 

I’d heard great things about this team, but my arrival coincided with a tense time in the region’s history. A series of events supporting the movement for Catalonian independence from Spain had been dominating the news - so I was unsure of the atmosphere I would encounter in the office. (One week later and I found myself energized beyond all expectations and eagerly planning my return trip…) 

I kicked off my visit by co-facilitating a workshop on Influence and Negotiation. I’ve always been impressed by the importance that Autodesk gives to learning and development, and this course was no exception. The energy and engagement the participants shared with us was wonderful. It felt great to see people take home some powerful techniques they could apply to internal and customer discussions.

Soon it was time for me to turn my focus to Global Diversity & Inclusion. Chris Bittner, Barcelona’s Senior Director, welcomed the idea of raising awareness on this topic within his organization. Weeks beforehand Chris and his leadership team began to energetically promote a series of meetings dedicated to Celebrating Culture and Diversity.

Once onsite I was impressed to learn in their All Hands about their exciting expansion plan “Path to 400”, and the leadership opportunities available for team members. They already have women in over 43% of management roles, leading teams with over 31 nationalities.

The jam-packed day continued with an All Employee Workshop, a kickoff meeting for the Barcelona chapter of our Autodesk women’s employee resource group, and a Diversity & Inclusion workshop for the leadership at the site. The enthusiasm among their employees is palpable. I was very moved by the open discussion of this topic during such a challenging time in Spain’s history. We have team members with strong differing opinions, but they remain aligned and focused on our shared organizational goals. That is inclusion at work.

I have seen many organizations and office sites over many years, and I was truly taken by the unique energy of this team. It came as no surprise to me that this location had the top employee engagement survey scores of any Autodesk site worldwide. Joining the Barcelona team would be an exciting opportunity for anyone, where the pace is fast and the learning curve is sharp.

In a few months I will be back, eager to explore more ways we can continue to leverage the opportunities that diversity offers.