Our very diverse family can be our greatest advantage.

We are currently driving into a challenging future for the automotive industry. While some of it is already known territory, other challenges are still something we have yet to discover. And for that, we have sharpened our TOGETHER 2025+ Group strategy with the new vision “Shaping mobility – for generations to come.” Our goal is to make mobility sustainable for all of us and for future generations. We want to offer a completely new driving experience and promote electric drive, digital networking and autonomous driving to make the automobile clean, quiet, intelligent and safe.

But in order to achieve these challenging goals and be successful in the new world of mobility, we not only need the technology but also competent and committed employees. Human Resources play a major role in this transformation process. We have to make sure that our colleagues have the opportunity to acquire the competencies that will be needed in the future. We need to attract and retain the best global talents.

That is why strengthening diversity and inclusion is a major pillar for all of us – for all brands, for all regions, for all companies in the Volkswagen Group.

Malcom Forbes once said “Diversity is the art of thinking independently together” and this brings it to the point. This requires far more than a mere variety of voices. It also requires an environment where different perspectives and the best and most innovative ideas are more important than characteristics such as gender, internationality, age, sexual orientation or disability. It requires an open, positive and cooperative culture in which everyone can contribute and thrive, an environment in which everyone feels safe and enthusiastically work together.

At Volkswagen we are a very diverse family already. Now it is up to us to take advantage of this great potential and to leverage synergies.

In order to be able to do so, however, we must take further action to make diversity more visible. And that is what we do:

Because diversity is so important as mentioned, we have given the Diversity Division a very special position in our new Volkswagen HR-structure. From October, the Group Diversity and Women's Promotion Division is reporting directly to the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group. This underlines the enormous importance of that issue.

Furthermore, we all know: Diversity thrives also on experiences and intercultural exchange. Because only if we know how our colleagues feel, think and work, we will achieve great results together. And that applies to our entire group all over the world. That is why we want to strengthen and promote cultural exchange within the Group. The exchange with our colleagues from China this summer is an great example of this.

"From China for the World" is the name of this exchange program, that enables our employees in China and Germany to exchange their experiences and strengthen the transfer of know-how. The program is already a success and will be rolled out across the entire Group and its brands.

But it is not just within the Group that we are accelerating the topic of diversity. This summer we were involved in the CSD in Berlin  and sent a clear signal for tolerance and respect. 

All these activities – new structure, international transfer of know-how and our public commitment - already show the new dimensions of our Diversity Division.

But to be realistic: It will take a lot of effort and time for our actions to gain further traction. Nevertheless, I am convinced: When we pool our knowledge, competencies and experience we will be successful. This is what acting as “one HR” is about: Pulling together to assure a more modern and attractive working environment and a sustainable work organization!

I am thankful for Elke Heitmüller and her team of so many diversity experts in the Volkswagen Group, who help the company to achieve a higher degree of diversity in the workplace, and promote an open, positive and cooperative culture as well as an exemplary and inspiring leadership team.