Britt Madafferi (she/her) is Superintendent Social Value and Inclusion & Diversity at BHP’s Port Hedland operation in Australia. This is her story. 

To me, inclusion and diversity means there’s an even playing field, where everyone has the same opportunities and is able to bring their whole self to work each day. I love to see how excited people are to be accepted and included. 

We all have different lived experiences so it’s important to check our own behaviours and continue to break down unconscious bias. That’s how we build an inclusive culture within the workplace.  

I’ve been very lucky to have had supportive leaders throughout my career and this drives me to ensure everyone else has the same experience and opportunities. I encourage other leaders to understand why inclusion and diversity can help drive BHP’s strategic business plans. By talking about inclusion and diversity with our teams we can also encourage people to feel safe to share and learn. 

If people see the push for diversity as a threat or unfair, I encourage them to get involved in their local Inclusion and Diversity Committee, to know why we advocate for inclusion and diversity and meet people whose experiences may differ from their own. It’s about finding balance and celebrating everyone’s differences.  

To be a truly inclusive workplace, we also have to create sustainable and long-term pathways and opportunities that are accessible to everyone. That’s when we will see real cultural change.