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Image of Saurabh

Saurabh Dasgupta is Head of Category Strategy and Account Management in our Supply team and a member of the Inclusion and Diversity Council. This is Saurabh’s story.

"Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
. It’s a bed-time reading staple the world over. It struck me recently, as my five-year old son listened intently to every word, what BHP’s global Inclusion and Diversity Council represents in essence and just how important it is.

"The book reminds us that whoever we are and wherever we come from, we all have dreams and aspirations. We may not look alike, we might speak, eat, live and pray differently but we often have the same smile and experience the same pain. We all need to love and be loved. And it’s really that simple.

"Intermittently throwing in his own ideas as each page passed, it’s clear my son understands it. So as our lives go on, why do we divide and discriminate? Why differentiate on the basis of superfluous parameters?

"Coming from a land where language and dialects change on average every four miles, diversity is something I hold very close to my heart. India is the birthplace of some major global religions and hosts many more, so practicing inclusion has never been a goal to aspire to for me, rather it’s always been a reality lived. After I relocated to Singapore, these values have only extended further in the global context.

"In all likelihood, this is why I feel such an organic and passionate connection with BHP’s inclusion and diversity focus. Through the global I&DC, my hope is to make a lasting contribution that results in the values I hold so dearly becoming ingrained in every BHP’s employee’s approach to their work – an inseparable part of our DNA that places our Company firmly as an employer of choice in the global community.

"As employees and professionals, we shouldn’t shy away from assessing merit and performance. What’s certain though is no value comes from assessing worth based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion and sexual orientation, to name a few.

"When it comes to diversity and inclusion, it’s so much more than a box to tick. As a global I&DC, we want to send a strong message that at BHP, everyone is entitled to a safe and fair working environment and a variety of exciting career progression opportunities.

"History is dotted with examples of how one organisation can bring about momentous change in our society and to our world – and BHP should be no exception. We’re off to a great start but it takes every one of us to keep the momentum alive."