Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: my vision for JTI

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: my vision for JTI

Valérie Riondel Payne - VP of Global Talent Management and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

“I’ve been at JTI for 26 years and I’ve had so many exciting experiences and worked with different people around the world. It’s been a great schooling in a how a big organization works.”

Valerie Riondel

There is something special about this company that keeps me excited every day! If you had told me when I started working at JTI that I would still be here 26 years later I wouldn’t have believed you.  

My career at JTI started in Business Development back in 1996 and, after five years in the role, I wanted to specialize. Marketing was of interest, and an opportunity arose to join one of our Global Brand Groups. My role took me to many different countries, experiencing diverse cultures and meeting amazing, talented people along the way. This fueled my passion for people, and over the years I made the move from Marketing and Sales to People & Culture, becoming a P&C Business Partner for a number of corporate functions in Geneva in 2018.

My new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) role started in April 2022 when DEI and Global Talent Management were merged to make both more effective, aligned and impactful. I’m truly excited about what lies ahead!

Valerie Riondel
OUR VISION IS TO BECOME THE NUMBER ONE INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER IN OUR INDUSTRY. HAVING BEEN IN MY NEW ROLE FOR SOME TIME, IT NOW FEELS LIKE A GOOD POINT TO SHARE OUR PROGRESS AND THE NEXT STEPS ALONG THAT ROAD.

Our ambition is to integrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into all our processes

To my mind, this is how we really make our DEI efforts relevant so that they become engrained. Back in 2018, DEI was created as a separate function at JTI and it made sense at that time because DEI was still in its infancy at the company. In 2021 we passed the significant milestone of getting EY’s Global Equality Standards certification. Moving forward we will continue to focus on integrating DEI within every element of the business, starting with our people journey. Through a DEI lens we are defining the kind of experiences we’d like someone to have, from the moment they consider JTI as a future employer, apply for a job, have their interview and are hired, and then as they grow their career within the company. We want to ensure that all our internal processes are being reviewed or designed with a DEI lens.

Our ambition is to integrate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into all our processes
We need to create a common language around unconscious bias and conscious inclusion

We need to create a common language around unconscious bias and conscious inclusion

Being aware isn’t enough on its own. Once you’re aware of your biases, how do you deal with them? How do you project inclusivity? All of us have work to do on that front. We should also help each other on this learning journey by taking a caring and daring approach, asking the people around you: “If you notice something about my biases, please let me know.” We recently took our Executive Committee through training and will cascade this to our markets and our employees.

We need to create a common language around unconscious bias and conscious inclusion

Destigmatizing mental health  

We are paying specific attention to mental health as we develop our Wellbeing 2.0 framework. We know from research that wellbeing levels are still below pre‑pandemic levels and it is critical we address that. From a mental health perspective, we’ll be aiming at moving the needle from curing to preventing mental health issues arising. There are many things we can do to help create a psychologically safe place at work. By starting to create an environment where conversations around mental health take place, adopting a listening and non-judgmental approach to bring the people at the center of our business. This is essential to future-proof a business, motivate our employees and attract the best talent. Especially now as we are entering a new space with new products, where we need to think differently and foster a culture of innovation. 

Destigmatizing mental health
Reporting on progress generates a sense of how far we’ve come

Reporting on progress generates a sense of how far we’ve come

We have data from our talent management processes to report on whether women are getting fair opportunities for growth and development and use our global employee engagement survey to evaluate how included people feel. But we want to do more on metrics and reporting to ensure we keep on progressing towards our ambition. Being able to visualize data and report back to all employees generates a sense of pride, momentum and shared ownership.

Reporting on progress generates a sense of how far we’ve come
I’M VERY PROUD OF THE PROGRESS WE’RE MAKING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, DEI OPENS OUR MINDS AND BRINGS DIFFERENT IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES TOGETHER TO CREATE A HIGH PERFORMING BUSINESS CULTURE WHERE ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE A SENSE OF BELONGING & FEEL VALUED.