The Evolution of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Sonepar

EIN Sonepar Evolution Inclusion

May 4, 2022

As Sonepar continues to make Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives a priority within the organization, last year Sonepar Canada President Francois Anquetil, and VP of Human Resources, Reina Ohol, conducted focus groups aimed at learning from the experiences of their associates.

“It’s difficult for anyone to try and navigate how best to address DE&I in the workplace,” Reina said. “We wanted to create initiatives and action plans that would be meaningful to our associates and not be based solely on metrics. Therefore, we took an “inclusive approach,” to DE&I. We listened to what our associates had to say and got ideas directly from them to help create a positive impact.”

Associates were invited to participated in focus groups which took place over a course of three different sessions and concentrated on gender diversity, visible minorities, and multigenerational diversity and inclusion.

“Overall, the sessions exceeded my expectations,” she said. “You have to be courageous to persevere through a confronting and uncomfortable situation, especially within the workplace. In addition, we were asking our participants to relive and share their personal experiences not only with us but also with their peers.”

“Our associates trusted us enough to be vulnerable and I really commend their level of bravery, along with our ability as a collective to make the sessions a positive and safe space. I felt honoured to sit amongst these individuals and have the privilege to listen to what they had to say.”

“Moving forward, we are concentrating on education and training. Whether it’s regarding bringing awareness and understanding to different ethnicities, genders, or generations, we want to ensure we are creating a culture that is highly aware of microaggressions, biases and prejudices within the workplace.

“We also want to make learning opportunities more readily available, especially for the younger generations,” said Reina. “By doing so, we can eliminate the impression that career development is only obtainable to those who have a certain level of seniority with the company.”

“Ultimately, we want to ensure all associates feel they have access to career opportunities regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or age and that Sonepar becomes the depiction of inclusivity in the workplace.”

Source

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • Mac’s II Agencies Announce Addition to Project & Specification Sales Team

    Mac’s II Agencies Announce Addition to Project & Specification Sales Team

    July 10, 2025 Mac’s II Agencies is pleased to announce that Drazen Jerkovic will be joining their Project & Specification Sales team in the Lighting Division later this fall. With over 25 years of experience in the lighting and electrical industry, Drazen is a highly respected consultant known for his technical knowledge and deep understanding of project delivery…. Read More…

  • Intralec Named New Sales Agency Partner for IDEAL Electrical in Central & Southwestern Ontario

    Intralec Named New Sales Agency Partner for IDEAL Electrical in Central & Southwestern Ontario

    July 7, 2025 Intralec Electrical Products is proud to announce our new partnership with IDEAL Electrical as their sales agency for the Central & Southwestern Ontario regions. As a Canadian manufacturer with over 60 years of experience producing quality products—many of which, like the Can-Twist wire connector and Yellow 77 lubricant, are made in Ajax,… Read More…

  • City of Winnipeg Continues to Improve Online Permits System

    City of Winnipeg Continues to Improve Online Permits System

    July 4, 2025 The City of Winnipeg has launched an improved Permits Online web portal. This upgrade aims to make the permit process more convenient for customers. Permits Online is a one-stop shop to manage the permit process. Now, the web portal is easier to use because customers can navigate it using their mobile device. The portal… Read More…

  • Schneider Electric Launches Chapter 3 of Sustainability School

    Schneider Electric Launches Chapter 3 of Sustainability School

    July 4, 2025 Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has launched Chapter 3 of its online Sustainability School, a free training program designed to empower its channel ecosystem partners to become leaders in sustainability. This chapter will focus on teaching businesses how to decarbonize and unlock the competitive… Read More…