Berkeley Haas Teams With Grupo Argos to Increase Gender Diversity
The University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business (Berkeley-Haas) and the Berkeley Center for Executive Education (CCE) are partnering with Grupo Argos, a Latin American corporation that has made great strides recently in gender diversity.
The Columbian company, which specializes in energy systems, concrete production, and the real estate market, is the first in Latin America to elect a woman as chair of its board.
In addition, Grupo Argos has extended maternity leaves, and has implemented various policies to improve work/family balance. Through its multi-year partnership with Berkeley-Haas and the CCE, Grupo Argos intends to develop training and leadership programs in addition to mentorship opportunities. CEO José Alberto Vélez said:
“We hope to develop a model of leadership that encourages equal opportunities for promotion and development… Additionally, this program supports the creation of a collective consciousness about the respect for differences, a principle that is consistent with our corporate culture.”
Berkeley hosted a group of 55 of the company’s female managers during an immersive seminar with Associate Professor Dana Carney and Professor Laura Kray. The two will travel to Columbia in April for a follow-up course with the same group which will focus on equality in leadership. Professor Kray said of the first session:
“[The participants] were sent here together and given this time to do this work…There were a lot of women who said they came in with doubts about the work-life tradeoff and doubts about themselves as leaders. They came out saying they are equal to men as leaders, they bring unique skills to the workplace, and it’s worth the sacrifice to stay in the game.”
Grupo Argos is revolutionary among Columbian companies for its work toward diversity, having received a gender equality certification from the United Nations Development Program.
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
