Irene Schlechter Kutscher Had previously worked at Swiss farming company Roche for six years where she managed human resources for its Chilean operation and led its diversity and inclusion efforts across Latin America . “ The years I spent with Roche gave me an invaluable overview of what ’ s happening across our region ,” she says . “ We have similar issues at Codelco and similar challenges in each foreign country in the region , in terms of stereotypes , career development and the glass ceiling . I ’ m proud that in the last five years we ’ ve raised the importance of addressing issues around diversity and inclusion .” The founder and former CEO of a tech firm ( The Bondng ) supported by Microsoft Azure and Imagine , she was the first female Chilean entrepreneur to sell a digital startup in the country .
LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY
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Everybody must feel valued to have a strong engagement with this organisation . And our leaders know they have a big role to play .”
Codelco manages 50 % of the mining workforce across Chile . “ We are the biggest mining company , in terms of endowment , in the country ,” confirms Schlechter Kutscher . “ That is a challenge in and of itself , because any changes you want to implement require communication with more than 200 leaders at the executive level ; with middle management we ’ re talking about nearly 2,000 people .” She highlights that the company is not only going through a period of significant cultural change , but is also a digital transformation as part of a $ 4bn investment phase .
To further its diversity and inclusion goals , Codelco has strong collaborative relationships and frequent round tables with several organisations , including the Chilean Ministry of Women and Gender Equality , the Ministry of Mining , Business
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Irene Schlechter Kutscher Had previously worked at Swiss farming company Roche for six years where she managed human resources for its Chilean operation and led its diversity and inclusion efforts across Latin America . “ The years I spent with Roche gave me an invaluable overview of what ’ s happening across our region ,” she says . “ We have similar issues at Codelco and similar challenges in each foreign country in the region , in terms of stereotypes , career development and the glass ceiling . I ’ m proud that in the last five years we ’ ve raised the importance of addressing issues around diversity and inclusion .” The founder and former CEO of a tech firm ( The Bondng ) supported by Microsoft Azure and Imagine , she was the first female Chilean entrepreneur to sell a digital startup in the country .
OCTOBER 2019