Growing Our Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity comes in many forms – race, gender, ethnicity, religion, veteran status, differences in thoughts and life experiences, and more. Inclusion is embracing these differences, collaborating respectfully, and providing the opportunity to grow and contribute.
At Domtar, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are spearheaded by its Diversity and Inclusion Council. Sponsored by the CEO, the council is made up of 12 members from across the company and provides guidance to Domtar’s leadership to help bridge the gap between our diversity and inclusion vision and the organization’s reality. The members suggest action plans, support implementation, and help develop communications strategies for employee awareness and engagement.
In 2021, the council moved forward on its five main objectives:
- Make sure employees understand diversity and inclusion and its benefits through competency training.
- Ensure that diversity and inclusion is a consideration in Domtar policies.
- Work to provide growth and advancement opportunities to all employees.
- Foster a culture of openness, understanding and respect.
- Solicit and share feedback on how we are doing as an organizational culture.
“Domtar’s vision is to foster a culture that embraces diversity and allows all employees to feel included and valued. We value a workforce that brings together people who have a broad range of cultures, experiences, knowledge and perspectives. To make that vision a reality, each and every one of us has a role to play,” says Lynda Ramsey, Domtar’s vice president of commercial operations and recently appointed chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Growing Our Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity comes in many forms – race, gender, ethnicity, religion, veteran status, differences in thoughts and life experiences, and more. Inclusion is embracing these differences, collaborating respectfully, and providing the opportunity to grow and contribute.
At Domtar, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are spearheaded by its Diversity and Inclusion Council. Sponsored by the CEO, the council is made up of 12 members from across the company and provides guidance to Domtar’s leadership to help bridge the gap between our diversity and inclusion vision and the organization’s reality. The members suggest action plans, support implementation, and help develop communications strategies for employee awareness and engagement.
In 2021, the council moved forward on its five main objectives:
- Make sure employees understand diversity and inclusion and its benefits through competency training.
- Ensure that diversity and inclusion is a consideration in Domtar policies.
- Work to provide growth and advancement opportunities to all employees.
- Foster a culture of openness, understanding and respect.
- Solicit and share feedback on how we are doing as an organizational culture.
“Domtar’s vision is to foster a culture that embraces diversity and allows all employees to feel included and valued. We value a workforce that brings together people who have a broad range of cultures, experiences, knowledge and perspectives. To make that vision a reality, each and every one of us has a role to play,” says Lynda Ramsey, Domtar’s vice president of commercial operations and recently appointed chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Increasing Awareness and Understanding
To promote a culture of inclusivity, Domtar launched a company-wide compliance program called “Bridging the Diversity Gap,” which is now a mandatory training module for all employees. It also launched a targeted mid-level leadership program this year which included a full-day course on leading diverse and inclusive teams. Approximately 40 high-potential leaders went through this program in 2021. Domtar intends to continue to roll out diversity and inclusion-related training opportunities for employees at all levels.
Domtar was also proud to become a signatory of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Pledge for Action in 2021, committing to take tangible actions to increase equity and parity for underrepresented communities, and to creating pathways to job opportunities for Black people and all people of color.
“To grow our diversity and inclusion and better reflect the communities in which we are present, we must continue to take concrete action. This will be accomplished through proactive training and engagement, and by ensuring that our diversity commitments are reflected in our policies, as well as in our hiring and talent development practices as we develop the next generation of Domtar leaders,” says Ramsey.
The NAM pledge’s ultimate objective is for the manufacturing sector to reflect the diversity of the overall U.S. workforce by 2030. The actions Domtar has committed to taking as a pledge signatory are consistent with the organization’s long-term goals of growing its diversity and inclusion.
Domtar was also proud to become a signatory of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Pledge for Action in 2021, committing to take tangible actions to increase equity and parity for underrepresented communities, and to creating pathways to job opportunities for Black people and all people of color.
“To grow our diversity and inclusion and better reflect the communities in which we are present, we must continue to take concrete action. This will be accomplished through proactive training and engagement, and by ensuring that our diversity commitments are reflected in our policies, as well as in our hiring and talent development practices as we develop the next generation of Domtar leaders,” says Ramsey.
The NAM pledge’s ultimate objective is for the manufacturing sector to reflect the diversity of the overall U.S. workforce by 2030. The actions Domtar has committed to taking as a pledge signatory are consistent with the organization’s long-term goals of growing its diversity and inclusion.
