ofi Vietnam conferred prestigious UN WEPs Award; leads the way in building an inclusive and equal workplace

Vietnam un wep award

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

 

olam food ingredients (ofi), a global leader in naturally good food & beverage ingredients, is pleased to announce that it has emerged as a national winner in the 2022 United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (UN WEPs) Award for Vietnam under the Leadership Commitment category.

 

The Leadership Commitment award recognises ofi Vietnam’s commitments towards progressive policies, regulations and practices aimed at promoting gender equality in the workplace and with supply chain partners. This prestigious accolade follows a first runner-up national win at the 2021 UN WEPs Award under the Gender Inclusive Workplace category.

 

The UN WEPs Award represents recognition of exemplary company efforts for gender equality aligned to the Women’s Empowerment Principles. The WEPs are seven guiding principles providing a roadmap for a more equal, inclusive and sustainable future.

Amit Verma, Country Head, ofi Vietnam said, “We are thankful for the recognition as winner of UN WEPs award. This is testament of our effort and commitment towards building a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace. We endeavour to provide opportunities for our colleagues to meet their passion and ambitions, which make our culture unique. We are committed towards building further on this goal and bring long-term benefits for ofi Vietnam.”

 

With over 25 years of operational experience in Vietnam, ofi continues to grow its portfolio as the domestic producer, processor, and exporter of nuts, spices, and coffee. ofi invests in its people to drive performance and productivity, and achieves this via a three-pronged approach:

    • Employee engagement activities
    • Diverse and inclusive culture
    • Talent development programs

     

    Some of these initiatives include building an inspiring and equal working environment for female employees through personal development programmes aimed at uplifting and strengthening women leadership. The Globally Reaching ofi Women (GROW) employee resource group and the Globally Lifting ofi Women (GLOW) programme provide critical skills for female employees and hone leadership skillsets through various training.

     

    “As ofi continues its trajectory in Vietnam and in the region, the three-pronged employee engagement approach is fundamental in maintaining and supporting a sustainable and stable growth. We remain committed to deliver fresh ideas, ingredients, and solutions to our customers, with a purpose in creating naturally healthy and delicious food and beverage products.

     

    To support our goals, purpose, and quality, we must continue to invest in our people, strengthen and improve our policies, empower our employees, and advocate inclusion habits to promote ofi as one of the best places to work in Vietnam,” added Amit Verma, Country Head, ofi Vietnam.

     

    ofi’s visionary HR policies and strategies, leadership endorsements of inclusive practices and other people-centric initiatives are crucial in building a positive and welcoming workplace. This has been reflected through consecutive wins at the Kincentric Best Employers Award from 2019 to 2021, as well as consecutive wins at the HR Asia Best Companies to Work For in Asia from 2018 to 2022.

     

     

    Close-up photograph of Usha Kakaria-Cayaux's face

    Usha Kakaria-Cayaux, Chief Human Resources Officer, ofi, commented, “This latest award is a fantastic achievement from the Vietnam team. It demonstrates the impact of our global and local efforts in promoting Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) practices to encourage a safe and inclusive work environment. We believe that through strong leadership commitment to IDE, we will be able to create a positive workplace that fosters a sense of belonging for every ofi employee globally enabling them to unlock their full potential and passion.”

     

    The UN WEPs Award 2022 is an annual event organised by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and Vietnam Women Entrepreneur Council (VWEC). This year, the 2022 WEPs Awards were supported by the Australian Government, a long-time supporter of equality activities in Vietnam, including UN Women’s work.

     

    Discover much more about what ofi has to offer at ofi.com

     

    Visit https://www.asiapacificwepsawards.org/ to learn more about the UN WEPs Award.

    About ofi

    olam food ingredients (“ofi”) is a new operating group born out of Olamofi offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products and ingredients so that consumers can enjoy the healthy and indulgent products they love. It consists of industry-leading businesses of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices. ofi has built a unique global value chain presence including its own farming operations, farm-gate origination, and manufacturing facilities. ofi partners with customers, leveraging its complementary and differentiated portfolio of ‘on-trend’ food products, to co-create solutions that anticipate and meet changing consumer preferences as demand increases for healthier food that’s traceable and sustainable.

     

    To subscribe to the ofi newsroom and for more information on ofi please visit www.ofi.com

     

    Follow @ofi-group

     

     

    About Olam Group

    Olam Group is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to 20,900 customers worldwide. Its value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a global network of farmers. By re-imagining global agriculture and food systems, Olam Group aims to address the many challenges involved in meeting the needs of a growing global population, while achieving a positive impact for farming communities, our planet and all our stakeholders.

     

    Headquartered and listed in Singapore, Olam currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalisation on SGX-ST.

     

    Since June 2020, Olam Group has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a global sustainable investment index series developed by FTSE Russell, following a rigorous assessment of Olam’s supply chain activities, impact on the environment and governance transparency. The FTSE4Good Index Series identifies companies that demonstrate strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds.

     

    More information on Olam can be found at www.olamgroup.com

     

    Follow @olam

     

    This announcement does not constitute or form part of an offer for sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction and the securities referred to herein have not been registered under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The ordinary shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United States, absent registration under or an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of, the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

    Contacts for ofi corporate communications

    Nick Viner   

    Head of Media, ofi

    nick.viner@ofi.com

    +44 7721 160645

     

    Zoe Maddison

    Sustainability Communications manager, ofi

    zoe.maddison@ofi.com

    + 44 7825 904234

     

    Dao Nhat Minh

    Communications Manager, ofi Vietnam

    nhatminh.dao@ofi.com

    +84 909 779098

    Issued on behalf of ofi by WATATAWA Consulting

    Melissa Sim

    Associate Director

    msim@we-watatawa.com

    +65 93802938