13 Aug The Business Case for an Inclusive Workforce, Associate Principal Basima Roshan will be a Panellist for BuildEx Alberta

A frequent message managers and business owners hear is the importance of having an inclusive culture, both for your people and your business. Research shows that true inclusion in the workplace increases productivity, promotes employee engagement and loyalty, and contributes to better ideas and solutions.

Innovia’s Associate Principal, Basima Roshan, will participate as a panelist for BuildEx Alberta’s conference related to this topic. She will join other leaders in the architecture, engineering and construction industries in a panel discussion “The Business Case for an Inclusive Workforce”. Innovia has provided public presentations on this topic for several industry associations, including Association of Consulting Engineering Canada, Building Equity in Architecture Toronto, and the Interior Design Show Toronto.

“BUILDEX Alberta is an experience that will enable Architecture & Design, Construction, and Property Management professionals to immerse themselves in dialogue, experience innovation and build community, providing the best possible platform for industry advancement.”

Program Description

The Business Case for an Inclusive Workforce

Diversity and the related value of inclusion are major and increasingly important topics for business leaders. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are not just mottos but require active participation and involvement by leaders in order to be successful and to realize benefits for the company.

Beyond the obvious niceties of D&I there are concrete and compelling rationales for businesses to advance and advocate for these principles within their organizations. Greater D&I increases competitive advantage and resilience. Extensive research has shown that D&I brings many advantages to a business including: increased profitability, higher revenues due to innovation, a more creative workforce and better problem-solving abilities. As populations become more diverse and aware of these values themselves, purchasing and employment decisions will be influenced towards companies who more accurately reflect the communities they serve and operate in.

In this panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Lori Campbell, Principle of the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership at Norquest College, you will:

• Learn the business case of D&I, from improved problem solving and productivity, employee recruitment and retention, design and creativity
• Explore practical approaches to building a culture of D&I, including leadership-level activities and team/employee driven initiatives
• Understand how to translate gains in D&I to realize strategic organizational goals
• Discuss common obstacles to D&I and strategies to successfully overcome them

Moderator:

• Lori Campbell, Principle Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership

Panelists:

• Wendy McDonald, Chief Operating Officer, Inclusion Alberta
• Val McDougall, Director of Education, Tsuut’ina Nation
• Evelyn Porter, Civil Engineering Manager, Williams Engineering
• Basima Roshan, Senior Management Consultant, Innovia Partners
• Darby Lee Young, Accessibility Strategist, Level Playing Field