On 7 June 2018, Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) jointly held the third of its CEO series, featuring CEOs of Australian companies to explore their views on the importance of cultural diversity in the workplace.

On the panel of speakers were:

•         Corinne Ong, CEO of ENGIE Services in Australia and New Zealand,
•          Lawrence Kim, General Counsel at ENGIE Australia and New Zealand, and
•       Andrew Chan, Head of Legal for ENGIE Services in Australia & New Zealand,
•       Our very own Kerry Truong, a Melbourne-based lawyer and AALA Victorian Branch Secretary, led the panel discussion about ENGIE’s efforts to leverage the power of cultural diversity amongst its workforce.

The ENGIE speakers shared their experiences and obstacles faced in the younger years of their careers.

We heard that ENGIE as a company seeks for their staff to represent the community that they serve.

It was interesting to note that in relation to hiring a culturally diverse team, ENGIE was interested in having a culturally diverse team but moreover, ENGIE was focused on having a diversity of mindset within its company and saw benefits to this.

AALA thanks the ENGIE panel of speakers and Kerry Truong for their work in preparing the excellent discussion on the night.

AALA would also like to extend its thanks to HFS for its collaboration and hosting the event at its offices.