Bühler Johannesburg celebrates International Women’s Day

Nov 18, 2024 | Bühler Group

The IWD 2024 theme to ‘Inspire Inclusion’ aims to create a gender-equal world that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March, Bühler Johannesburg recognises the social, economic, cultural, and related achievements of women, while advocating for gender equality, by highlighting three exceptional women at the company.

The theme for IWD 2024 is to ‘Inspire Inclusion’. The campaign aims to create a gender-equal world that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, and where difference is valued and celebrated. It encourages everyone to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity.

Alice Nchabang, HR Officer

An example of how women have forged successful career paths at Bühler Johannesburg is HR Officer Alice Nchabang, one of the company’s learners and now part of a team of six. Her diverse duties range from preparing monthly HR reports for management, to developing a skills plan involving all stakeholders, to monitoring apprentices and learners, and monthly reporting of employment equity statistics.

What keeps Alice passionate about her role is that it feels like home and not being at work. “The work culture is amazing, and we accord each other mutual respect, whether male or female. I love the work I do. It comes with a lot of changes and challenges, which I enjoy even more. Going above and beyond my duties does not feel forced or an additional burden – I simply enjoy it.”

Her career highlights to date were her appointment as HR Officer in March 2023 and travelling to Dubai for HR training. She started working at Bühler Johannesburg in October 2015 as a HR learner, progressing to HR Administrator/Payroll Administrator in 2017. In January 2018, she was appointed permanently, followed by her present role.

Commenting on how Bühler Johannesburg promotes diversity and inclusivity, Alice explains that, when any new employee is appointed, the company looks at who is best suited for the position in question, irrespective of race or gender.

 “We also host events just to educate our employees,” adds Alice. Focusing on the 2024 IWD theme of #InspireInclusion, she says: “I love the idea. As women, we need to be respected and be able to embrace ourselves, our identities, abilities and much more. I fully support the initiative.”

In terms of changes Alice would like to see in society and in the workplace to make the IWD 2024 theme a lived reality, she highlights soft skills, having a clear and aligned skills and development plan at the company, more workplace benefits, and a continued focus on inclusion and diversity.

Fikile Mfusi, Production Planner

A production planner for the value stream department, Fikile Mfusi schedules production and monitors the production process for problems, ensuring that the workshop meets all deadlines by scheduling and managing timeliness.

“I am self-motivated and career-driven, doing what makes me happy. What excites me about my work is that I am the first female production planner here in Bühler Johannesburg, combined with the support I receive from my male colleagues,” highlights Fikile, who started out as a boilermaker apprentice. “It was not an easy journey, but with the support of my family and my foreman, I became a qualified boilermaker artisan.”

Fikile adds that Bühler Johannesburg is steadily employing more women in the company, especially in traditional male-dominated roles. It also hosts a career expo to promote the benefit of STEM education and careers to the youth. “Nothing is impossible when you have a dream. A lot of people will tell you that you cannot make it and you do not have what it takes. But if it is in your heart and you feel it, there is nothing that will stop you.”

Fikile’s message on the occasion of IWD 2024 is for young people to have the courage to think differently, the courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, the courage to discover the impossible, to conquer problems, and always succeed. “These are great qualities that they must work towards. Remember, it always seems impossible until it is done.”

Jaimee Woods, Installation Supervisor

Jaimee Woods is the first female mechanical erector and mechanical site supervisor in Bühler globally. She started her career as a boilermaker apprentice for Bühler. The company saw her potential and afforded her the necessary opportunity to actualise it. “The tank is not yet empty, and I still have a journey to travel.”

Jaimee leads the teams that install Bühler equipment, combined with fault-finding activity where necessary. Her role encompasses planning, assisting with electrical drawings, and plant layout design in the mechanical engineering department.

“Over the years I have worked at Bühler Johannesburg, I have taken the time to invest in learning and developing skills that allow me to assist in multiple roles. Hence my profile has become highly diversified,” explains Jaimee.

“If I look at myself as just being human as opposed to being a woman, it makes all the difference in how I react and respond. When a task is allocated to me, it indicates a level of trust and faith in the skills I have to offer. I choose to see myself as a person wanting to make a difference and an impact; I choose not to see myself as what society labels me as. To make a difference and an impact, I must break barriers that seem impossible to break. This is what drives me and keeps me excited about what is next in line,” says Jaimee.

Bühler Johannesburg provides equal opportunities to all. “It is not solely about gender; it is about what you can do, what you can offer, and how far you are willing to go.” Learnerships and apprenticeships at the company always feature a healthy demographic. “There is a lot of work we have to do as women working in this industry to encourage other women to part take in engineering and manufacturing as engineers, technicians, and artisans,” she concludes.

 

Media contacts:

 

Taryn Browne, Head of Marketing Middle East & Africa

Bühler (Pty) Ltd

Bühler Southern Africa

Phone: +27 11 801 3500

Mobile: +27 66 307 4618

E-mail: taryn.browne@buhlergroup.com

 

Burkhard Böndel, Head of Corporate Communications

Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland

Phone: +41 71 955 33 99

Mobile: +41 79 515 91 57

E-mail: burkhard.boendel@buhlergroup.com

 

Dalen Jacomino Panto, Media Relations Manager

Bühler AG, 9240 Uzwil, Switzerland

Phone: +41 71 955 37 57

Mobile: +41 79 900 53 88

E-mail: dalen.jacomino_panto@buhlergroup.com

 

About Bühler

Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature. As a relevant solution partner for the food and mobility industries, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 2030, meaning Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline. It has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler technology. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business. Bühler contributes to safely feeding the world and is doing its part to protect the climate, producing solutions that make cars, buildings, and machinery more energy efficient.

Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually. In 2022, some 12,700 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 manufacturing sites, and Application & Training Centers in 23 countries.

 

www.buhlergroup.com