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APRIL 2025 UPDATE

“We must be intentional about living up to the promise of our culture where everyone feels seen, cared for and valued.” 

– KYLE CHAPMAN, BW PRESIDENT

As we shared last year—and in response to feedback received through the Every Voice Matters cultural assessment—Barry-Wehmiller is striving to be even more intentional about building a greater sense of belonging for every team member.

BW Inclusion is not a separate program or series of initiatives, but a continuous commitment to embedding an “Everybody Matters” culture into every aspect of our global organization.

In a video message, BW President Kyle Chapman talked about why ensuring a greater sense of belonging for all of our team members, both now and in the future, is a critical part of building and sustaining a vibrant organization with a culture of care.

If you missed Kyle’s message, please take a moment to view it:

(For your convenience, the video offers subtitles in 13 languages; click the gear in the bottom right-hand corner of the video to select your preferred language. To turn off subtitles, deselect the CC button or click the gear and select OFF.)

In the past year, BW has taken important steps to foster a culture where everybody feels like they matter:

• BW Flexible Systems (Duncan, South Carolina, USA) and the corporate Information Technology Team launched pilot projects to help us better understand how to attract and retain a broader range of talent—the IT Team currently is hosting an individual as part of a year-long IT Service Desk apprenticeship
• 50+ team members who are part of these pilot efforts participated in an in-person inclusion workshop to deepen awareness and develop action plans
• 800+ team members have been recognized so far with a Shine the Light Award, our new, global peer-to-peer recognition program that fosters connection and inclusion by celebrating those who embody BW’s Team Member Commitments
• 70+ leaders participated in Values Differences webinars facilitated in English and German
• BW Design Group’s ControlTech Automation continued its partnership with the St. Louis Internship Program (SLIP) of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, serving as a summer internship site
• 20+ BW and Design Group team members in St. Louis hosted 85 SLIP high school interns for a career symposium, complete with workshops and panel discussions (pictured below)

For this fiscal year, we are focusing on our ongoing commitment to embed an “Everybody Matters” culture holistically throughout our global organization, with the goal of ensuring that every team member feels like they belong. To help create environments reflective of our communities, the pilot groups will continue exploring scalable talent-driven initiatives, supported in part by the Recruiting Team, which is developing a hiring leader training.

And, Barry-Wehmiller University is driving important continuous learning opportunities.

The “Everybody Matters” Approach to Inclusion, a NEW live-virtual webinar (currently offered in English), explores the philosophy behind our “Everybody Matters” culture and provides actionable steps to practice inclusion every day. Click here to login and enroll in one of two upcoming sessions:

Listen Like a Leader and Culture of Service, BWU’s flagship in-person classes, teach how to listen empathetically and show up in service to create more meaningful connections. Click a course name below to login, check for nearby offerings and enroll in an upcoming session:

If you’re interested in learning more in the meantime, please read the transcript (translated into 13 languages) or listen to our recent Truly Human Leadership podcast with Donna Hicks—a Harvard associate, world peace negotiator and author of the book Leading With Dignity. She explains that “simply by being a human being, you deserve to be treated as if you matter.” And, when we help people feel like they matter, we honor their inherent dignity.

We each play a role in making sure our fellow team members know they matter. In fact, our Cares for People Team Member Expectation reminds us to help create an environment where everybody feels like they belong and knows they matter.

Take a moment to reflect: 

What steps can YOU take to show that you care for people and want to help create a workplace where everybody feels like they matter?

At BW, our goal is to build a better world through business, and to do so, we believe we must embody a better world. Thank you for doing your part!

If you have any questions, please reach out to inclusion@barry-wehmiller.com.