When we feel free to be ourselves, we thrive.

So, to help every employee feel valued and included, AECOM consistently aims to create an inclusive workplace via community-building, training, and family-friendly benefit policies.

With a strong commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I), AECOM has an impressive Think and Act Globally strategy that specifically incorporates a Thrive with AECOM initiative. "We’re taking steps to set a global path that integrates our ED&I principles into all aspects of our work," explains Janie Tiedeman, AECOM Vice President of Global Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

An environment where women thrive

“We're proud to be recognized for the work we've done to advance equity, diversity and inclusion, but there is still a long way to go,” comments Shirley Adams (pictured below) who was recently appointed as AECOM’s Chief Human Resources Officer.

“I am passionate about creating an environment where our people feel they belong and have the support to realize their full potential.”

AECOM has many talented women within its senior ranks and, in addition to the recent appointment of Shirley Adams, a further appointment sees Sarah Urbanowicz (pictured below) take up the position as AECOM’s Chief Information Officer.

Sarah leads Information Technology for AECOM and is responsible for the development and execution of the global IT strategy, including overseeing its infrastructure and operations, information security and compliance, enterprise application portfolio, IT procurement, and digital portfolio management.

Previously, Sarah was AECOM’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer and was responsible for enterprise information security strategy, architecture, and operations.

Both women are on AECOM’s leadership team.

A core focus on four key areas

The Thrive with AECOM strategy reinforces AECOM’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion via a
renewed focus on four key areas:

• building diverse talent
• expanding understanding
• enriching communities
• thinking without limits

Building on these four key areas enables AECOM, as a leading infrastructure consulting firm, to best meet client needs, understand challenges facing the communities in which the company operates, and to drive innovation across industry.

These key areas also fundamentally support AECOM’s purpose of delivering a better world.

Continuing to build diverse talent

AECOM’s first focus area within their Thrive with AECOM initiative focuses on building diverse talent pools to help tackle the world’s most complex challenges.

AECOM attracts, hires and develops talented people of all backgrounds while ensuring inclusivity and fairness across its sourcing, interview and hiring processes.

Additionally through its partnerships with nonprofit organizations and universities, AECOM offers internships, graduate development programs and a range of volunteer opportunities that offer STEAM education to under-served populations.

Expanding understanding

AECOM is also working to expand its understanding of the unique backgrounds of its employees to ensure they feel valued and included.

As well as community-building, training and family-friendly benefit policies, AECOM conducts regular employee surveys and ‘real talk’ discussions to understand employee experiences and in order to provide a supportive forum for deeper empathy.

Furthermore, AECOM’s employee resource groups create a sense of belonging and lead the company’s community outreach. Additionally, AECOM’s strategic mentorships promote important ongoing dialogue and heighten awareness and valuing of differences. For example, to support its focus on Pride, AECOM has held engaging roundtable discussions with its LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies who openly shared and discussed experiences and views.

“While I have been part of organizations where I felt being LGBTQ+ was only tolerated, AECOM celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. When you are free to come out of the shadows and be your true and whole self, your potential is limitless,” explains Wendy Lopez, AECOM Senior Vice President of Business Development
in Dallas, Texas (pictured below).

Enriching communities

AECOM actively seeks to enrich the communities in which it operates via its Blueprint for a Better World platform. The platform reflects AECOM’s responsibility to championing equity, diversity and inclusion within the community via pro-bono work, volunteerism, philanthropy and a range of strategic partnerships with global nonprofit organizations like Engineers Without Borders and Water for People.

AECOM also deepens its engagement with communities via its commitment to supplier diversity and provides leadership to ensure that diverse-owned businesses are actively supported for success.

Also, through its Blueprint Travel Grant program, AECOM supports its employees to make service-based trips around the world in partnership with a range of charitable organizations.

“Thanks to AECOM’s Blueprint Travel Grant, I was able to take part in an outreach project in Uganda - a project near and dear to my heart because I am South African by birth and Ugandan by descent,” says Kevina Kakembo (pictured above), an AECOM Candidate Quantity Surveyor in Gauteng, South Africa.

“With five other AECOM employees, I joined the WeDev NPO team to help an orphanage on the remote Zinga Islands collect, analyze and purify drinking water.”

Thinking without limits

AECOM recognizes that equity, diversity, and inclusion cannot be achieved in a silo.

By cultivating a workforce that more closely represents its clients and the communities it serves, AECOM is better equipped to anticipate and respond to client needs.

AECOM also prioritizes the social impact and benefits of equity, diversity, and inclusion - and factors these considerations into every project it pursues and every innovative solution it delivers.

“Our differences make AECOM better and more innovative. When we make room for each of us to be heard, when individual experiences and perspectives are shared, we create a stronger culture and better outcomes for our clients,” explains Troy Rudd, Chief Executive Officer of AECOM.

“The future for AECOM is bright and I am excited to see what we can accomplish when we come together unified under one goal of transforming our industry." 

AECOM is a place with significant opportunities

Under the guidance of its Think and Act Globally strategy and its Thrive with AECOM initiative, AECOM is on an important journey to become a global leader in equity, diversity, and inclusion.

It is certainly a great time to be part of this pioneering company, so search and apply for a rewarding career with AECOM.

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