Diversity & Inclusion

The video series “D&I Dialogue,” in which regional top managements discusses D&I, cultivate leadership engagement, leading employees to reflect the importance of D&I through their messages. In these conversations, regional management leaders share their thoughts and concrete actions aimed at building an organization that respects diversity. Hearing directly from leadership has significantly increased employees’ understanding and recognition of D&I and encouraged them to view D&I as something personally relevant. As a result, the importance of D&I is shared across the organization, contributing to the development of a more inclusive workplace culture.

“At Lunch with…” is a skip-level meeting held globally at MAHLE, where leaders and employees gather in small groups over lunch or light refreshments to exchange ideas freely. The event is held several times a year, each session focusing on a different theme. In Japan, one of the annual sessions is dedicated to D&I, providing a direct platform for employees and leaders to discuss diversity and work environment topics. This offers a valuable opportunity for employees to hear leadership’s perspectives more closely and to deliver their voices directly. It also serves as a learning opportunity for leadership to listen to employees’ opinions and flexibly incorporate them. Through this interactive communication, the insights gained are applied to organizational development.

MAHLE holds the online “D&I Leadership Conference Asia,” which is open to employees across Asia, and the hybrid-format “D&I Leadership Conference Japan,” held in Japan, once a year. Both conferences feature cross-talk sessions with regional top managements and managers, who engage in candid discussions aligned each year with themes such as career development and empowerment. The Asia conference brings together participants with diverse cultural backgrounds, offering a platform to learn about D&I from a cross-border perspective. The Japan conference includes not only internal speakers but also those who are in a leadership position from the automotive industry, broadening D&I-promoting efforts across the industry. Through these conferences, we enhance understanding and encourage the practical implementation of D&I across regions and organizational boundaries.

In recognition of International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day, MAHLE conducts interviews with employees across various roles including regional top managements and publishes them on the internal online platform in Japan. These efforts aim not only to eliminate gender-based bias but also to highlight employees active in different regions and provide opportunities to find role models for career development. In the interviews, participants speak openly about their career journeys and what can be done to create a more supportive workplace from diverse perspectives. Such initiatives help employees feel more connected to D&I and contribute to fostering a workplace culture where D&I naturally takes root.

Every October, MHALE participates in Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Japan by encouraging employees to wear pink ribbon badges and hosting breast cancer awareness seminars to promote early detection and prevention. Employees also wear the badge when meeting with external partners, actively communicating support for breast cancer awareness inside and outside the company. The seminars feature testimonies from individuals with firsthand experience of breast cancer, discussions on the importance of screening, and guidance on how we can provide support at the workplace and to the family. These initiatives help promote understanding of health issues and contribute to a workplace culture rooted in empathy and care.

To understand employees’ awareness and understanding of D&I, MAHLE conducts the “D&I Survey” twice a year in Japan. The survey includes questions that assess D&I knowledge and attitudes, as well as open-ended feedback for suggestions and improvement ideas. By incorporating these insights into D&I strategies, we ensure that initiatives more effectively address employees’ needs and organizational challenges. This ongoing feedback cycle strengthens the foundation for embedding D&I into the workplace.