Celebrating the power of belonging and World Day for Cultural Diversity
We know that diversity is more than a statistic. It’s the lived experiences, perspectives and stories that shape who we are as colleagues, teams and communities.
On World Day for Cultural Diversity, we’re celebrating the people behind our embRace colleague-led network and the role cultural inclusion plays in building a workplace where everyone knows they belong.
embRace was created to champion racial equality, amplify diverse voices and help drive meaningful change across our business and the wider energy sector. From supporting colleagues and influencing policy, to encouraging open conversations and cultural awareness, the network continues to play an important role in helping E.ON become a more inclusive place to work.
Over the past few years, we’ve proudly shared embRace’s work through initiatives focused on tackling racial discrimination, promoting allyship and driving equality across the organisation. That commitment has also been recognised externally through award wins celebrating the impact of the network and the dedication of its members.
For many colleagues, cultural identity shapes not only who they are personally, but also how they approach work, relationships and leadership.
For Ugobueze Ohadike, a key influence has been the importance of community and collective responsibility. “As a Nigerian living in the UK, one value that has shaped me is the importance of community. In Nigerian culture, there is a strong belief that we succeed together, not alone. That has influenced how I work with others, how I support people, and how I see responsibility.”
That experience of living and working across cultures has also shaped how he approaches communication and understanding others in the workplace.
“Learning about British culture also changed my perspective, especially around communication. I’ve learned that people express respect, disagreement, and feedback in different ways, and that being culturally aware means listening beyond just words.”
For Ugobueze, inclusion is built through everyday actions and interactions, not just moments of celebration: “To me, an inclusive workplace is one where people feel safe to be themselves, where names, accents, traditions, and experiences are respected, and where curiosity replaces assumptions.”
“It’s not just about celebrating diversity on certain days. It’s about practising respect and openness every day.”
For Sam Richards, representation and inclusion have played an important role throughout his career journey. After graduating from university, Sam began his career at E.ON as a Collections Adviser.
“Although this gave me a great experience of working with customers, having difficult conversations and the world of work, I found this wasn’t the role for me and left after a couple of years to work at Acas as a Helpline Adviser, which felt like a sideways move but a good stepping stone for what followed.”
His career then evolved through roles at Acas and HM Land Registry, where he developed extensive expertise in employment law, employee relations and HR, while also studying for professional qualifications alongside work.
“In this role I gained extensive knowledge on Employment Law and workplace disputes which helped me start my HR career, alongside starting a CIPD qualification. From 2020-2022 I combined work with studying for a Postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management.”
Alongside progressing professionally, Sam became increasingly aware of the importance of representation within workplaces and recruitment processes.
“During my career, I found that interview panels often did not ‘look like me’ so I took it upon myself to regularly support recruitment interviews to help ensure greater diversity of race and a more appealing employer to those of diverse backgrounds.”
In 2024, Sam returned to E.ON as an Employee Relations Consultant in the Safe & Well Team, bringing both professional expertise and a passion for inclusion back to the business.
He said: “I particularly appreciate seeing our workforce being reflective of my local area and the benefits of a diverse workforce, alongside the flexibility I am afforded to support my young family.”
Our people, our policies
World Day for Cultural Diversity is an opportunity to celebrate the richness that different cultures, backgrounds and experiences bring to our workplace. But it’s also a reminder that inclusion is an ongoing commitment — one that requires listening, learning and action.
Through embRace and the collective efforts of colleagues across E.ON, we remain committed to creating a culture where everyone feels seen, heard and empowered.