BASF sponsors networking reception specifically for women in the petrochemical industry

DALLAS, TX, March 28, 2016 – A gathering of more than 200 women at the International Petrochemical Conference (IPC) by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) signaled the growing representation of women professionals in the petrochemicals industry. As a leading promoter of diversity in the chemistry industry, BASF has hosted the Women in Petrochemicals professional networking event at IPC for three consecutive years.

“Having an opportunity to connect with and share experiences with other women in the petrochemicals industry is particularly valuable, as there currently are relatively few females in the field,” said Heidi Alderman, Senior Vice President, Petrochemicals, BASF Corporation. "In addition to the overall benefits of networking among our peers, we are able to brainstorm and develop opportunities to help improve the female leadership pipeline in our industry.”

The Woman in Petrochemicals reception is an important step in further establishing a network for women to encourage stronger ties among them as well as with petrochemical company executives. In the past three years participation at the reception has grown from, approximately 125 women in 2014, to more than 200 in 2016 as their increased numbers made their presence felt at the AFPM conference.

“The Woman in Petrochemicals reception has become a huge success and continues to grow each year,” said AFPM Vice President of Petrochemicals Melissa Hockstad. “This event fits well with our mission of working to diversify the industry, and AFPM sees great value in working with BASF to make the reception an annual tradition at the IPC.”

“This event is an important part of BASF’s commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Patricia Rossman, BASF Corporation Chief Diversity Officer. We need to attract, develop and retain the best talent from all backgrounds in order to meet the challenges facing the chemical industry, and this includes the special competitive challenges in the petrochemicals industry. At BASF, we see the power of diversity as key to driving innovation and growth. Our ability to leverage diversity and inclusion provides a competitive advantage for our customers and a personal advantage for our people.”

As a result of its commitment to diversity, BASF has attained ranking as one of the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity for three consecutive years (currently #28). The Forbes America’s Best Employers 2015 list ranks BASF #14 overall and #2 in the Construction, Oil & Gas, Mining & Chemicals category.  The company has been named a ‘Top Supporter’ of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) engineering schools by US Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine. BASF ranks in the top 100 employers for engineers and has been named a ‘Top Climber’ by Universum, which ranks corporations based on desired employment status with university students.  The company received the 2016 Seal of Distinction from the WorldatWork Alliance for Work-Life Progress for its efforts to help employees achieve success both at work and at home.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.4 billion in 2015. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
 
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.

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