In 2020, we are at the intersection of social disruption of a magnitude unlike anything seen in the past century

Hi everyone! My name is Anatcha and since 2015, I am a HR expert at the Roland Berger office in Bangkok. As a representative of the Roland Berger HR team in South-East Asia, I first felt compelled to give a precise doctrine about managing social activities like diversity, especially at the time of a global pandemic. Like many others, the COVID-19 crisis has thrown countless other professionals and me into areas of the unknown. However, I am not only an HR officer but also a colleague and a peer within this Roland Berger organization and the 'Just Be' community. Here are my personal thoughts about why it is important to celebrate PRIDE at Roland Berger.

As an ally to the pride movement, I acknowledge that this year's celebration will be very different from last year's. The longer I listen to the conversations in public, the more I recognize that the pandemic has unveiled divisive issues around the world. Against this backdrop, it is important as a global company and consultancy to countless large corporations to display the colorful rainbow image as a symbol of unity and inclusion. The pride celebration is and has been a social movement that brings out compassion, acceptance and understanding in communities. It serves as a reminder that every person matters and should feel included, despite their professional and personal background, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. More than that, when we unite these diverse people for one common cause, it sends a strong message that our company is a welcoming and open-minded place to work at and represents a diverse community.

At this moment, we do not know what our society will look like after the end of this pandemic. But I trust that each of us an individual has a role to play – be it as part of the message or the solution. I am still in the process of learning, as a colleague and an HR representative, about how we adjust and what "living in the new social norm" will be after this crisis. But I am confident that if we stick together (in the way that it is still compliant with social distancing ;) ), we will find strength in one another. If we are open to learn in the process, we can go much further in leading through this change. After all, the reason why this crisis seems so unbearable is that it is indeed tough for any individual to stay isolated from the community for a longer period of time.

To my peers at Roland Berger as well as everyone beyond the company, I encourage you to look at the different ways you could support one another during this challenging time. For us as a company, this means what we can show our support by taking part in the range of pride week activities that are being promoted globally and in each of our local offices, and together celebrate in the new normal way.

By May Anatcha, Roland Berger Southeast Asia