It’s a women’s world, too, in Shell

Priorities

To fulfil their roles as women executives while performing their vital roles as wives, mothers, household managers, daughters and sometimes, family businesswomen, the women at Shell make everything work by setting priorities.

“I don’t think there is a perfect balance of work and family,” says Dimailig, who enjoys the distinction of being Pilipinas Shell’s first female general counsel. “It’s about knowing what you need to do at a particular moment or recognizing the people who need your time more.”

Dimailig comes from a family of lawyers, following the footsteps not only of her father, but also her grandfather and some “titos” (uncles). She joined Shell as a tax planning consultant in 2004, and pursued further studies in accounting to strengthen her knowledge and expertise in Taxation. She also established the Shell Business Operations Manila chapter, which handles operations in finance, customer operations, procurement, and contracting for Shell’s businesses around the world.

Rivera, meanwhile, took on the challenge of changing the mindset, lifestyle and behavior of Shell employees towards health and wellness under Shell Be Well, a program she started in 2009. Her efforts and those of her team paid off when Shell’s Be Well and Resilience programs bagged the Department of Health’s 2015 Outstanding Healthy Lifestyle Advocacy Awards in the commercial establishment category.

Women’s Network

Female employees also benefit from Shell Women’s Network, one of Shell’s many social groups and support networks that have been established to bring the company’s diverse workforce together. The Shell Women’s Network helps female staff to connect, share ideas and support each other in reaching their potential.

Established in 2016 as part of Pilipinas Shell’s 105-year legacy of promoting the welfare and wellbeing of its partners and employees, the Women’s Network is one of 20 thriving in countries where Shell operates around the world. 

Regalado views the Women’s Network as a safe space where every woman of Shell is welcome to be herself.

“It’s a very good mechanism to share issues that are common to Filipino women,” she says. “We don’t want to be conscious about our positions, status in life, or education—it’s just us women being women, empowering each other in every way we can.”

There is an opportunity to do just that during the “Women Who Drive the Future,” a luncheon hosted by the Women’s Network to enable the women leaders within Pilipinas Shell to connect with key women executives and influencers in other industries.

In holding activities like the luncheon, the Women’s Network gives opportunities for women to showcase their effectiveness in promoting collaboration in the workplace, adds Rivera.

The activity scheduled on April 3 at The Manila House is aligned with the National Women’s Month Celebration theme “We Make Change Work for Women,” which highlights the empowerment of women as active contributors to and claimholders of development.

Regalado, Dimailig, and Rivera are just three of hundreds of women employees in the country and thousands more around the globe who attribute their career development and success to Shell’s progressive and inclusive work policy.

Pilipinas Shell remains steadfast in providing a safe space that respects women, develops them for leadership roles, and increases their level of participation in the workforce, so they can raise their voices to celebrate National Women’s Month together.