For us, diversity is the norm
With our work, we wish to make an exceptional contribution to ensuring the world remains liveable and to facilitating progress. It goes without saying that this is founded on our having respectful and open dealings with all people and with society.
We also wish to strengthen diversity within our company and create a work climate in which everyone is free to develop and feels like they belong. For this reason, DMT promotes and lives a culture which welcomes everyone irrespective of their background, religion, identity or gender. The diversity of our workforce also enables us to excellently meet the requirements of our customers all over the world.
Having a large proportion of women in the workforce is one of the central pillars of our HR management strategy. We actively endeavour to recruit women at all levels and in all divisions, to support and promote them, and to retain them within the company in the long term on the basis of their individual satisfaction.
Equality is a key aspect here. The fair recruitment and employment of women are matters of importance to us and we are delighted in particular whenever we have the opportunity to get to know female applicants. Because in spite of our efforts to recruit qualified women in the STEM disciplines, we consider the quota we have achieved to date to be still too low.
If you are interested in working within the DMT GROUP, please do not hesitate to ask us about all the initiatives and options we offer, to create a work environment which is beneficial for you.
Incidentally, it goes without saying that DMT is a proponent of and upholds the United Nations’ global Standards of Conduct for Business Tackling Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Intersex People. As a global enterprise with more than 2,000 employees, we see it as our responsibility to champion human rights and promote them as best we can.
More information on this topic can be found here: https://www.unfe.org/standards/
DMT supports and regualrly participates in International Women in Engineering Day, which aims to give women in engineering professions a profile when they are still largely under-represented in their fields. The 2023 motto Make Safety Seen highlights talented female engineers who help make our world a safer place. From ensuring the technical hygiene of our drinking water installations to protecting the public and our environment from radioactive waste, we present just a handful of our talented female experts from various engineering fields at DMT. Click on the tiles below to learn more.
Alisha Gertack, Project Manager for Mining Legacies, joined DMT as a working student in the field of computer-aided mine image evaluation. Now out in the field, she provides expert support for drilling-related exploration and rehabilitation measures with regard to legacies of near-surface coal mining. Due to the social consensus to phase out the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation and the associated closure of coal mining operations, many near-surface mines now lie dormant. However, without adequate security measures, near-surface drifts and openings can pose a threat to both infrastructure and public safety.
“My goal as an expert consultant is to restore the stability of the site or to ensure it long-term,” Alisha explained. “Basically, I ensure the ground under our feet is stable!”
Figures released by The Women’s Engineering Society show that under 20% of engineers are women. Women in the mining sector are even rarer, which is why we are especially proud to have Alisha on the team.
To say Stefanie Steinmeier really burns for her job is no lie – As Head of Fire Testing, she’s in charge of our multiple accredited fire testing facilities, where vehicle safety and the protection of passengers is a strong focus.
In honour of International Women In Engineering Day on 23rd June and this year’s motto Make Safety Seen, we asked Stefanie and a number of our female engineers to explain how they provide vital solutions and services to safeguard lives. Our aim: to give women in STEM professions a profile when they are still largely under-represented in their fields.
“We’ve been performing fire safety tests for the rail and shipping industry for years, determining for example the flammability and smoke behaviour of components, furnishings and coverings on yachts and cruise ships and in train carriages and coaches,” Stefanie explained.
“More recently, due to the rapid rise of e-mobility, we’ve specialized in testing Lithium Ionen batteries, according to valid norms or our clients’ own specifications. We even film the fire tests or offer live transmission so our clients can witness the behavior of their products firsthand”.
What better way to Make Safety Seen and what an exciting job!
Ashlee Fudge, Geophysicist at DMT in Canada, uuses advanced geophysical methods to map out underlying geology for clients’ large-scale engineering projects to help mitigate risk to the environment. “By understanding the local geology, I can assess, for example, if there are risks for saline water intrusions from deep underlying formations,” she explained.
Already an outstanding expert in geophysics, Ashlee applies a variety of methods such as seismic reflection and refraction, as well as resistivity methods such as electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and time domain electromagnetics (TEM) to image what lies underground.
“Seismic data allows me to look for hazards such as faulting, steep slopes and geological collapses, which create more risk for saline intrusions, while resistivity data allows me to assess the grain size of the deposits which have an effect in hydrogeological pathways. Combining data sets allows me to get an even more accurate image of the subsurface leading to better, more complete interpretation of risks”.
Ashlee is one of several female geophysical engineers at DMT, out in the field whatever the weather and the terrain, delivering safety for our clients and their projects.
"I drive innovation for the safe management of radioactive waste!" – A strong statement from our Dr. Marie Charlotte Bornhöft.
„Aiming at safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable solutions for the management of radioactive waste across Europe, my European colleagues and I join forces within the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD). One of my responsibilities in the programme is to head the tasks on predisposal and disposal strategies for so-called Small Inventory Member States (SIMS) – European countries with only small amounts of waste originating mostly from medicine, industry and research,” Charlotte explained.
With a Masters in Nuclear Safety Engineering, and experience as a project manager for radioactive waste management, we know that with her both our projects and our safety are in good hands.
As Head of DMT’s Testing Body for Biological Safety, Dr. Melanie Wiegand helps ensure the safety of the world’s number one food: drinking water.
Microorganisms in drinking water can lead to infections and further health impairments, which is why testing for microbiological contamination such as legionella is important - but where does the engineering part come in?
“Drinking water installations can adversely affect the water quality, both chemically and microbiologically,” Melanie explained. “As well testing water samples in the lab, experts here at DMT also check the technical design of drinking water installations for compliance with the generally accepted engineering standards and regulations for both new construction and renovation projects. By evaluating defects and determining measures for remedy, we can minimize the risk of contamination problems later on.”
In engineering, as well as health care, prevention is better than cure!
Melanie is one of numerous female experts at DMT working in a range of technical sectors, from plant and product safety to civil engineering or natural resources, but we continue to strive for a better gender balance, especially at management level.
Within the Maditrace Project, Luisa Daxeder leads the development of one of the standards of CERA 4in1 – a certification system that aims to integrate environmental and social criteria and thus increase the visibility of responsibly operating companies along the entire value chain of mineral resources, from exploration through extraction and processing to the final product. One of the main criteria Luisa addresses is occupational health and safety.
“Mining is a high-risk sector, so what I really enjoy about my work is being able to contribute to its responsible development which, in the long run, leads to a safer and better sustained environment. We are shaping the landscape of engineering and mining.” She added. “And it is great to see an increasing number of women working in the industry.”
We hope this trend continues: At DMT GROUP we actively endeavour to recruit women at all levels and in all divisions, to support and promote them throughout their careers. So, if Luisa or one of our other female experts has inspired you, our recruiting manager Janna Ruiters would love to hear from you at JoinUs(at)dmt-group.LÖSCHEN.com
DMT employees make a mark for gender equality in the 2020 International Women's Day campaign #EachForEqual
