From 3% to 12%: S-Chem's Drive to Build Female Representation in STEM
2024 to 2026, and counting.
From 3% to 12% over the programme.
Per post-programme surveys.
A Vision 2030 Target That Required More Than a Hiring Plan
S-Chem, a leading Saudi petrochemical company, had strong technical talent and a clear Vision 2030 mandate: to significantly increase female representation across STEM and operational roles. Despite that ambition, women represented only 3% of the workforce, far below potential and far behind the national targets the business was committed to meeting.
The challenge was not just hiring. It was readiness. S-Chem aimed to increase female hiring to 12% within two years, which required accelerated development for newly hired Saudi women entering technical and business roles. But it also required something equally important: equipping male managers with the inclusive leadership skills to enable culture change and actively support women in their teams.
A one-sided intervention would not produce the organisational shift S-Chem needed. The brief required a dual-track response.
A Dual-Track Programme for the Women & the Managers Beside Them
Emile Woolf Middle East designed a dual-track programme addressing women’s career readiness and male managers’ inclusive leadership simultaneously, creating organisation-wide cultural change. Neither track was treated as secondary.
Women in Business Programme (Phases 1 and 2)
Multi-day modules and 1:1 coaching on leadership, confidence, communication, and career skills, tailored to KSA and STEM contexts. Six-month Empower Mentorship connecting participants with senior leaders.
Advocacy Programme for Male Managers (Phase 3)
Inclusive leadership training covering bias, gender diversity, and Vision 2030-aligned role modelling. Personal advocacy plans to support women in their teams.
Foundations, Development & Advocacy in Parallel
Foundational Training
Workplace readiness for early-career talent and multi-module leadership workshops focused on confidence and communication. Designed specifically for newly hired Saudi women in STEM and operational roles.
Long-Term Development
Six months of structured coaching and mentorship to support individual growth and mentor/mentee relationships with senior leaders inside and outside the organisation.
Equity Advocacy
A dedicated one-day programme for male managers as active champions for gender equity across all departments. Delivered in parallel with Phases 1 and 2.
The Impact: Saudi Women Leaders, and the Managers Behind Them
S-Chem built a female leadership pipeline and the culture to support it.
- Leaders who lead others: seven graduates now lead company-wide iCare sessions as ambassadors.
- Into the succession plan: graduates feed S-Chem’s female high-potential pool.
- Managers as advocates: managers, senior managers and general managers each left with a personal advocacy plan.
Our Impact in Action
