The cross-portfolio event was a catalyst for continued discussions about diversity and inclusion within Volaris businesses
How can leaders move their businesses forward on diversity and inclusion? That was the question posed to all participants at Volaris Group’s Diversity in Leadership summit.
From February 3 to 4, 2026, Munich became a hub for practical, candid discussions about diversity and inclusion as Volaris Group hosted nearly 100 leaders. The event provided participants with the opportunity to engage in in-depth conversations with colleagues, encouraging them to listen to their peers’ concerns with empathy, understanding, and curiosity.
Those who attended were also encouraged to reflect on how embracing diversity and inclusion could help drive the growth of their businesses and the success of their teams.
In a global business like ours, embracing different perspectives and ways of working is essential to our future success. Doing this helps us challenge assumptions, adapt faster, and build businesses that can thrive in evolving markets.
-Mike Dufton, CEO, Volaris Group
Why hold a diversity summit?
As a global business with employees around the world, Volaris believes that diversity is our strategic advantage. We’ve seen how our organization grows stronger by welcoming new voices to the table and harnessing the collective skills and experiences of our people. Volaris has organized several panels and discussions about diversity over the past several years.
By enabling every team member to contribute fully, we enhance the performance of our teams. As such, inclusive leadership creates an undeniable advantage for our businesses.
We’ve also seen that customer relationships demand a diverse and inclusive approach from our businesses. Through a deep understanding of the diverse needs of our customers, our businesses can better represent the markets they serve.
Some of the many data points that informed the summit’s programming were the result of a survey organized by the Volaris Women in Technology Leadership working group. The survey reflected the working group’s strong interest in developing programs that support women’s growth and leadership across the organization. The survey explored employees’ collective perceptions of current practices and culture to guide future education, development, and inclusion initiatives.
The summit proves that when we listen to perspectives different from our own, we build solutions that are stronger, more human, and more sustainable. Inclusion is where innovation begins.
-Rebecca Nemaric, Vice President, Talent, Volaris Group
Keynote about how to communicate through conflict
The event opened with a keynote address from Maja Djikic, a professor specializing in organizational behavior and human resource management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Her speech focused on how business executives can communicate effectively and remain grounded and authentic while engaging with conflicting viewpoints. Her speech underscored why developing this skill is essential for leaders to build collaborative, resilient teams.
“It was a highlight to hear Maja Djikic speak on the subject of internal transformation and what it really means to be an authentic leader,” wrote Artifax Software CEO Andy Wheeler in a post-event reflection.
When we bring together people with different experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking, we create stronger teams, make better decisions, and build organizations where people can truly perform at their best.
-Nazia Majeed, Head of Project and Service Delivery, SSP Broker
Discussing a range of diversity and inclusion topics
Recognizing that learning happens through more intimate group discussions, the event offered several smaller sessions about creating inclusive workplaces, including how to support employee retention, job satisfaction, and well-being at work.
Topics represented at the event included, but weren’t limited to:
- Mental Health in the Workplace: What Leaders Need to Know
- Understanding Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Diversity
- De-Risking Decisions: How Diverse Leadership Boosts Product Quality and Customer Reach
- Psychological Safety: Turning Theory into Everyday Practice
- Building Customer-Facing Teams that Reflect the Market
- Pride at Volaris: Creating LGBTQ+-Inclusive Organizations
- The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Age of AI
- Inclusive Employee Communication, Engagement, and Events
- The Caregiving Advantage/Challenge
Mental health was a topic that ran across many of the sessions. Angela Araujo, Group HR Partner at Volaris Group, co-presented with a senior leader about how to have a supportive mental health conversation with an employee. Actions like listening without judgment, spotting early warning signs, and knowing when to point an employee to other resources were examples given in the presentation regarding how to help an employee in need.
Neurodiversity was also a topic of Araujo’s presentation: “We shared examples of how neuroinclusive leadership can make teams stronger—tapping into the creativity, focus, and unique problem-solving strengths that neurodivergent employees bring when they feel understood and supported.”
Another leader who presented about neurodiversity was Emma Jackson, People, Culture and Performance Manager at agentOS: “Neurodiversity is often discussed as an inclusion topic, but it is also a performance lever. When leadership systems are designed intentionally, cognitive difference strengthens problem solving and drives better business outcomes for everyone.”
The discussion on psychological safety could not have come at a better time. As I step into my new role leading the Volaris Healthcare vertical, I’m already thinking about how to foster environments where every team member feels heard, respected, and empowered to take risks.
-Randy Walsh, Group Manager, Volaris Group
Mohan Naraine, a Group Leader at Volaris Group, reflected on a presentation about multi-generational workplaces and how each generation can offer advantages for AI adoption. For example, while older generations may focus on AI governance and guardrails, younger generations are motivated by the chance to experiment.
“The presentation by Director of Integrations Tran Ly made the point that there’s a place for all of these generations as we continue our goal of AI adoption,” he said.
Executive roundtable: Overcoming barriers to diversity & inclusion efforts
The summit closed with an executive roundtable summarizing the reflections and learnings of senior leaders in attendance, including how to overcome barriers to implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Volaris Group’s Director of Integrations Tran Ly spoke about a lesson from a past diversity event, which was that some men said that they felt a bit attacked during discussions about women in leadership.
“It’s not our intention to make anyone feel attacked, as [these discussions are] supposed to be inclusive,” she said, noting that a cautionary tale is to be aware of any unintended effects.
Similarly, Portfolio Leader Rob Turner observed that talking about unconscious biases can make people feel defensive and reserved. But it dawned on him, after listening to a presentation, that unconscious bias can simply be seen in a different way—as the brain searching to fill ambiguity in a situation by pattern-matching with past experiences.
“If we can find a way to frame things like unconscious bias in that way, it actually removes a lot of the defensiveness,” he reflected. “But it’s part of an education process that I think so many of us have to go on.”
Where do we go from here? Next steps to advance diversity & inclusion
A key takeaway from the summit is that our organization needs to welcome different perspectives and approaches as we continue to grow and adapt to new ways of working. Embedding diversity in our businesses is the responsibility of all leaders.
While an event of this nature can create space for leaders to have honest, thoughtful conversations about diversity and inclusion, the biggest impacts often come later. We hope that this summit is a catalyst for leaders to continue these discussions at a broader level, within their businesses and their teams.
As we reflect on this event, we invite our leaders to embrace their roles in advancing change and progress at Volaris Group.
This article was written with files from Katy Smith, Communications and Events Coordinator at Volaris Group.
