The pictures you’re looking at are what a typical meeting looks like for our colleagues on Bechtel’s AT&T Mobility Project – one of the company’s longest and most successful partnerships. Over the last 20 years, we’ve supported our customer by installing and modifying more than 140,000 wireless cell sites in the United States.
The team is primarily based in the western United States; Reston, Virginia; and New Delhi. It is almost a third women; includes nationalities that span continents, including Turkish, Nigerian, Latino, Asian, African American, Indian, and Filipino; and ranges from recent recruits to colleagues who have been with the project since its early days.
Diversity is at the core of the team, but that’s only a piece of what makes it so successful.
“In the team, we have so many different cultures, ages, and ethnicities,” Maya Habib, project controls engineer on the Southern California team said. However, she added, “diversity would be irrelevant without the inclusion.”
Maya’s observation about inclusion is key. Much of the project’s success relies on having different perspectives, which helps the team to constantly improve and grow, as well as deliver innovative work for their customer, such as providing 5G services across various markets in the United States. It is perhaps not unrelated that the project keeps going from strength to strength.
AT&T has awarded Bechtel with extensions in some markets and more sites have been added, expanding the project’s existing network and increasing their 5G footprint. This critical work will help people and businesses connect digitally, ensuring no one is left behind.
To keep the vibrant exchange of ideas alive, the project’s Diversity & Inclusion group will host open discussions and other programs to encourage people to share more about their different cultures and personal experiences.
“We want to really show how we should not only be accepting of all people irrespective of their differences but also celebrate each other’s cultures and be supportive of additional challenges people may face,” Maya, of Lebanese origin, explained. Project Manager Ash Rao, of Indian heritage, said, "Our project, like the rest of the business, still has work to do on diversity and inclusion, but I truly believe we are heading in the right direction. Being mindful of our culture will create a team environment where everyone can grow and we can do better work for our customer. I am so proud to be leading a team with such aspirations to recognize differences and make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”
Learn more about digital infrastructure at Bechtel.