Els Duffhues
Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging officer and Global Learning Director
ICL Group
Els Duffhues is the Global Learning Director and Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer at ICL Group. Known for her quiet determination rather than seeking the spotlight, Els has built a career centered on making meaningful change, both for individuals and organizations. With an academic background spanning psychology, sociology, law, and economics, she brings a deeply human lens to leadership, learning, and inclusion, guided by a simple but powerful goal: to make the world better for everyone.
A Foundation Built on Values and Learning: Growing up as one of seven children, Els was raised in an environment that emphasized acceptance, empathy, and resilience. Her mother, a teacher and a strong role model, instilled the belief that people deserve to be valued for who they are, without needing full understanding to offer respect or care. This upbringing shaped Els’ lifelong commitment to learning and development, and her belief that diverse teams, perspectives, and experiences are essential to strong organizations.
Choosing Challenge Over Comfort: Throughout her career, Els has consistently chosen challenge over comfort. From applying for roles that didn’t yet exist to building structures from scratch, she believes growth happens when you move closer to the “fire.” Her mindset is rooted in curiosity and courage: asking “why not,” learning new languages—both literal and professional—and embracing the idea that failure is not a setback, but a lesson. For Els, staying comfortable is often the riskiest choice of all.
Learning to Lead Across Cultures: Els’ career has taken her from the Netherlands to Germany, Austria, and Spain, often without speaking the local language. These experiences taught her to take change step by step, to acknowledge discomfort, and to remain open to asking for help. Living and working across cultures reinforced the idea that trust looks different everywhere, and that effective leadership starts with understanding how people build relationships, communicate, and feel safe to contribute.
Advancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging: As Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer, Els approaches DIB work with authenticity and practicality. She focuses on building belief before structure, encouraging bottom-up learning, and removing barriers that prevent people, especially women, from fully participating. Progress, in her view, comes from honest conversations, shared ownership, and environments where people feel seen, trusted, and empowered to be themselves.
Advice for the Women in Chemicals Community: Els’ advice is refreshingly simple: be yourself, everyone else is already taken. She encourages women to resist the pressure to be perfect, to remain open and vulnerable, and to avoid becoming their own harshest critics. Growth doesn’t come from having all the answers, but from staying curious, courageous, and willing to learn.
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