Give to Gain: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026
This year marks the 115th anniversary of International Women’s Day, observed globally on 8 March to raise awareness of gender equality and to celebrate remarkable achievements of women worldwide.
The Give to Gain theme, highlights the idea that “by giving support, knowledge and resources, everyone gains through enhanced gender equality and stronger communities.”
The power of contribution
At Lightsource bp, we take immense pride in the invaluable contributions of women throughout our organisation. With women representing 40% of our executive team, their leadership, along with the talented women across the company, is central to our success.
Inspired by this year’s theme Give to Gain, we’re shining a spotlight on just some of the incredible women who make Lightsource bp a truly special place to work. Our team members from around the world nominated those who inspired, mentored, supported, educated and encouraged them.
“There are so many brilliant women at Lightsource bp. Engineering and construction have traditionally been a male working environment, so all women who persevere and succeed in this industry deserve a shout out. I would particularly like to highlight my team leaders Melanie Smith, Mireia Barenys Espadaler, and Farah Sarhan, for providing strong leadership and exceptional expertise in their fields.” – Ric Hatton, Director of Delivery, EMEA
“It has been such a joy working with Karla Alarcon on the US Project Management Team and now Business Support Team for over 4 years. Karla always has an upbeat and joyous attitude that inspires our team.” – Patrick Fredrick (right), Project Manager, Project Management & Construction, USA
“There are so many great women at Lightsource bp – it was, in fact, one of the deciding factors in my choosing to join the company! One person I’ve gotten to know and really appreciate is Katie Ngo on the Project Management and Construction team. She’s one of those very special technical experts with great people and communications skills.” – Barb Jacobs, Director, Government Relations, USA
“I’m so grateful to work with Emily Dalager! She is a champion for conservation and was crucial to gaining approval for installing 35 acres of Monarch butterfly habitat on a project in Ohio. It happened because of her strong support! Not only is she a champion for conservation, she is sharp, practical and diligent. A true pleasure to work with. She inspires me every time I talk with her.” – Blayne Gunderman (right), Senior Director, Environmental Affairs, USA
“A big thanks to my direct reports – all women – for making my working life easier every day… Gohar Lazaridi, Klaida Cekrezi, Melissa Dunham and Maddie Minnaganti. It has been a real pleasure to work with all of you over the past year. Thanks for all the great work!” – Olivier Fricot, Global Head of Investments
“A huge appreciation for the incredible women in the Global Transformation Management Office, Federica, Deborah, Rebecca, Eliza, Damilola and Aramide! Working alongside you, learning from you every day and building together is something I genuinely value. I am proud to be part of this team!” – Arefeh Taghikhani, Head of Business Transformation, Technology & Operations Business Transformation
“I want to highlight all the incredibly important work done by the team coordinators such as Nadja Vay, Sabine Sevestre, Magdalena Fajfer and Silvana Cepesi. They are the power women behind every organisation and make sure we can focus on our core business.” – Ina Schweizer (left), Principal Environmental Planner, Germany
“I cannot stop appreciating how warm my colleagues Beth and Sarah have always been. Easily amongst the best professionals and talents in their respective areas of work. Thank you, Farah – forever helpful and available, to say the very least. Thankful to one and all of these colleagues.” – Prashant Kumar, Head of Procurement, APAC
Commitment to our team
We thank the incredible women across our organisation who have given their time, talent and passion every day so that we can gain stronger teams, deeper collaboration and greater success.
We remain committed to providing an inclusive workplace and a sense of belonging as we thrive and grow together to create a positive impact for our people, partners and planet.
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