Diversity equity and inclusion

Introducing Lissiah Taylor Hundley, Head of DE&I at ��ֳ�

Andrea_Puletto — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:55:27 +0000

Introducing Lissiah Taylor Hundley, Head of DE&I at ��ֳ�

Chiara Montecucco, Global Communications

Andrea_Puletto Tue 11/06/2024 - 15:55

We sat down with Lissiah Taylor Hundley, who recently joined ��ֳ� as Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I).

Lissiah: With 27 years of experience in DE&I leading international teams, I’m passionate about equal rights and committed to driving meaningful change. As a survivor of stage 4 cancer, I’ve experienced healthcare disparities firsthand, which further deepened my dedication to enhancing DE&I. This is also what drew me to ��ֳ�, a company that supports diversity and inclusion and that can make a difference in improving equity in the communities around us.

��ֳ�: Can you share your initial experience at ��ֳ�?

Lissiah: It’s been amazing! In just a few months, I’ve seen the company’s commitment to DE&I. My approach has been one of balance between listening, learning, and starting to see where to implement strategic changes. I focus on ‘the 4 Ps’ - People, Patients, Products, and Partners - and I follow my deep belief that diversity drives innovation, growth and sustainability for the future.

��ֳ�: How do you view the current state of DE&I, beyond ��ֳ�?

Lissiah: It’s challenging, especially with political climate changes and polarization of the public opinion. However, I remain hopeful and passionate. There are many supportive organizations and engaged teams and talents committed to DE&I, both within and outside ��ֳ�. I believe in the power of exchange and collaboration, so engaging with these groups is therefore key to ensure the inclusivity of all different perspectives.

��ֳ�: What impact do you hope to make at ��ֳ�?

Lissiah: I hope to have DE&I intimately embedded in all that we do. Systemic change is important. With this we can drive change in DE&I initiatives within ��ֳ� and the broader industry. With the company’s support, I’m optimistic about creating a more equitable and inclusive environment that understands, respects and celebrates diversity.

��ֳ�: Any specific examples?

Lissiah: I want to ensure that our people mirror the patients and the communities we serve, so we partner closely with our Talent Acquisition team to support our diversity recruitment practices and ensure that all talent has an equitable hiring experience. I also seek to have more diverse patients in our clinical trials, so the DE&I team supports the business as they look to engage differently in diverse communities, work with external partners who have close connections to diverse patients and ensure we’re building trust in those communities as well. I also partner with the business to educate our teams so that they know how to connect with underrepresented groups and understand the cultural nuances that may play a role in how they trust and engage with us.

��ֳ�: Lissiah, thank you for sharing your journey with us. We look forward to seeing the impact you’ll have at ��ֳ� and in the larger DE&I space.

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Recognizing and embracing the intersectionality of the people around us

Chiara Vona — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:17:38 +0000

Recognizing and embracing the intersectionality of the people around us

Denelle Waynick Johnson, Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Chiara Vona Wed 20/12/2023 - 11:17

Recently, I was invited to reflect on intersectionality and how the different aspects of my own identity are interconnected and linked to my personal and professional path.

Intersectionality means that there are different diversity dimensions that make us unique. Some of these are visible but in fact, many of them are invisible. When thinking about what I call my intersections, the various aspects of my identity and my life, there are a few non-visible ones that jump out.

One that is important for me is that I am a woman of faith. This means that I have been able to overcome challenges by drawing on an inner source of strength that others can’t see.

Another aspect I want to highlight is that I am the child of divorced parents, and I was raised, primarily, by my mother. The divorce resulted in us living in a single-income household, which meant being raised in a less privileged socio-economic environment. What has been the consequence of this? First, it fueled my education and career ambitions simply because I didn’t want to perpetuate this cycle for my son, who would come several years later. Second, it actually continues to inform my approach to spending which tends to still be conservative.

This leads to the third intersection I want to share: I raised my son as a single mother. As such, all of my decisions were taken through the lens of a parent. It helped me frame what was important and acceptable for me — personally and professionally. Motherhood colored decisions about which jobs I took, such as ensuring the corporate culture was aligned with my values or the proximity of the company to good schools and back-up day care.

I believe that being able to identify not just as an African American woman, but also taking these other aspects into account, leads to a natural empathy. This awareness allows me to relate to others, even if their intersections are different from mine, and allows me to be an ally for them.

For example, I recognize the challenges of young parents –specifically, the need for work flexibility. I, personally, benefitted from such flexibility. And over the years have demonstrated that parents or caregivers or others can manage their personal situations, while remaining professional and effective and able to move up the corporate ladder.

But meaningful allyship goes beyond empathy. It includes supporting those who have less privilege than yourself.

Recognizing and embracing not just the diversity but the intersectionality of the people we meet – how the different aspects of their identity are connected and how this influences their life and position in society – opens our perspectives, our minds and our talent pool. It increases the ability for us to embrace diverse thinking and backgrounds. All this, in addition to being fair, benefits organizations, their people and their business. And, for us at ��ֳ�, it benefits the people we serve. How can we serve them if we are not mindful of their different backgrounds?

I want to applaud and encourage the conversations that are happening around intersectionality, at ��ֳ� and outside. It is a deeper, additional component to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and it is fundamental for us to explore it to become more inclusive — both on a corporate and human level.

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DE&I Intersectionality Diversity equity and inclusion

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Advancing inclusion and fostering allyship at work: reflections on IDAHOBIT

Chiara Vona — Wed, 17 May 2023 06:49:00 +0000

Advancing inclusion and fostering allyship at work: reflections on IDAHOBIT

Evangelos Chatzikalymnios, Global Compensation

Chiara Vona Wed 17/05/2023 - 08:49

As we celebrate IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transphobia, I reflect on what steps can be taken for greater equality and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community in companies.

We spend a significant amount of our time at work; hence, it is important that our work environment is physically and psychologically safe. For the LGBTQ+ community, this means it needs to be a place where we can bring our full selves to and feel appreciated for the work we do, without any fear of being discriminated against for who we are. Companies can also play a vital role in providing a safe environment within the “company walls” for employees in countries where the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t have equal rights and freedoms yet.

I am proud that at ��ֳ�, fostering a sense of belonging is a key element of our culture. One way we enable an inclusive work environment is by involving employees directly through employee Resource Groups (ERGs). ��ֳ�+ is our LGBTQ+ ERG and it aims to contribute towards an open, inclusive and safe environment for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the company, where everyone feels equal and valued regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

In addition to having a supportive culture, it is important to have courageous and authentic leaders who will commit to fostering a more inclusive environment at work. At ��ֳ�, we see this strong support in different forms, including an Executive Committee member sponsoring the activities of ��ֳ�+. This is particularly important as the ERG is a grassroot initiative, so having the support of an Executive Committee member is a very clear and visible sign to the LGBTQ+ community that they are valued and appreciated.

Another way to provide an inclusive environment is by showing support to the LGBTQ+ workforce and allying with them. ��ֳ�+ is open to all, including allies of the LGBTQ+ cause who want to contribute, support or simply learn more about our community. Allies have a unique responsibility and an opportunity to create inclusive environments for their LGBTQ+ peers, by educating themselves and others, speaking up against discrimination, and supporting LGBTQ+ organisations and events. And we, the LGBTQ+ community, have a responsibility to guide the allies supporting us, for example by helping them understand what language to use in order not to be discriminatory.

The theme of this year's IDAHOBIT is "Together always: united in diversity", which reminds us of the importance of inclusivity and sense of belonging in all aspects of our lives. Companies can provide the space for individual and collective efforts that can ultimately lead to the positive change we want to bring into society.

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IDAHOBIT DE&I Diversity equity and inclusion

Comment:

Posted by Fraiture Marianne, 22 May 2023

Thanks for standing out - calling out and just being you - an admirable person !
What unites us in the end all is that we are all human being with unique treasures that would benefit us all, if to remove any form of (un)conscious discrimination.
Let's indeed continue in fostering a safe space for us all to collectively thrive and flourish !

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Improving Diversity in Clinical Trial Volunteer Participation by Addressing Racial and Ethnic Representation Among the Clinical Research Workforces

Vanco Vlastimil (��ֳ� S.A.) — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:30:57 +0000

Improving Diversity in Clinical Trial Volunteer Participation by Addressing Racial and Ethnic Representation Among the Clinical Research Workforces

Zoma Foster, Patient Value Development Solutions

Vanco Vlastimi… Tue 09/08/2022 - 17:30

At ��ֳ�, our vision is to ensure participants in ��ֳ� clinical trials are reflective of the populations that will ultimately benefit from our new medicines. We look for opportunities to partner and collaborate with organizations that can support and drive initiatives that will seek and include diverse patients in ��ֳ� clinical trials. This commitment to external collaborations and bringing lessons learned back to ��ֳ� ensures we are connected to best practices in the industry. A recent example of this partnership occurred with Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.

��ֳ�, along with other peer pharmaceutical companies and Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), worked with Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development to conduct a study to characterize and examine the relationship between investigative site personnel diversity and study participant diversity. The study concluded that a diverse clinical research workforce is associated with diversity among clinical trial volunteers. It also showed that diversity in the clinical research workforce still falls short of reflecting the diversity of the global patient population and identified key areas to support increased racial and ethnic representation among site staff.

Community Engagement Program

Our Community Engagement Partner Program is one approach ��ֳ� is taking to address these findings. We aim to collaborate directly with health professionals and their local communities to listen to the community’s needs, answer questions related to clinical research, and educate about clinical trials within the community. Our goal is to create direct collaboration between health professionals and their local communities through a range of initiatives, such as:

Listening to the needs of the community
Answering questions related to clinical research
Educating about clinical trials within the community
Engaging proactively in activities such as walks, health fairs, public forums, and educational seminars
Providing information to patients about clinical trials in their area in an easy-to-understand format

We anticipate the outcomes of these initiatives will:

Improve awareness of the importance of diversity in clinical trials (including HCP/Staff education and training)
Develop and foster long-term relationships with local communities and patient support groups/advocacy initiatives
Establish a footprint in the diversity landscape to improve awareness and access to ��ֳ� clinical programs
Increase the number of referral centers for ��ֳ� clinical programs
Increase the number of diverse investigators identified and referred to ��ֳ� for clinical trials
Increase the number of diverse patients participating in ��ֳ� clinical trials

Partnering for Greater Impact

��ֳ� recently worked with industry leaders as a member company of TransCelerate to launch their Sponsor Toolkit Program for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of Participants in Clinical Trials. In addition, ��ֳ� is a proud member of PhRMA who just launched Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development to further innovation and collaboration, bringing together diverse communities, patients, providers, health partners, community organizations and academic institutions to pilot a network of sustainable, connected, community-based trial sites.

Although as an industry, we still have work to do, through partnerships and initiatives such as these, we are building on a strong foundation to promote inclusion of underrepresented patients in clinical trials.

Contributors: Zoma Foster (Tufts Study); Nicole Tillery (TransCelerate Toolkit); Iris Loew-Friedrich (��ֳ� DE&I Executive Sponsor)

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Clinical trials Community Engagement Program Clinical research Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development Diversity equity and inclusion

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A place where we can all be our authentic selves

Vanco Vlastimil (��ֳ� S.A.) — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:22:06 +0000

A place where we can all be our authentic selves

Vlastimil Vanco, Global Communications & Company Reputation

Vanco Vlastimi… Wed 08/06/2022 - 17:22

��ֳ� at once celebrates diversity and focuses on the competencies and contributions each person brings to the company and society as a whole. Pride Month is the perfect time to reiterate our commitment and pledge to fostering a truly inclusive working culture, grounded in fundamental respect for everyone. In that spirit, we are pleased to share the story of Jan Berger, a member of the Board of Directors at ��ֳ� and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Diversity matters because of who we are as a whole

There is diversity in every one of us. Whether it’s related to the diseases people live with — and ��ֳ� helps manage—, their background, their life story or in any other way, diversity is a fact. For Jan, covering up important parts of her life at work is not worth the energy, and this despite the risk of discrimination that the LGBTQ+ community still faces today.

“I decided I liked myself better as a whole person and not hiding parts of me. I decided that there was a lot of energy that was taken by hiding parts of me. So I didn’t do that, and I have chosen not to in my career. But I’m also very lucky that, in most cases, that has not been held against me,” she said. When Berger was asked to join the Board of ��ֳ�, Evelyn du Monceau, the then Chair, asked her to share her backstory.

In that moment, Berger decided to give du Monceau the full picture. She discussed her wife and even asked if her sexual orientation would pose a problem. Du Monceau’s response? Berger remembers it this way: “She looked at me and said, ‘Of course not.’ We brought you to ��ֳ� because of what you can bring to the organization and to the world through ��ֳ�.”

Inclusivity is contagious

A recent study showed that 25% of LGBTQ+ people avoid coming out to others in their organization or teams out of fear of discrimination, lack of respect and appreciation. Around 20% avoid out-of-office work events because of the fear of not being able to be themselves. And 20% to 40% of people search for another job because of discomfort felt in the workplace due to their sexual orientation. If we aim to be a leading company with the best outcomes for patients, losing our talent for this reason is out of the question.

We must work hard to maintain this culture of inclusivity. For Berger, life-long learning is the key. “I want to know people. I want to meet people, I want to learn," she said. Learning and open-mindedness lead to progress.

Pride Month is the perfect reminder that understanding, open discussion, and inclusivity create a culture that can be implemented and nourished—for the good of all. Berger encourages all ��ֳ� team members to engage on the topic of inclusivity as much as possible: “Start discussions, speak up for what you believe in, and be a person others can come to in moments of doubt.

In addition, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Formulate them respectfully, but always ask them to those who can answer. Remember that dialogue is essential, and inclusivity is contagious. If you’re asking questions and others are doing it as well, it becomes the norm.”

Berger feels a sense of satisfaction when she reflects on a company like ours: “I have a great deal of pride in being part of a company where there is no room for discrimination, a company where I am able to be my authentic self.”

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Pride Month Diversity equity and inclusion DE&I

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Partnering with UpskillMe to inspire tomorrow’s innovators

eCMSadmin — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:30:00 +0000

Partnering with UpskillMe to inspire tomorrow’s innovators

Karen Borrer, Communications, BII Operations

eCMSadmin Thu 07/10/2021 - 12:30

For ��ֳ�, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) are essential. Our business needs a diverse workforce that embraces difference and reflects the communities we work with and in. We need that to care for our patients, people and planet – and do that sustainably. After all, diversity drives innovation, a concept at the very heart of our patient-centred strategy.

But when it comes to the number of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the numbers don’t add up. While more than one million women are working in STEM roles, they only represent 24% of the entire STEM workforce in the UK. Moreover, women represent less than 30% of the world’s researchers, only 35% of STEM students in higher education in the UK and a mere 26% of STEM graduates.

Improving DE&I
��ֳ� wants to make a real difference by improving DE&I throughout our business and our industry. And that is why we are proud to be the first pharmaceutical company to team up with UK social enterprise UpskillMe. Through this collaboration, we aim to support the next generation of young scientists and inspire tomorrow’s innovators.

UpskillMe is a careers network that supports under-represented and less advantaged young people. It helps them build the skills, connections and knowledge they need to thrive in the future. After all, every person has unique strengths, and UpskillMe aims to help young people find theirs so they can flourish. It specifically designed its employability programmes to help talented and motivated young people aged 11 to 18 achieve their aspirations.

Inspiring women in STEM
Our first collaboration with UpskillMe aims to help tackle the low numbers of women in STEM. The ‘Empowered Females STEM Mentoring Programme’ aims to inspire the next generation of women, raising their aspirations for studying STEM subjects and embarking on a STEM career in STEM.

Working closely with UpskillMe, five of ��ֳ�’s female scientists based in our UK Research and Development hub in Slough will be delivering a mentoring programme to engage and empower female students to maximise their skills and raise their aspirations for studying STEM subjects and a career in science, technology, engineering or maths.

The six-month programme consists of a series of mentoring sessions and masterclasses to engage and empower 20 female students, promote a growth mindset and maximise skills and aspirations. Over the six months, the students will build both their own personal brand. Specific career advice for succeeding in STEM will help them also build resilience.

At the end of the mentoring programme, the female students will ‘graduate’ more prepared personally and professionally. They will be ready to consider further education and a career in STEM.

Partnering to make a difference
Through partnerships such as this, ��ֳ� hopes to help address the inequities that exist for children and young people today. We hope that by offering tailored and targeted support to some of the most disadvantaged, we can inspire the innovators of tomorrow while making DE&I a reality for all.

For us, this is not just good business sense – it’s sustainable business sense.

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Comment:

Posted by Teresa Fogelberg. , 9 October 2021

What a good story. Will the five female scientists have time for this? Does it not compete with their other activities and targets? To what extent does it weigh on their Performance appraisal or will it be an extra for which they get recognition? And how can this be skilled up to other countries?

Posted by ��ֳ�

Dear Teresa
Thank you for your email and interest in our collaboration with Upskill Me. This is a new partnership for ��ֳ� and we are delighted to be exploring the areas in which we can help make an impact with them.

We have started on a small scale with colleagues who are passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), which is a business priority for both our leadership team in the UK and our global Executive Committee. We positioned the five volunteer mentor places as an opportunity for employees to grow and develop as well as giving back to society, which is an important aspect of our sustainable business approach. Our employees are empowered to prioritise their own schedules in line with business needs. Because DE&I is a strategic priority for ��ֳ� this activity will take place during normal business hours.

We had an overwhelming response from our UK colleagues to our call for volunteers which highlights the importance that our colleagues attach to DE&I and has provided us with the momentum to scale up our volunteer mentoring opportunities in 2022. In addition to the STEM mentoring programme we will also be partnering with Upskill Me to host an ‘insights day’ in February 2022 for 30 disadvantaged students from local schools which will provide an additional opportunity for our colleagues to engage in DE&I-related initiatives.

Our partnership with Upskill Me has been highlighted at a global level within the organisation and we hope that this may act as a catalyst for other countries to engage in similar opportunities. UpskillMe are a UK social enterprise and other ��ֳ� affiliates will be working with similar organisations in their locality.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like further information about our activity in this area.

Best wishes
Karen Borrer (she/her)
Communications Lead, BII Operations
karen.borrer@ucb.com

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Diversity equity and inclusion

Introducing Lissiah Taylor Hundley, Head of DE&I at ��ֳ�

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Recognizing and embracing the intersectionality of the people around us

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Advancing inclusion and fostering allyship at work: reflections on IDAHOBIT

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Improving Diversity in Clinical Trial Volunteer Participation by Addressing Racial and Ethnic Representation Among the Clinical Research Workforces

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A place where we can all be our authentic selves

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Partnering with UpskillMe to inspire tomorrow’s innovators

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Diversity equity and inclusion

Introducing Lissiah Taylor Hundley, Head of DE&I at ������ֳ�

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Recognizing and embracing the intersectionality of the people around us

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Advancing inclusion and fostering allyship at work: reflections on IDAHOBIT

Leave a Comment

Improving Diversity in Clinical Trial Volunteer Participation by Addressing Racial and Ethnic Representation Among the Clinical Research Workforces

Leave a Comment

A place where we can all be our authentic selves

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Partnering with UpskillMe to inspire tomorrow’s innovators

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Introducing Lissiah Taylor Hundley, Head of DE&I at ��ֳ�