Diversity & Inclusion at Sandoz
Diversity of thought as the key to our success
 | Christina Ackermann Global Head of Legal & General Counsel Chairperson, global D&I Council |  | Yashica Olden Head of Diversity & Inclusion |
Like our parent company, Novartis, we believe that diversity and inclusion is a key to our long-term success. Greater global mobility and migration have changed demographic patterns, and populations are now more diverse than they once were. Increasingly, the world we see reflected in the mirror is one that doesn’t look or think like any single one of us. Rather, the reflection is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, religions, and generations, among other things. Yesterday’s homogeneity has yielded the way for today’s heterogeneity.
There are many compelling reasons for a global organization like Sandoz to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment. Yet diversity itself is not our goal; instead, we see it as the tool through which we can better serve patients, customers, employees, and all our stakeholders. As a company with more than 23,000 employees in 130 countries, whose products are available to more than 90% of the world’s population, the markets we operate in are incredibly diverse. By reflecting this diversity and leveraging the associated diversity of thought and knowledge within our own organization, we can gain better market and customer insights and improve our ability to meet the needs of patients and other stakeholders.
Our vision:
“To become the leading generics company by
cultivating an inclusive, high performance environment
that values diversity.”
One example of where diversity is leveraged for the benefit of the whole organization can be found in the Global Communications function, based in Holzkirchen, Germany. This team of nine women and three men comprises 11 nationalities, with some of the members holding dual citizenship. Between them, they speak Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Turkish, and even Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines, and bring with them experience from throughout Australia, Europe, including Turkey and the UK, Latin America, North America, the Philippines and Africa. The team leverages the diverse cultural, educational and professional backgrounds of its members to effectively work with local markets. They also bring a broader set of ideas and challenge each other with their different perspectives. Time and again, they have experienced situations where true first-hand understanding of a local market has proven to be an invaluable asset. For the members of the Global Communications team, diversity is a matter of fact – an essential component of the global perspective they need to operate effectively. Teams with makeups such as these are common throughout Sandoz, but particularly so at headquarters in Germany.
Diversity and inclusion covers many aspects, some being:
- Age
- Differential ability
- Education
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Life experiences
- Nationality
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Thinking styles
At Sandoz, we aspire to be the best, to lead our industry and outperform the market. In order to continue to be a pacesetter, however, we have to make sure that talented people want to come work for us, and that they have interesting career development opportunities so they remain committed and engaged after the join. To attract and retain talented people, we offer an environment that values and integrates each associate’s differences and provides the opportunity for everyone to participate in achieving our business goals. For example, in 2011, Sandoz launched a program to develop a female leadership pipeline. Called ‘Women at Sandoz’, it is a summit-style pilot program that aims to give participants greater access to the global Sandoz Executive Committee (SEC) in order to build a community of strong female leaders who can, in turn, coach and develop other women in the leadership pipeline. Diversity helps us recruit from the widest possible range of people, ensuring that we are hiring and retaining absolutely the best people available, not just the best people from a small sub-section of society. Global competition for talent is fierce, and we want to be seen as an employer of choice.
In addition to interesting development opportunities, Sandoz also recognizes that our associates are the primary contributors to our success, and their well-being is dependent to a large degree on an effective integration between work, leisure, family and other interests. Therefore, we have recently issued Work-Life Integration Guidelines to help countries provide flexibility to their associates and, wherever possible, take into account their individual needs when planning and assigning work.
Diversity and inclusion at Sandoz is supported by the global Diversity & Inclusion Council. Chaired by Christina Ackermann, Global Head of Legal & General Counsel, and led by Yashica Olden, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, the Council represents all regions and functions across the Sandoz world and each member of the Council supports local organizations via a D&I Champion system that is designed to promote best practice and facilitate knowledge sharing. The Council consists of 15 members, who in their role as D&I Champions ensure the successful implementation of the Sandoz D&I targets in their allocated organizations and countries.The global D&I Council can, in turn, rely on the support of the Novartis D&I Council, as well as the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council (DIAC), a group of diverse leaders from different cultures and professional backgrounds who have been selected by Novartis Chairman Daniel Vasella, MD, to provide guidance on issues of Diversity & Inclusion.
The D&I initiative is supported by a quarterly newsletter, regular articles on the global intranet, as well as local and regional activities and events. In addition, each year, we award two “Diversity & Inclusion Awards” to individuals or teams who have leveraged diversity to address a business need. Sandoz is also a corporate sponsor of European Women’s Management Development Network (EWMD), an international network for women in management.
