Sanofi has launched a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Board. The Board will feature outside advisors, a first in the pharmaceutical industry.
Three of the leading voices in the DE&I space will be appointed as external members for three years to Sanofi’s new panel: organisational psychologist and author John Amaechi, social entrepreneur Caroline Casey, and DE&I pioneer and thought leader Dr Rohini Anand.
John Amaechi is an organisational psychologist, author, Chartered Scientist, elected Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, Research Fellow at the University of East London and founder of APS Intelligence.
Dr Rohini Anand is a strategic business leader and author, with extensive expertise spanning executive leadership, human capital, global corporate responsibility, wellness and diversity equity and inclusion. Most recently Anand was senior vice president of corporate responsibility and global chief diversity officer at Sodexo.
Caroline Casey is a businesswoman and activist, and founder of The Valuable 500, a global CEO collective for disability inclusion. Casey was recently appointed as president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and also sits on several Diversity and Inclusion Boards, including Sky and L’Oréal.
In 2021 Sanofi updated its DE&I strategy with set objectives over the next four years that focused on three key cornerstones: building representative leadership, creating a work environment where employees can bring their whole selves and engaging with the company’s diverse communities.
The new Board will oversee Sanofi’s DE&I strategy and ensure it is executed correctly, help the company work towards its 2025 targets and providing best advice on how the company can make a positive impact.
The company is also launching a global Employee Resource Group (ERG) framework and five worldwide-focused ERGs: Gender+, Generations+, Pride+, Ability+ and Culture and Origins+, which will enable existing local ERGs to expand and develop. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that help create a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, said: “We’re committed to driving diversity, equity and inclusion in Sanofi and beyond. These new initiatives will help us bring the outside in, so we can hear, listen and learn faster, and grow stronger as we continue our DE&I journey.”
Made up of eleven members, including seven members from Sanofi’s leadership, the DE&I Board includes Paul Hudson, chief executive officer, Natalie Bickford, chief people officer, Olivier Charmeil, head of general nedicines, Roy Papatheodorou, general counsel and head of Legal, ethics and business integrity, John Reed, head of Research and Development, Thomas Triomphe, head of vaccines, and Raj Verma, chief diversity, culture and experience Officer. Verma will chair the DE&I Board.