To succeed as a company in the 21st century, Lilly believes it is imperative to include and value diversity and inclusion in every aspect of its operations.
“Diversity is not a destination, it’s a journey,” said John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman, president and CEO. “The world we’re competing in today is far more diverse than it was two decades ago…and it will only become more so with each passing year. To exceed the needs of our diverse customers worldwide, we must intensify our efforts to become more diverse and inclusive here at home.”
Lilly’s approach to diversity is based on three pillars: marketplace, workplace and relationships with suppliers.
In the marketplace, a key focus is on increasing diversity in clinical trials to gain insights to help Lilly make medicines that are most effective for all people who use them. The company is taking a leadership role, boosting enrollment of diverse populations in its clinical trials and making trials more accessible to minority communities – adding more than 400 diverse trial sites since 2008. In addition, Lilly is working to increase the number of minority investigators in clinical research, partnering with The Center for Drug Development and Clinical Trials at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in a first-of-its-kind training program for minority investigators.
The company’s efforts to ensure a diverse and inclusive environment for its employees and those it serves span the globe. Lilly has created programs in many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea and others to help grow the ranks of female employees and leadership.
Lilly offers nine employee-led resource groups with about 60 regional affiliate groups globally that connect people from diverse backgrounds and, at the same time, support Lilly’s business objectives.
“Our employee resource groups are more vital than ever to our company’s success,” said Chief Diversity Officer Monique Hunt McWilliams. “The groups provide valuable insight as we develop programs and relationships that help us improve lives around the world. They offer strong support networks for their members and help us identify talented individuals for future leadership roles in our company.”
Through supplier diversity development, Lilly’s goal is to broaden participation of small and diverse-owned businesses in the Lilly supplier base to levels more reflective of the diverse business community.
Lilly has received many honors for its diversity efforts, including recognition as one of DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity – for the fifth consecutive year. Earlier this year, the company was recognized by the National Association for Female Executives as one of the Top Companies for Executive Women. Also,
Lilly was named one of the 50 Leading Companies for Women in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation region and beyond for its efforts to increase women’s leadership opportunities in the workplace.
“Ensuring that diversity is sought, valued and respected is critical to our company’s success. Our focus is finding innovative medical solutions, and we can only do that with a workforce that brings a wide variety of perspectives,” McWilliams said.
