Illumina is delighted to announce that Lisa Toppin, EdD, Illumina’s Chief Diversity Officer, has been featured among Savoy’s 2022 Most Influential Black CDOs Executives in Corporate America. Illumina is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. It is an honor to have Lisa recognized as a top leader by Savoy Magazine, a long standing publication featuring the accomplishments of African Americans.
“I am so pleased by this honor. I appreciate Savoy recognizing me and my colleagues as we work to help organizations build equity and inclusion as mainstay experiences for all. I am particularly passionate about the work Illumina is doing to drive health equity through the power of the genome. Each time we add another genome reflective of our global diversity to the database, we take one step closer to realizing precision medicine, which will allow us to pinpoint the best possible medical treatment for everyone. This is an important outcome of our mission, and driving diversity, equity, and inclusion from the inside out is an important part of the journey for us and for all DEI Officers.
Across all industries, diversity officers have been keenly focused on driving internal change, and rightfully so as the immediate pain and disappointment of employees feeling excluded must be addressed. I think our calling now is to extend our work in new ways. Critically reviewing and enhancing business processes will accelerate the change we are trying to lead. Removing social oppression from processes takes work—it can be elusive, or unseen, therefore, it requires specific effort to reduce unwanted outcomes.
Next, we have to empower leaders to understand the difference they can make by fully leveraging the entire talent cycle rather than just focusing on hiring. There are several levers in the talent cycle that can be maximized to achieve positive DEI outcomes.
And finally, we have to take a strong look at how we can influence the supply chain. The impact we can have by requiring and supporting suppliers to meet human rights and health standards positions us to drive equity and inclusion around the globe. That is our calling now and our opportunity to make a difference on a larger scale through the reach of our companies. It will be through our collective effort that change will come.”
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments.
