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Balance for better

Our people’s aspirations for a better
gender balance

More than 20 women’s professional networks across Roche are bringing together men and women with the shared vision of gender equality and inclusion for all. These employee-created and -driven networks have been brought to life to strengthen our internal pipeline of female talent, build important networking opportunities, and develop leadership abilities. On this 2019 Women’s International Day, we asked some of these network leaders as well as other Roche leaders to share why making this commitment to #BalanceForBetter is important for them.
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“Each person brings unique thoughts, strengths, and perspectives that must be embraced.”

“Each person brings unique thoughts, strengths, and perspectives that must be embraced. At Roche, we strive to be the place to work to enable all our talented people to do their best work. That means looking at it not only from our own personal experience, but also trying to understand other people’s perspectives and taking into account societal, economic and business developments. I have seen many teams including my own where having a diverse group and an inclusive approach were essential to moving forward complex projects, identifying solutions, and for growing personally.”

Cris Wilbur, Chief People Officer
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“Simply stated, we should strive to be representative of the patients that we seek to serve around the globe.”

“Simply stated, we should strive to be representative of the patients that we seek to serve around the globe. This includes mentoring and developing a diverse pool of talented leaders, as well as ensuring that we improve the representation of women and non-whites in our clinical trials. I’m grateful that we as colleagues have the commitment to our company and our patients to raise expectations and hold ourselves and our leadership accountable for the values we share. Now is the time to seek out and elevate leaders of the future who may look and behave differently from the leaders of today.”

John Gouws, Head of Genentech Research and Early Development (gRED) Finance
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“I come and contribute because I want to see women grow and develop as future leaders. That’s a very personal commitment that I’ve made. ”

“One of the things that I really have appreciated about the value and the connections that are made as part of a network is that is helps us in creating these really inclusive environments. When people can come into a community and are able to share their experiences in a personal way it opens up the dialogue. The more that we do that by coaching and mentoring and developing others, the stronger people become and you can see the progress being made. That is my motivation and joy. It strengthens the community and through us being able to be  — ourselves who we are what we can bring to the table — and reflect that personal interest helps the community ultimately us as a company to advance and grow.”

Rebecca Vermeulen, VP Patients and Society Strategy Lead Head Patient Partnership Customer Strategy and Health Equity & Population Science
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“My passion is unleashing the potential of all people.”

“My passion is unleashing the potential of all people. For me, #BalanceForBetter means recognising that for a variety of reasons women are under-represented across many industries and types of roles — and that men are in others — and taking personal action to shift this. As a society, our ways of working are evolving faster than ever before, and the only path to success comes from ensuring the greatness of all of us is unleashed on the world”

Kristen Pressner, People & Culture Chapter Lead Business Partnering Diagnostics Division
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“In my area of responsibility we are working every day on supporting the organisation on gender balance topics, be it by ensuring gender pay equity or by encouraging affiliates to implement programmes aimed at supporting working parents.”

“I am very fortunate to work with a team with around 20 different nationalities of both genders and of multiple generations. Every day I enjoy the diversity in thinking and the different perspectives my team members bring. Their varied cultural background creates an enriching and highly engaging work environment. Gender balance means to me that every Roche employee has equal opportunities to develop their potential and that they are rewarded fairly for the contribution they bring, regardless of gender. A better gender balance should be reflected in our workforce demographics across our organisation, especially in senior leadership.”

Roelof Kistemaker, Chapter Lead People Rewards & Recognition People Insights & Technology

Want to be part of the movement?

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Post your #BalanceForBetter picture on your social channel and show your support.

Then explore diverse career opportunities here at Roche.
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Related links

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Diversity is personal
Diversity and inclusion means something different for each employee.
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Trailblazing women at Roche
Discover how Roche has been advancing gender equality since 1896: There have always been women who inspired us by questioning the status quo.
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