“It’s been said that the two most important days in a person’s life is the day they are born and the day they discover their ‘why’.” In an interview with The HR Digest, Pamela Fisher, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, examines the impact of Covid-19 pandemic is likely to have in the years to come, and highlights why HR leaders have an increasingly important role to play in a rapidly changing world.
The HR Digest: What initiatives are you most proud of at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)?
Pamela Fisher: Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to transforming patients’ lives through science. We rely on the strength of our rich history and long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity to ensure that our patients around the world can achieve optimal health outcomes to fully realize this vision. We look to drive meaningful change for our colleagues, communities and within our industry.
I am proud of and inspired by the passion, engagement, and energy of our 30,000+ employees who continue to live into our value of inclusion, drive the human connection, and purpose that we bring to our work every day. It is through their efforts that we have been able to deliver on our Global D&I and Health Equity Commitments to address disparities in healthcare, increase diversity in clinical trials, expand the supply chain to include more diverse suppliers, enhance our employees’ ability to give back to the community, and increase the diversity of our own workforce.
Can you tell us about BMS’s newest employee resource groups (ERGs) focused around supporting women and minorities?
Bristol Myers Squibb has a unique People and Business Resource Groups (PBRG) model, which elevates their value proposition and empowers members to drive value and growth for Bristol Myers Squibb. Each of our eight PBRGs has a dedicated full-time leader who is responsible for the end-to-end strategy — comprehensive framework, key objectives, goals, priorities, and impact metrics — to strengthen and accelerate Bristol Myers Squibb’s commitment to inclusion and diversity. The PBRG Leaders report directly to members of our Leadership Team and act as an advisory group on business initiatives connected to inclusion and diversity efforts. Bristol Myers Squibb’s PBRGs include the Black Organization for Leadership Development (BOLD); Bristol Myers Squibb Network of Women (B-NOW), Cultivating Leadership and Innovation for Millennials and Beyond (CLIMB), Disability Advancement Workplace Network (DAWN), PRIDE Alliance supporting LGBTQ+, Organization for Latino Achievement (OLA), Pan Asian Network (PAN), and the Veterans Community Network (VCN).
From your perspective, what are the most immediate opportunities for companies to cultivate a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into its fabric, both internally and externally?
Companies must approach inclusion and diversity as they would any other business strategy or business imperative. They need to understand the shifting demographics and changing landscape, needs, values, and preferences of their customers. Support starts at the top of the organization, and it is imperative companies have a strong leadership and organizational commitment. This includes embedding inclusion and belonging into the company’s values and expectations and aligning their inclusion and diversity priorities to anchor their business, growth, and people strategies. They should identify biases within their processes and practices and rebuild more equitable systems, in addition to measuring and reporting their progress to hold leaders and teams accountable for inclusion and diversity success.
“Support starts at the top of the organization, and it is imperative companies have a strong leadership and organizational commitment.”
What experiences, people, or philosophies have most influenced the way you view and practice diversity, and why?
It’s been said that the two most important days in a person’s life is the day they are born and the day they discover their ‘why’. I am grateful that Bristol Myers Squibb gives me the opportunity to continue recognizing my ‘why’, which is advocating for a more just and equitable world for everyone. Health Equity and closing the wealth gap is critically important to achieving this aspiration. I am inspired and energized by my 30,000+ colleagues around the world who understand that we are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in millions of people’s lives every day.
Do you have any initiatives or areas you plan to focus on in the coming years?
Bristol Myers Squibb will continue to deliver on our inclusion and diversity commitments by driving innovation & growth to address the unmet needs of our increasingly diverse patients and communities around the world; lead with our value of Inclusion to advance a workplace where our colleagues feel they belong, and their unique perspectives are valued and rewarded, while building a global workforce which reflects the diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences of our patients and communities; and reimagine and transform our business and industry practices, processes and policies to achieve equitable advancement and outcomes for all.