Pfizer’s Annual DEI Summit Focuses on Inclusion and Connection

Earlier this fall, Pfizer held our annual all-company DEI summit, which was created years ago in an effort to bring colleagues together to discuss important topics around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This year’s Summit, hosted by Chief Global DEI Officer Ramcess Jean-Louis, was themed “Anchor in Trust, Connection Matters” and focused on creating an inclusive environment for all colleagues through representation and building meaningful connections grounded in trust. (Last year’s summit focused on accelerating equity and disrupting the status quo.) Thousands attended in person and via watch parties at various Pfizer sites, or viewed it online.

CEO Albert Bourla kicked things off with an inspirational message: “Let me use this opportunity to cut through the noise and state clearly: Pfizer is all in on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), I will remain steadfast in our commitment to building an equitable and inclusive experience for our patients, colleagues, and society at large.”

From there, the baton was passed to renowned physician and author Deepak Chopra, who explored those same concepts further in dialogue with Chief People Experience Officer Payal Sahni.

Chopra addressed how to overcome polarization in today’s society: “You can only bring about change if you’re the change you see in the world. Peace can't be created by angry peace activists or even angry peace Nobel Prize winners,” he said. “Peace can only be created by those who are peaceful, just as love can only be shared by those who know how to give love and receive love.”

He also touched on a common goal across the company.

“Pfizer's shared vision is maximum diversity, not only of race, gender, and ethnicity, but also of thought leadership, talent, technology, and scientific opinion contributing to an emotional and spiritual ecosystem where we support each other,” he said.

The broadcast included a cross-regional panel discussion with Alexandre de Germay, Chief International Commercial Officer; Janine Small, President, International Developed Markets; and Tanya Alcorn, SVP, Sterile Injectables and Biotech Operations, exploring the crucial role of equity and trust in everyday business practices.

“We are reaching 96% of the planet in the international division. So, you can imagine the diversity is everywhere,” Alexandre said. “The way we talk about vaccines in the emerging market is different than the way we talk about vaccines in the mature market. Having that diversity around the table, having people from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe brings a different perspective, not only on how we should think about conditions and treatment, but also how we work together. That's the richness of cultural differences, and bringing those differences together makes us better.”

Acknowledging that richness and finding ways to leverage those differences — to make the company, and the far-reaching work we do, more inclusive and more impactful — is exactly what the Summit is for.

Ramcess Jean-Louis closed with this message: “The more diverse we are, the better we can serve the diverse communities we live in. Our colleague resource groups have been key change agents, helping us build a trusted, equitable, and inclusive culture.”