AstraZeneca Celebrate PRIDE 2022

To mark Pride month, Russell Smith shares what it means to be an ally and gives some insight into his role as a member of the Inclusion & Diversity Council.

Pride is an important milestone in the Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) calendar and, as an ally, I’m passionate about being there to support my colleagues, not only during Pride, but all year round.

Being an ally is a continuous learning journey and I have gained a lot from my experience. To be a good ally you must be curious and open. It can be uncomfortable sometimes, but as long as you are accepting that you will make mistakes and, importantly, are prepared to learn from them, you will get a lot from the experience.

I am also a member of the AstraZeneca I&D Council, a group of passionate leaders from all areas of the business who are responsible for championing I&D.

I&D is embedded throughout our organisation, from our purpose and strategy, right through to our Values. We recognise that to be successful we need to work in a way that connects our business, society and the planet. We can only achieve that by creating a culture of inclusion across AstraZeneca which in turn will create higher performing teams and deliver better patient outcomes. 

The I&D Council plays an important role in supporting the AstraZeneca leadership team, securing their commitment to the strategy, and driving top-down action. The Council is chaired by Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca. He is passionate about his role and is a shining example of our commitment and the environment we are trying to create. His involvement sets the standard with all AstraZeneca leaders, that engagement with I&D and behaving authentically and with empathy is vital to business success. 

The I&D Council’s role is twofold; we work to embed and drive our I&D strategy within our teams by role modelling inclusive behaviours and educating, amplifying and demonstrating the impact I&D will have for AstraZeneca and our workforce. We also identify great ideas and initiatives that can be scaled and rolled out across the organisation. One way we do this is through the support of our employee resource groups. These groups are focused on a particular topic and run by employees from across the organisation. This employee-led approach means that we are truly fostering a culture of belonging where everyone feels able to speak their mind and bring their whole self to work.

While the Council unites people who are passionate about inclusion, it’s important to recognise that we all have our own part to play. Supporting I&D is the responsibility of every employee, not just that of the business itself. That’s why I&D is not only woven into our Values, but also into our approach to Performance Development. The holistic approach we take means I&D is not just what you do, it’s about how you show up, and the impact that has on others.

Throughout my time as a Council member, I’ve seen huge growth in awareness of the I&D agenda, alongside an increase in the number of employees ready to become an active part of the change.

So, what’s next? The I&D Council is currently refreshing our three-year plan, which considers how we can better support our employee resource groups across the business and sets out a bold ambition to be an industry role model by 2025. As we celebrate Pride, I’m looking forward to continuing to learn, delivering on our plan, and bringing more employees on our journey of growth.