I have spent the last 23 years on the executive leadership team of 3 different contract research organizations (CROs), and have been virtually the only person of color on all of them. Reflecting upon diversity and inclusion and the progress we have made to date, I believe we have much work to do together to move beyond initiatives so that diversity and inclusion will be built into the fabric of our organizational cultures.
First, I would like to share a few personal experiences and recent examples of professional encounters:
Example 1: Recently, I gave a talk with one of our client partners to our senior global leaders at a corporate meeting. After I finished my presentation, a colleague came up to me and said, “You are so well spoken, had I closed my eyes, I would have never guessed your ethnic background.”
My response: “Thanks so much for your gracious perspective….. being born and raised in the US, spending all of my education years in the US, and being a global leader for the past 25 years has certainly afforded me the opportunity to master my native tongue in spite of the origin of my parents.”
My inner voice: We still have a long way to go regarding ignorance, unconscious bias, and micro-aggressions.
Example 2: When I describe my executive role to people, at least a dozen times over the last few years, people have presumed that I work in biometrics or information technology.
My response: “Actually, math and computers were my least favorite subjects growing up and though I am proficient at both, it is certainly not my expertise.”
My inner voice: I feel anger that the color of my skin assigns me to a certain skill set, regardless of my educational background and upbringing.
Example 3: An Indian colleague in our office had just closed on buying a house and had done a short Pooja blessing prior to coming into the office. I saw them wearing a red Bindi (a decorative mark worn on the forehead by Hindus traditionally as the “the third eye,” but today also worn as an adornment or a sign of respect during marriage/religious or auspicious occasions) in the bathroom fervently washing it off. I asked the colleague why they were doing so and they indicated that they would feel uncomfortable leaving it on for the entire day because people might think differently of them.
My response: “Being ashamed of your identity, heritage, or beliefs, and feeling the pressure of assimilating is real. Although the Bindi would have been different for people to see, Ash Wednesday will shortly be upon us and many observers will likely come into the office with the ash cross marking on their foreheads after coming from Mass. Many will choose to keep it on all day with little concern.”
My inner voice: It is unfortunate that my Indian colleague was not comfortable in their cultural rituals, whereas Ash Wednesday ashes are an accepted norm that is ordinary to most people.
Example 4: I was raised as a vegetarian, and have had the privilege of extensive world travel over the last 25 years. I have learned to find ways to request special meals and accommodate my diet. Many European and Asian colleagues have been quite understanding of this; however, I find that in the US there is still a stigma or awkwardness when you ask for tofu, a veggie burger, or a falafel patty. In fact, I was recently in a cafeteria line and heard some grumbling as to why I had to be so difficult and require something different.
My response/inner voice: If a person with diabetes had a special meal request based on medical need, there would be significantly more empathy and tolerance. It appears that a request made based on a belief or a preference creates an opportunity for bias and intolerance.
The above examples are my own personal and professional experiences and reflections. These provide me with a firsthand perspective regarding the immediate opportunities we have in creating a diverse and inclusive culture of health, well-being, belonging, and opportunity for everyone, irrespective of their social, cultural, or economic backgrounds.
As President of
ICON Strategic Solutions, I am proud that we openly talk about these issues and work on ways to continually improve. Our Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) mission is to build a more inclusive company through our ambitions involving our patients, partners, people, and communities. I am proud that over the last several years, we have had significant accomplishments and impact. One example is the work we have done in partnership with our clients, as highlighted in
Johnson & Johnson’s 2020 Health for Humanity report. Equally, I was thrilled that ICON’s sustained efforts in this regard were recognized in the
Financial Times European Leader in Diversity 2023 Award List, ranking by far the highest of all CROs.
We have a long way to go and we must all continue to shape our organizations and ecosystems. It is my sincere hope that these important initiatives and focus areas are seen as foundations that were created to break down barriers, thereby making it easier for generations to come.
Together, we all must broaden and build on diversity and inclusion. More than ever, I am up for the challenge.
