Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: No. 6 in the DiversityInc Top 50

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation logo
Company Information

U.S. Headquarters: East Hanover, N.J.
U.S. Employees: 7,822
Last Year’s DiversityInc Top 50 Ranking: No. 13
Why It’s on the List

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has been consistently improving under the leadership of President André Wyss, who was recently promoted to U.S. Country Head and President of Novartis Corporation. Those efforts have resulted in the company’s first appearance in the top 10, a remarkable accomplishment considering the enhanced competition this year.

Wyss, who accepted Novartis’s award as DiversityInc’s Top Company for Talent Pipeline last year, has helped the company increase its women in management by holding executives accountable for D&I results. He meets with resource groups, signs off on diversity metrics and is a visible proponent of inclusion. All of his direct reports are executive sponsors of resource groups.

Rhonda Crichlow, Vice President and Head of U.S. Diversity & Inclusion, has been focused this year on improving the company’s D&I efforts, including strategic communications and increased use of resource groups for talent development.

The company had several remarkable D&I achievements in 2012, including the November launch of FLEXCONNECT, a comprehensive online tool that offers guidelines and information about different flexible-workplace options. In addition, the company continued to improve the tracking of its mentoring program, starting with its Open Mentoring initiative, which provides short- and long-term arrangements.

All of the top two levels of the organization participate in the formal, cross-cultural mentoring program, which includes cultural-awareness training for mentors.

Novartis has effective resource groups, used for multicultural marketing as demonstrated at our Innovation Fest! They also are used for diversity training and talent development. Resource-group participation has been increasing in the past two years.

The company offers comprehensive, multi-year D&I training, including 12 courses designed for all levels of the organization and delivered in a blended learning environment (classroom and online). Resource-group members participate in the pilot of each required diversity-training class.
Other DiversityInc Lists
  • No. 4 The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention
  • No. 5 The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian-Americans
  • No. 5 The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women
Diversity Leadership
André Wyss
U.S. Country Head, Novartis and
President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

“Now more than ever, customers and patients are counting on us for breakthrough medications that address increasingly complex, unmet needs. I believe that the collective wisdom of our diverse workforce, combined with our inclusive, high-performing team culture can spark innovation and help take our business—and our ability to make a difference in the lives of patients—to the next level.”
Rhonda Nesmith Crichlow
Vice President and Head of U.S. Diversity & Inclusion

“At NPC, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is aligned with our company’s mission and fundamental to the achievement of our strategic business priorities. It’s also the engine that drives so much of what our associates do every day to meet the needs of patients—collaborate for exceptional results, create stronger customer connections and enhance the communities we serve.”
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