Insights
Diversity is key to businesses’ success – Steve Collis
Respect underpins company culture at AmerisourceBergen
Organizations lacking a diverse workforce will not thrive, according to Steve Collis, CEO of Pennsylvania-based AmerisourceBergen. The Fortune 10 company is a leading provider of global healthcare solutions and recently announced a multibillion-dollar acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Alliance Healthcare businesses.
“It is no good having any one demographic in a business,” he told guests at the latest My Journey webinar hosted by Stonehage Fleming in early July. “You need different people – with different ages, different perspectives and different experiences. It is very important.”
It’s a lesson Steve learned from the beginning of his career in the healthcare sector. Having joined AmerisourceBergen more than twenty years ago, he went on to lead specialty and wholesale distribution and related services businesses before becoming CEO.
Steve and his leadership team believe that it’s AmerisourceBergen’s responsibility to sustain and continuously create a culture of respect that its 42,000 team members worldwide can be proud of, explained Steve.
“I make a point of listening to everybody and appreciating what every single person in the company does,” he said. “I don’t think there is anyone at AmerisourceBergen who I wouldn’t want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with.”
Continuing to build a robust diversity and inclusion strategy, said Steve, is a top priority for AmerisourceBergen as the company continues to grow its global footprint. Among its many initiatives are Employee Resource Groups that support talent management, enhance workforce engagement, and support community responsibility. AmerisourceBergen also provides team members with a variety of resources for fostering their mental health, while holding leadership accountable when it comes to ensuring diverse hiring practices.
“We have attracted wonderful people, and we’ve done a better job of integrating them into our program so that they feel connected to our purpose of being united in our responsibility to create healthier futures,” Steve added.
Steve Collis was speaking a Stonehage Fleming My Journey webinar.