Yesterday, Richard Paulson, CEO of North America, joined other biotech and industry leaders by sharing his reflections on the death of George Floyd and protests in the U.S., as well as the impact that systemic racism continues to have on our society. Read his message and call to action below, which was shared with the North America team.
Sharing my reflections and a call to action
Dear colleagues,
Like many of you, I spent time last week and over the weekend following the news and reflecting on the protests happening across the US and now in many other countries. The death of George Floyd has given us another very sad and stark reminder of the cost of systemic racism within our society.
This recent event follows so many other hundreds and thousands of instances of racial violence that we hear about, and many we don’t. And it builds on top of the daily events – whether unconscious or not – that hold people of color back and limit opportunities for a promising future.
As a leader I have a role and an obligation to understand my own privilege and use it to help give voice and opportunity to those who do not share its benefit. And I ask all of you, my Ipsen colleagues, to take a moment to do the same. As a team, it’s up to us to open the door to hear others and ultimately help lead the change.
Ipsen stands against racism in all its forms and we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment that will lead to greater understanding and a truly open, fair and inclusive society. It is through this respect and embracing of diversity that we will truly unleash our innovation and make the difference that we want to make for each other and the patients we are here to serve.
Thank you for listening, reflecting and taking action to make Ipsen the best it can be – for everyone.
Richard
