Sayoko Sasaki
Vice President, Corporate Communications & ESG
We asked Ms. Sasaki, who has been at the forefront of diversity as the first female executive officer in Eisai and has faced DE&I issues as the person-in-charge of ESG, about DE&I at Eisai and what is needed for it to permeate throughout the company.
DE&I is a Core Value for Realizing Social Good.
DE&I for Eisai
We believe that the raison d'etre of modern companies is not to pursue short-term profits, but rather to work with diverse partners as members of society to achieve social good and pursue long-term social impact. Companies that can do this will gain trust and be recognized by society, which will lead to increased corporate value. When collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in this process, it is important to understand that each person's position, way of thinking, and beliefs are different. I believe that discussions to solve problems create shared value and lead to innovation. Of course, there are limits to what one person or one company can do. That's why it's important to know how to get the support you need and how to communicate with those around you. DE&I can be said to be a necessary concept and strategy for this purpose. In order to realize social good, which is the core element of the human health care (hhc) concept, DE&I should be the core value of corporate behavior. Eisai has been working to permeate DE&I into its organizational culture, but there is still a lot of work to be done and I would like to further accelerate this.
hhc also had Various Interpretations at First.
It is Important for Top Management to Keep Talking and Create Mechanisms.
What is Necessary for DE&I to Permeate Throughout the Company
DE&I is now a part of a company and its culture, and is no longer something that can be simply declared. If it is not incorporated into the business, it is just words and numbers. When the hhc concept was first introduced, some employees thought of it as a volunteer activity, and there were activities that were completely unrelated to business. It takes time for concepts to penetrate. In this regard, the fact that our CEO himself continues to speak to Eisai employees is a major driving force. Additionally, the company has created mechanisms to promote the hhc concept such as the “Knowledge Creation Department”, established directly under the CEO whose mission is to spread the corporate concept, and the hhc Initiative, where the CEO awards outstanding activities that contribute to the realization of hhc. The hhc concept has permeated and evolved over time, and has now become Eisai's DNA and a source of innovation. I think a similar system is needed for DE&I to truly take root within Eisai.
Personally, I think the proportion of female leaders is still low, and fostering them is an issue. There are many talented female employees within the company. I want to boost them so that they can continue to steadily develop and grow in their careers.
In Order for Each and Every One of Us, as Different Individuals, to Share a Common Purpose and Accomplish Great Things, The Power of DE&I is Needed More Than Ever.
The Future of Eisai and DE&I
I believe that the globalization of R&D in 2009 was a turning point for DE&I at our company. The organization was structured by function without borders, and there were also language barriers. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but as organizations became more globalized, innovations emerged leading to the creation of innovative new drugs like LENVIMA (generic name: lenvatinib) and LEQEMBI (generic name: lecanemab). DE&I is the driving force behind drug discovery innovation.
Additionally, in 2010, we entered into a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, which is our first global and cross-sector partnership to fight neglected tropical diseases, that represents “Diseases of Poverty.” In the future, we will utilize collaboration with other industries to build a dementia ecosystem and aim to contribute to a wider range of people. Eliminating lymphatic filariasis and changing the future of Alzheimer's disease what we are trying to do is a huge undertaking that cannot be accomplished by a single company.That's why we have to understand and empathize with all kinds of people.
There are times when business goes well and times when it doesn’t. We want to be a company where employees always feel that their work is contributing to social good and they can take pride in their work. We want to be a company that partners can trust and say, ”we were able to do this together because it's Eisai.” I believe that the power of DE&I is needed more than ever in order for each and every one of us, as different individuals, to share the purpose of hhc, achieve social good, and grow.