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Diversity

“Having worked in different parts of
the globe, I have experienced the
value of diversity: it strengthens an
organisation through the richness
of ideas and opinions brought by
people with different gender, ethnic
or cultural origins.”

Pascal Soriot, Head of Commercial Operations

A diverse workforce provides the inspiration and innovation on which our business depends. At Roche, we are committed to creating an environment that encourages and supports diversity, to share new ideas, new ways of working, and bring out the best in our employees.

As a multinational company, Roche has a tradition of employing people from a diverse range of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. The Group employs people from 140 countries. Our headquarters in Basel is a melting pot of diversity with more than half of employees there originating from outside Switzerland. Innovation, flexibility and creativity stem from diversity, helping Roche tackle future challenges. More than half of our sites outside Switzerland are headed by general managers from the local country, and 75% of other management positions are held by locally-recruited employees.

An equal-opportunity employer
Roche does not tolerate any form of discrimination based on gender, race, age, skin colour, nationality, religion, marital status, sexual preference, background, physical or mental disability, or any other grounds.

There has been an encouraging rise in the proportion of women employees at Roche in recent years. The percentage of women in management has also increased. Our affiliates in Austria, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Philippines and Thailand are all headed by women. Women occupy eight of the Group’s top 120 positions.

Employee-Diversity

Case study – Inspiring diversity
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Being a woman has never been a career barrier to Vesna Cizej, Adriatic Management Centre Head and General Manager of Roche in Slovenia. “We are all different. Intelligence is independent of race, gender and geography,” she says. “And it is this strength of talent, with these combined differences that become the foundation for our success.”

Acknowledging diversity in Roche’s workforce has allowed Vesna to adapt her leadership style to meet the needs of individual employees. She knows the importance of having an overall vision for her team but that communicating that vision requires fine-tuning. “You must be fully engaged in communicating that vision to every person in ways that are meaningful and motivational to them,” Vesna says.

Ultimately, it’s all about what an employer offers its staff to keep them inspired. At Roche, this is the opportunity to be part of something important. “I can see where my contribution is making a real difference to people’s lives. This renews the passion and energy I have for my work,” Vesna concludes.