Our DE&I Strategy

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – With Heart

At Parexel, we believe that having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization leads to better patient and customer outcomes. It helps us build stronger relationships with patients, sites, customers and suppliers, which ultimately expands access to healthcare and brings medical breakthroughs to traditionally underrepresented patient populations. As we continue fostering a culture that makes everyone feel valued, respected and supported, we believe our teams will thrive and deepen their commitment to the work we do -- With Heart.

Parexel - 2022 Catalyst Award Winner

Aida Sabo is the Senior Vice President and Global Head, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Under her leadership, Parexel launched the gender partnership steering committee in 2014. This led to a culture change and enormous progress across the organization. Representation of women among global leadership grew to 50.3% at the VP level, and representation of women of color improved throughout all levels including a 10% increase at the Senior VP level and a 14.8% increase at the VP level.

Read the transcript

Jamie Macdonald (00:04):

At Parexel, our focus is on the development of new therapies for patients around the world. To succeed as an organization, we need to look like the people we serve globally.

Peyton Howell (00:15):

We first looked inward to address gender inequality within our organization. When we set out in 2013, it was clear, we had work to do.

Aida Sabo (00:25):

In healthcare, women's contribution and representation is significant, yet historically, men are the ones holding most of the leadership positions. In 2014, women made up 64% of our workforce, but at the higher levels, women were largely absent. And our most senior leadership team had only one woman.

Peyton Howell (00:48)

Aida joined Parexel as our first global head of diversity equity and inclusion. Under her leadership, we launched the Gender Partnership Steering Committee in 2014.

Sanjay Vyas (01:00):

We created a culture of speak up, so people had an opportunity to talk openly about gender partnership. This led to a huge culture change.

Aida Sabo (01:09):

We wanted to create a culture where colleagues felt valued, respected, and supported. We launched our Global Women Leadership program in 2013 to help identify top women leaders.

Peyton Howell (01:22):

As a result of our gender partnership initiative, we made enormous progress across our organization.

Aida Sabo (01:29):

Representation of women globally among senior leadership ranks has increased across each job band level between 2014 and 2021. We saw increases at the senior vice president level from third 13.3% to 38.8%, and from 32.3% to 50.3% at the vice president level. In addition, in the United States, representation of women of color in Parexel's workforce increased across several job levels, including an increase from 0% to 10% at the SVP level and 3.3% to 14.8% at the VP level. Parexel's new board is

comprised of 57% women and 29% women of color.

Sofia Baig(02:23):

Countless people have contributed to our journey, but the progress that we have made wouldn't have been possible without the support of our senior leaders. I personally have felt the difference. I, and many of my colleagues have been able to come to work and bring our true selves, our true, authentic selves. We continue to look at ways to improve and do things better so that everyone feels respected, valued, and supported.

Jamie Macdonald (02:46):

I'm hugely proud of the dedication and commitment across Parexel, but there is always more work to be done. And we will keep asking ourselves how can we be better and looking for ways to do more.

Our DE&I Strategy

At Parexel, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategy has evolved and based on input from our colleagues, today focuses on three pillars — our patients, our people, and our suppliers. We believe that diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other differences across these three pillars is key to our success. Our cross-functional, multi-disciplinary team of leaders around the world is committed to ensuring our organization — in our company culture and in practice — is diverse and inclusive. This organization is led by Aida Sabo, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Parexel, who has dedicated her professional and personal life to pushing the status quo and has a mission to align our organization behind our DE&I commitment.

People

Our diverse employee base, where everyone feels valued, helps us better innovate and make a difference in the lives of patients.

Patients

Our patient-first focus ensures therapies are effective across all populations.

Suppliers

Our emphasis on diverse suppliers and partners provides us with a more holistic perspective, allowing us to increase diverse patient engagement.

Awards and Recognition

DIVA Magazine’s 2022 MYGWOMEN list

Jamie Langley, Senior Director and Global Head of Parexel Academy, was included on DIVA Magazine's 2022 MYGWOMEN list. The MYGWOMEN list celebrates LGBTQIA+ women who are changemakers in their communities and industries and are committed to creating tangible changes where everyone can succeed.

2022 HBA Rising Stars and Luminaries

The HBA Luminary award celebrates women leaders who serve as a role model in their company. Aida Sabo was selected for her work actively mentoring and sponsoring others, helping to advance other women’s careers and exhibiting dedication to the healthcare industry.

PROUT AT WORK-Foundation's PROUT Voices List

Mano Thiravong, Associate Project Director for Late Phase clinical studies, was named to the PROUT AT WORK-Foundation's PROUT Voices List for his/her commitment to LGBTQ+ equality at work. Mano joined Parexel in September 2008 and is an active member of our PRIDE and Germany DE&I committees and is a performer at Die Schaubühne in Berlin.

2022 Top LGBTQIA+ Voice to Follow on LinkedIn

Liam Paschall, Senior Consultant, Management Development, was ranked as a 2022 Top LGBTQIA+ Voice to Follow on LinkedIn. With a heart for advocacy and a voice for all, Liam is constantly taking actions to achieve LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equality. Liam presented at 2022 DIA on "Transgender and Non-binary Patients Inclusivity in Clinical Research" and is also a member of Parexel's DE&I and Pride committees.

DivHERsity Awards

Parexel India earned DivHERsity Awards in 2022, 2021 and 2020. Our most recent winning categories include Top 20 Most Innovative Practices – Women Returnee Programs, designed to support women in their ability to return to work during the pandemic. Also, Dr. Arjun Narayan was recognized in the Top 20 DivHERSity Champion (Large Enterprises) for his ongoing efforts to promote gender diversity at Parexel. The DivHERsity Awards by JobsForHer recognizes exceptional work done by companies to accelerate female participation and performance in the Indian workforce.

Color’s Power 50 List of Chief Diversity Officers (CDO)

Aida Sabo, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Parexel, was named to the inaugural Power List of 50 Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs). Color’s Power 50 recognizes Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) across the United States who are shaping and innovating the future of diversity, equity and inclusion and belonging.

Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 2022

Parexel is proud to be featured on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index! The Corporate Equality Index is the premier survey benchmarking tool on how corporations across the US and beyond are adopting equitable workplace policies, practices and benefits for LGBTQ+ employees. As a top scorer for three consecutive years, including 2021 and 2020, Parexel is recognized for successfully incorporating equitable practices that ensure our colleagues can thrive and live life authentically.

Catalyst Award

Parexel was named a 2022 Catalyst Award winner by the global nonprofit organization Catalyst. Parexel was recognized for its Leveraging Gender Partnership to Advance Women in Leadership initiative that has evolved the company culture to one where women have the right resources and training to succeed.

Triangle Business Journal

The Triangle Business Journal selected Parexel in their 2021 Leaders in Diversity Awards. This award recognizes small, medium and large companies in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area that strive to reflect diversity in their organization.

India Workplace Equality Index

For the second consecutive year, Parexel has received the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) Bronze Award. The bronze award symbolizes employers who have started their journey to better LGBT+ inclusion in their organizations and/or who are developing policies and activities that promote LGBT+ inclusion for employees.

Forbes

In 2020, 2019 and 2018, Parexel was ranked on Forbes’ list of America's Best Employers for Diversity. Each year, Forbes surveys 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees then ranks employers that received the most recommendations, boasts the most diverse boards and executive, and have the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Black Enterprise

Aida Sabo, Parexel’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, was named a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise in 2020.

Latina Style

Aida Sabo, Parexel’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, was named a Top 10 Corporate LATINA Executives by Latina Style in 2020.

Rosoff Award

Aida Sabo received a Rosoff Award from the AD Club in Boston, which is awarded to individuals and companies who are successfully changing the face of some of New England's largest companies and brands.

White Men as Full Diversity Partners

Aida Sabo received a "Courageous Leader" award from White Men as Full Diversity Partners, an organization that provides DE&I solutions and leadership training to Fortune 500 companies.

“Our culture of inclusion means that everyone is valued, respected and supported, and this commitment extends beyond our colleagues to include our customers, patients and partners. Our “We care” guiding principle and “Respect” core value are not hollow words; they were chosen carefully to speak to who we are as an organization and as a culture.”

Jamie Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer

Meet Aida

Aida Sabo, Parexel’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, discusses how bringing industry best practices in diversity and inclusion will allow us to create an environment of inclusivity, so that it becomes an inherent part of Parexel’s DNA.

Learn more

Discussions on Diversity

Parexel’s in-depth research report and interactive microsite featuring patient, academic, and physician voices highlighting the importance of diversity in clinical trials.

Learn more

LGBTQ+ in Clinical Research

Parexel sponsored a webinar with the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) focused on Improving Access to and Experiences by Transgender and Non-Binary Patients in Clinical Research. This session spotlighted the barriers and discrimination in healthcare, discuss the incompleteness of medical and scientific literature, and explore medical and practical considerations for providing care to transgender and non-binary patients.

Watch video

Get to Know Our People

Among the many great things about Parexel is the commitment of our colleagues. When it comes to challenges great and small, we dare to endeavor with heart. Read their stories of how Parexel is inclusive of differences.

Learn more

We are always available for a conversation.

Email *
First Name *
Last Name *
Company *
Title *
Phone
Street
City
State/Province*
Country/Area*
Zip
I'm Inquiring About *
Area Of Interest - Multi
Comments *
Submit

We are always available for a conversation.

Submitting...

First Name

Last Name

Title

Company

Email Address

Country

Comments

Communication Preference

Yes, I would like to receive marketing communications including industry insights and trends from Parexel International.

Communication Preference

I would like to receive marketing communications from Parexel and consent to the processing of the personal data that I provide in accordance with and as described in the Privacy Policy.

Accept Decline

Events

Press Releases

Blog

Webinars

Events

Press Releases

Blog

Webinars

Our DE&I Strategy

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – With Heart

Parexel - 2022 Catalyst Award Winner

Our DE&I Strategy

People

Patients

Suppliers

Awards and Recognition

Forbes

Black Enterprise

Latina Style

White Men as Full Diversity Partners

Meet Aida

Discussions on Diversity

LGBTQ+ in Clinical Research

Get to Know Our People

We are always available for a conversation.

Submitting...

Communication Preference

Communication Preference