Building Bridges to Elevate Inclusivity
Connecting with Baxter's resource group for Asian employees
In the U.S., May is recognized as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, with the theme for 2022 of Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration. To learn more, we spoke with the three co-presidents of Baxter's Asian Leadership Network (ALN) business resource group (BRG), whose mission is to promote a sense of community and empowerment for employees of Asian descent to excel at Baxter.
Q: How is ALN working to advance leaders during AANHPI Heritage Month? What are some of the key issues that ALN is helping Baxter to address?
ALN advances leaders by creating a forum for employees of Asian descent to network and develop mentoring relationships. May is our Signature Month, during which we hold a series of events open to the entire company – including career panels, exercise classes and external speakers. We also host discussions around important topics ranging from career development to addressing the recent wave of violence towards the AANHPI community. These conversations allow us to keep a pulse on the community’s needs here at Baxter.
Mitchell, Vice President, Finance – Medication Delivery, Acute Therapies, Clinical Nutrition, Latin America and Canada
Q: Collaboration is a central piece of your Signature Month programming for 2022. How does Baxter encourage collaboration among employees?
In order for collaboration to flourish, I believe companies must first establish a culture of trust and respect that encourages employees to hold themselves accountable and take ownership for their work. At Baxter we’re striving to do just that. Within such a trusting environment, decisions can be made at a lower level, which increases organizational agility.
Sung, Director, Global Brand Protection & Channel Strategy – Front Line Care
Q: How does ALN help Baxter advance diversity, equity, and inclusion to enhance a culture of belonging and engagement?
I think one of the things ALN does well is build understanding organization-wide about Asian people and cultures. We have a talented team of leaders who are also diverse in terms of culture, job role, expertise, gender, race, and religion, but also about our ideas for advancing inclusion across Baxter. Like all our BRGs, we continually promote a culture of openness and inclusivity, encouraging all employees to be their true self at work.
Kuljinder, Director – Medical Affairs