Delix Therapeutics and Pfizer UK Recognized as Gender Equity Champions for Women in the Workplace by Healthcare Businesswomen's Association

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To showcase the impactful commitment and outcomes of equitable practices for women in the workplace, the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) recognizes Delix Therapeutics and Pfizer UK Ltd., for game-changing initiatives working to close the gender gap in the healthcare and life science industries. The awards will be presented on Thursday, 3 November, in conjunction with HBA's Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

HBA's Advancement. Commitment. Engagement (ACE) Awards recognize companies committed to ensuring that gender diversity and leadership opportunities for women are part of their organizational DNA. An independent panel of healthcare industry leaders selects ACE Award recipients for their excellence in advancing their female talent and removing the systemic barriers preventing timely progress to parity. Award criteria include measurable results, business performance, stewardship, execution, and sustainability.

"The HBA is honored to celebrate two global industry champions for their conviction and progressive approach to helping women reach their full potential through their respective workplace initiatives," said Wendy White, Interim CEO, HBA. "These programs align with HBA's vision of advancing women into positions of influence and decision-making that ultimately will help improve health equity and outcomes for women around the world."

Like their drive to push the frontiers of neuroplasticity research, Delix Therapeutics is also pushing the standards of gender representation in the workplace. Based in Massachusetts, Delix Therapeutics is a pioneering neuroscience company developing novel neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics for serious psychiatric and neurological conditions. The company is advancing a platform of non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens and aims to broaden patient access to safe, fast-acting, and long-lasting treatments for a range of brain disorders worldwide.

Delix has worked to build an intentional, inclusive culture aligned with its mission to "rewire the brain to heal the mind." The company's executive team is equal in its gender representation and two-thirds of its hires company-wide so far this year identify as women. Delix credits its focus on "Culture from the Start" as being instrumental in fostering an environment where the team is encouraged to be their authentic selves and each member has a voice in all the company does. As Delix is advancing the first of these novel therapeutics to the clinic in H1 2023, the team is rapidly growing and Delix has been able to attract, retain, and engage a world-class team that is talented, diverse, and focused on transforming how mental health is treated.

The gender pay gap is a frequent topic of conversation related to inequities women face in the workplace. This year, the HBA is recognizing efforts to close the gap by one of our veteran Corporate Partners, Pfizer. Pfizer's purpose globally is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients' lives. To support that, Pfizer UK has pledged to become as diverse as the patients and communities it serves, addressing the issues that stand in the way of their purpose. In the third quarter of 2019, Pfizer UK finalized its Closing the Gender Pay Gap strategy which consists of five impactful initiatives to achieve gender balance, recalibrating the gender distribution across the different levels of business.

The strategy's impact can already be measured in the marked reduction of Pfizer UK's gender pay gap, which dropped from 15.9 percent in 2018 to 7.5 percent in 2021. Since the strategy was introduced, female applications for senior roles and the number of women holding senior roles have risen by double digit figures.

The Closing the Gender Pay Gap strategy is recognized as a best practice within Pfizer, winning the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) award in October 2021. It has also won accolades from the Top Employers Institute, which recognized Pfizer, with a DEI score of 100 percent, among its top five positions in the UK in 2022.

The 2022 ACE Awards honorees will join an elite group of organizations committed to fostering programs that deliver impactful and measurable results for industry women. Throughout the year, the award-winning initiatives are highlighted across HBA's extensive network. A list of previous ACE awards recipients can be found here. 

The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare. With representation in countries across the globe, the HBA serves a community of nearly 70,000 individuals and 180 Corporate Partners. The HBA provides networking forums to build relationships; knowledge sharing and access to thought leaders to broaden perspective; educational programs to develop leadership skills; and high-profile industry recognition of outstanding women and companies to promote visibility of their achievements.

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