Alexion Pharmaceuticals has appointed its first chief diversity officer, charged with cultivating “diversity, inclusion and a unique sense of belonging” at the company.
The company, which has a large research presence in New Haven, announced it was elevating Uzair Qadeer to the new post on Aug. 6. Qadeer previously served as Alexion’s head of enterprise partnerships.
The appointment comes amid a summer focused on racial injustice and inequality following protests over the death of George Floyd last June as well as reports that minorities were disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Meanwhile, with the biotech industry examining its own inclusion efforts, the parent organization for BioCT, an advocacy organization for Connecticut’s bioscience industry, has unveiled its “BioEquality Agenda.”
The movement “aims to attack the systemic inequality, injustice and unfair treatment of women and communities of color through the positive force of biotechnology.”
“BioCT is proud to participate in this program and encourages all of our member companies to do the same,” BioCT President and CEO Dawn Hocevar wrote in a recent newsletter.
At Alexion, Qadeer will accelerate efforts “to embed diversity, inclusion and belonging across the company,” including in employee and patient programs, the company said.
He will serve on Alexion’s executive committee and report to CEO Ludwig Hantson.
“Uzair has been instrumental in helping to shape Alexion’s approach to diversity and inclusion to date, and I am confident that, in this new role, he will help us build a stronger, even more inclusive organization, while ensuring every voice within the company is heard,” Hantson said in a statement.
Before joining Alexion, Qadeer held roles at Deloitte’s Human Capital consulting practice and at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also taught at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
“Magnetizing and incubating diverse talent will allow us to harness diverse insights that fuel innovation and create value for the patients we serve,” Qadeer said in a statement. “I am committed to activating this purposeful vision.”
Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com.
