Boston Scientific was honored with a 2022 Catalyst Award, the premier recognition of organizational diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives that drive representation and inclusion for women. The award will be presented during an awards ceremony on March 17, 2022.

“A culture that values diverse perspectives drives us all to be better and think differently—and that’s how we can solve healthcare’s toughest problems,” said Mike Mahoney, chairman and chief executive officer, Boston Scientific.

In 2017, Boston Scientific asked employees globally, “Do men and women with equal ability, education, and experience also have equal opportunities for promotion at our company?” The results were telling: Women answered 14 percentage points less favorably than men. Similarly, Black women and men in the US and Puerto Rico responded with lower ratings toward career opportunities compared to their peers of other racial and ethnic identities.

At Boston Scientific, advancing science to bring meaningful innovations to patients around the world requires the diversity of thought, skill, and experiences of every employee. The company’s Creating Equal Opportunities for Growth initiative was a global effort to support the acceleration of career advancement and address barriers that women and multicultural talent faced at the start of the initiative. The multifaceted initiative ignited a cultural shift that continues to this day.

Core elements include making progress over time to increase workplace diversity, improve diversity awareness and inclusion competency skills for all employees, and expand opportunities for sponsorship and mentoring. The company also increased transparency, accountability, and communication about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and progress.

All employees are responsible for promoting DEI across the organization. Regardless of role or level, they contribute to the betterment of their workplace and communities. The initiative extends into customarily-left-out functions such as sales, clinical trial, and manufacturing teams, who are trained to discuss and understand the impact of racism and other barriers to equitable health care.

Employees serve as leaders of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and members of Inclusion Councils, helping elevate employee voices to enact change. ERG leaders meet regularly with Executive Committee sponsors who provide strategic partnership and guidance, and those ERG leaders receive visibility to top senior leadership as part of their role. Both senior leaders and employees also promote DEI through their involvement on the Global Council for Inclusion.

Between 2017 and 2020, women in executive leadership roles increased from 12.5% to 26.7% (14.2-point increase). Women at director and vice president levels increased from 27.6% to 33.4% (5.8-point increase). Women of color (US/Puerto Rico) in manager and supervisory roles increased from 7.5% to 9.3% (1.8-point increase). The Board of Directors has had three women (30% of the Board), two of whom are women of color, since 2017.