JAPAN —Olympus Corporation, a renowned global MedTech company has appointed Wenlei Yang as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, effective June 1.
This newly established role is a testament to Olympus’ commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture as part of its global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy.
Wenlei will spearhead the implementation of initiatives aligned with Olympus’ new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) directions, which were unveiled on May 12, 2023.
With her extensive experience and expertise gained from various leadership positions at Olympus since joining the company in 1992, Wenlei brings a wealth of knowledge in global sales and marketing, particularly in regions like China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Shigeto Ohtsuki, Olympus’ Chief Human Resources Officer, emphasizes the evolving expectations of both employees and society regarding DEI and the need for Olympus, as a leading global MedTech company, to stay attuned to these trends.
He believes that the establishment of this crucial role will fortify Olympus’ global governance structure for DEI and praises Wenlei’s multilingual skills and global management acumen as instrumental in driving the organization towards its DEI goals.
Olympus has been steadfast in its commitment to building an inclusive culture and equitable systems, ensuring that everyone, including the communities it serves, is accepted and afforded equal opportunities.
The company has developed a phased plan to advance DEI across all aspects of its operations, with the initial phase focused on laying a strong foundation and subsequently integrating DEI into its daily operations.
Under the DEI strategy, four key themes have been prioritized at the global level. First, the Gender and Life Priority theme aims to provide further support to women employees and caretakers who may face time constraints due to personal life events.
Secondly, the Nationality and Culture theme seeks to increase diversity and ensure equitable access to opportunities irrespective of nationality, culture, or language skills.
The Career and Experience theme aims to enhance employee professional growth and broaden the perspective within teams and the organization.
Lastly, the Inclusive Environment theme strives to create a safe space where everyone can freely express themselves and collaborate effectively.
In addition to ongoing initiatives, Olympus will introduce concrete new initiatives to its global employees, addressing the four key themes.
The company has set key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets to accelerate its DEI efforts. These include achieving 30% representation of women in management roles globally and 13% within Olympus Corporation (Japan) by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028.
Another target is to ensure that all eligible men in Japan take parental leave by FY2026, promoting a culture of work-life balance.
Additionally, Olympus aims to increase nationality and cultural diversity within the organization and improve employee engagement survey scores.
While the aforementioned pillars of age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, (dis)ability, religion, opinions, and political stance are all equally important within Olympus, the company recognizes the importance of regional context in driving diversity and equity within each pillar.
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