McKesson Ventures has signed the Parity.org ParityPledge® in Support of People of Color and in Support of Women. The ParityPledge simply asks that companies commit to interview and consider at least one qualified woman and person of color for every open role, VP and above, including the C-suite and the board of directors. Parity.org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization focused on bringing gender and racial equality to the highest levels of business, calling for “Equal Representation. Now.”
“We are proud to be involved in the ParityPledge,” said Jennifer Carter, partner and VP of operations at McKesson Ventures. “Diversity at all levels, particularly at the leadership level, is absolutely necessary to push innovation boundaries. Since joining McKesson Ventures eight years ago, I am especially proud of our early and deliberate efforts to recruit and develop diverse talent. We now have one of the most diverse teams in the venture industry and our female partners outnumber male. At McKesson Ventures we see this commitment as a natural extension to our mission of creating a more equitable and navigable healthcare ecosystem for all.”
Diversity in leadership has many benefits: companies that have more racial and ethnic diversity are more innovative and 35% more likely to have financial returns above the industry median. In the United States, there is a linear relationship between gender and racial diversity in leadership and better financial performance. Yet women and people of color experience more microaggressions, lower pay, discrimination, and fewer opportunities for advancement than their white counterparts, and are represented at much lower numbers in leadership than white men.
“We are so pleased to have McKesson Ventures join us in this important commitment to underrepresented groups. It’s clear that we can, and must, do more to increase pathways for women and all communities of color,” said Cathrin Stickney, Parity.org founder and CEO. “I hope that by bringing this simple pledge to the forefront, more companies will be open to changing how they recruit and hire underrepresented executives, because we need women and people of color at the table and in decision-making roles.”