Creating community & celebrating success at GSK

GSK has been a close partner with Google for a number of years, which is how GSK was first introduced to #IamRemarkable. After making great strides to launch the program internally, the global pandemic hit. Almost overnight, thousands of employees began working in isolation, and #IamRemarkable had another role to play: to not only help promote diversity and support underrepresented groups, but also maintain human connections on a personal level. 

“The initiative has helped create and strengthen the community,” said Louise Kristensen, Global Head of Partnerships at GSK Consumer Healthcare. “Arming employees with the skills to talk about their achievements amidst a virtual working environment has been so valuable.” 

Within a few months, the program had participants from more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Canada, India and Brazil. The GSK team was able to quickly scale and grow the program because workshops were held virtually instead of in-person, making it easier to expand. The feedback from the workshops has been unanimously positive, with participants giving an average satisfaction rating of 4.8/5.

“I was on a call with a colleague I’d never met in person,” says Tamara Savitz, US Brand Manager. “She said she’d felt so empowered from the #IamRemarkable session, that she’d put herself forward for a promotion because she was now able to see herself in a new light.” 

Tamara also reflects on how the program has personally impacted people across the business, including herself. “After my first session, I felt empowered and wanted to see what other opportunities were available within GSK. I ended up applying for a job that was a promotion for me — whereas in the past I would have applied only if I was very confident I would get the job.” 

Tanya Ford, US Commercialization Manager at GSK, has also seen how the program tangibly changes people’s behaviour. “After attending a workshop,” she says, “many people told me how they’d walked away with a different perspective — not only of themselves but also the people they work with.”

Since its initial rollout, growing and scaling the program has become a priority for GSK. “There’s a synergy between #IamRemarkable and GSK’s culture, which starts with the health of our employees and ensuring that they’re empowered to bring their full self to work,” explains Crystal Collier, Global Digital Marketing Director. “We want to make the program a natural part of our culture — to benefit our teams, talent, and the relationships we have with our managers.” 

After GSK’s first workshop in May 2020, the program has been rolled out across 14 markets and various business functions, including HR, Global & Local Marketing, and Digital teams. “We’re really proud of the impact it’s had on our inclusion and diversity efforts,” says Meredith Herman, GSK’s VP Head of Marketing EDGE. “The emotion and delight our teams have received from participating has been amazing.”

In fact, staff at every level of the organisation are experiencing the positivity generated by #IamRemarkable, including GSK’s VP Global Head of Media, Scott Grenz. “People on my team who are engaged in leading #IamRemarkable at GSK are bringing a renewed positive energy and passion into the team as a result”. 

Since lockdown, the team at GSK has been exploring ways to maintain the positivity generated by #IamRemarkable, and help it grow as part of their company’s culture. “It’s been amazing to see the participation across GSK in the program,” adds Meredith. “We definitely look forward to continuing to celebrate what makes each of us remarkable.”