Jessica Krokoff, Victoria Summers and Bess Spaargaren from the New York and Evanston offices.

Every March, ZSers around the world come together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). During this time, Women@ZS—one of our inclusion and belonging (I&B) groups—hosts in-person and virtual office events, encouraging ZSers to reflect on the IWD’s 2023 theme, one that closely aligns with our culture: #EmbraceEquity.

Creating an equitable workplace is something we’ve long been committed to at ZS.

In 2019, Women@ZS hosted an event—sponsored by BPeace—that focused on closing the “design gap,” the inequality that exists when products are designed primarily by men for men, often overlooking the unique needs of women. That event inspired a bold initiative: redesigning the workplace to eliminate hidden barriers and foster inclusion by design. The team’s research uncovered many challenges women face across our industry—and laid the groundwork for deeper change.

2023’s IWD sessions celebrated the accomplishments of women ZSers, shared our ongoing research and pilot programs, and activated our allyship community with tangible ways to #EmbraceEquity.

Where passion changes lives

To live our values—treat people right, get it right, do the right thing—ZS has implemented training and educational initiatives that support equity and inclusion. Topics like bias in hiring and inclusive leadership are core to our I&B learning strategy.

We also offer learning programs focused on allyship, including Empowering Allies and Champions (EACH)—a five-week experience that guides male leaders through self-reflection, interviews and interactive sessions. Participants have described EACH as “one of the most eye-opening journeys I've experienced professionally” and say it helped move them “from vague notions to awareness, intention and ultimately action.”

Read below to learn how ZSers around the world #EmbraceEquity every day:

“The first step must be our own. The only way to show our belief in something is to reflect it in our own life and lead by example. Embracing equity is a belief I live with—not just on IWD, but every day.

In the last year, I’ve enjoyed being part of the Path to Principal program. My biggest takeaway is the rich network of fellow women PAMs in India who may be struggling with the same dilemmas. We’ve built strong relationships and inspire each other in many ways. The power of a network is real.

Wishing everyone a happy Women’s Day—more power to this group!”

—Anuja Chandan, Decision Analytics Manager, Pune

“Women@ZS is a community that helped me grow professionally and navigate career choices.

It was especially meaningful to have a platform that covered both career development and personal milestones—like starting a family. These sessions were not just informative, they helped with long-term planning.”

—Jung Hyun Kim, Associate Consultant, Singapore

“I’ve been fortunate to lead the allies function for Women@ZS in Europe for the past few years.

Our aim is to build a culture of allyship—raising awareness around gender equity and helping foster a more inclusive workplace for everyone.

Recently, we launched the ‘4 Faces of a Champion’ initiative, showing how allies can support women in different ways. It’s been a continuous journey of learning and taking consistent action toward gender equity.”

—Josh Weekly, Strategy Insights and Planning Consultant, London

“Women@ZS has always given me a strong sense of community and support.

Some of the most powerful moments come from in-office events where women gather to share their thoughts, beliefs and struggles. As a local office lead in Frankfurt, I aim to build awareness for Women@ZS across all genders and plan events that create moments of connection and impact.”

—Nadezhda Hristova, Strategy Insights and Planning Consultant, Frankfurt

“I helped develop ZS’s first allyship training for junior ZSers—a condensed, three-week version of the executive program for our emerging pharma team.

This experience made me proud to be part of a company willing to invest in creating a safer, more inclusive workplace.

I’ve learned that even small words and actions matter. Allyship is something we all can—and should—practice daily.

While I’m early in my allyship journey, I’ve started recognizing the privilege I hold and the responsibility to amplify my female colleagues and speak up when needed.”

—Rory Plewman, Strategy Insights and Planning Associate, San Diego

“For me, International Women’s Day is both a celebration and a moment of reckoning.

It’s a time to ask: How successful are we at creating an equitable environment? At increasing representation? At removing hidden barriers and truly transforming ZS culture, systems and tools?

This year, we expanded our investment in equity by welcoming Lauren Fryc (pictured above) as our full-time global program lead for Women@ZS, based in Boston.

We continue to grow equity action programs that support groups with specific needs. I’m encouraged by the ground swell of support across ZS—and I pledge to keep growing as an inclusive leader.”
—Anne Brocchini, Women@ZS Strategy and Innovations Lead, San Francisco

Thank you to all the ZSers who #EmbraceEquity and continue building a more inclusive world.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Life at ZS

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