Breaking Boundaries: How Diversity Fuels Innovation in Teva’s R&D Management Team

"Men must recognize their pivotal role in driving the change we wish to see - it’s a call to action.
While having women allies and sponsors is vital, we absolutely need more men in positions of influence to effect meaningful change. They are essential sponsors, and I hope they understand the impact they can have.” - Heather De Luca, Head of Global Program Leadership, Teva Global R&D

In today's dynamic medicine development landscape, diversity has emerged as a key driver of innovation.01 Teva's R&D management team exemplifies this principle, showcasing an equal balance of women and men members and a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives. Meet Heather De Luca, Head of Global Program Leadership, R&D; Eric Hughes, Head of Global R&D and Chief Medical Officer; and Sophie Lamle, SVP, Head of Innovative Medicines, R&D. Together, they offer valuable insights into how diversity, particularly gender, influences the development of groundbreaking ideas and solutions.

Tell us about your leadership philosophy and how it shapes the way you lead teams?

Eric: Over the last twenty years, I've developed a passion for leading organizations. My leadership style involves bringing diverse teams of people together. This was sparked by my early experiences working with different groups. I found that the magic of medicine development is made when people come together collaboratively. When they're unified, they bring their best selves to the project; it’s a lot of fun!

Sophie: For me, leadership revolves around being solution-oriented and having a vision of where we want to go. It's about fostering an environment where challenging questions are welcomed and an inclusive culture thrives. The emphasis is not on seniority but on creating a flat hierarchy where all voices are heard and valued. I’ve found that some of the most surprising solutions to problems have come from unexpected places. Everyone has their passions, interests, and experiences, so by creating an open environment, people can share their thoughts and ideas; that's how to get the best solutions.

Photo features the R&D Management Team

How do you stay agile and at the forefront of best-in-class innovations?

Eric: In a word, curiosity! Fueling our curiosity and allowing people to be creative around their thoughts is at the core of what drives me. I believe it’s what drives a lot of scientists. So, connecting that with the purpose of helping patients is the how. You must create an environment where everyone is encouraged to develop their own ideas across all the different teams.

Heather: From my perspective, it also comes down to maintaining curiosity and leveraging our networks. Being in the industry for decades, you naturally build a vast network. Staying curious about developments in your network is a way to remain connected to what others are doing. Pairing this with technology can enhance efficiency and expedite medicine development.

Sophie: Another aspect is embracing risk. Many individuals are wary of taking risks, yet if you are going to truly innovate, you need to take risks. Therefore, we must cultivate a culture where failure is acceptable.

Diverse perspectives often fuel innovation. Have you seen examples of this in your own careers?

Eric: You must identify and use the value people bring to you. After all, I don't want to hire “Yes, people.” I want to hire people who are smarter than me and figure out ways of doing things better. So, it doesn't matter who you are—a man, a woman, black, white, whatever geography you're in. Everyone has a unique and strong talent.

A great example is when Heather and I were tasked to restructure a large medicine development organization in China, introducing a modern matrix approach to a traditionally top-down company. We appointed a leader with wonderful experience in developing medicines and empowered the local team to think innovatively based on their market's needs. This empowerment fostered a vibrant culture under the guidance of a remarkably creative and insightful woman leader.

Heather: The outcomes were exceptional, focusing the programs and significantly accelerating medicine development. Learning to integrate the Chinese perspective into the global organization, and vice versa, and creating avenues to incorporate these perspectives into the overarching medicine development strategy was an incredibly rewarding experience.

Around the world, men continue to dominate leadership roles; how can we ensure that more women pursue senior leadership positions?

Sophie: I believe there remains a massive issue with unconscious bias. For instance, in a previous workplace, I worked for an almost entirely male company. That's primarily one of the reasons I left. There were 180 partners in the company, three of whom were women. This lack of representation influenced my decision to leave, as I didn’t see myself progressing as a partner there. Having senior leaders who are diverse has a profound impact on people's willingness to commit to a company.

Heather: We must ensure women have access to the right opportunities much earlier in their careers. For example, what kinds of training do we need for women to prepare for senior roles in the future? In my view, it's about mentorship and sponsorship, people who can help create the path and remove some of the existing barriers.

It’s a call to action because I think some of the best sponsors I've ever had have been men. Men must recognize their pivotal role in driving the change we wish to see. So, while having women allies and sponsors is vital, we absolutely need more men in positions of influence to effect meaningful change. They are essential sponsors, and I hope they understand the impact they can have.

Sophie: This call to action for male sponsors is key. Eric has made fantastic progress for Teva, and R&D is an excellent example of the direction we hope to head. As someone new to the organization, I’ve experienced a welcoming and collaborative environment. It's been a pleasure getting to know everyone on the team.

Eric: Finally, hiring women and people from diverse backgrounds is actually how we will stay competitive as a company. From the variety of experiences to different perspectives and unique determination, I see firsthand the enormous benefit diversity brings to my own teams.

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   Woolley, Anita W., et al. (2023) Diversity, Inclusion, and Team Innovation: A Meta-Analysis. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296316000977