Inclusion, diversity
and equity
Inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) are core to Vertex’s ability to create and deliver transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. We believe in ID&E not only because it’s the right thing to do, and it is, but also because our business depends on it. We are the most innovative, make the best decisions for patients and attract the highest caliber of talent when we have an inclusive, diverse and equitable workforce and culture. Learn more about our ID&E journey, progress and priorities.
Inclusion
Our Priority: Fostering a culture where each employee has a strong sense of belonging because they feel, and are, valued for sharing their perspectives and challenging ideas across differences
Our Approach: Equip all Vertexians with the skills and resources to activate and live ID&E in their daily interactions and decisions
Diversity
Our Priority: Ensuring that our workplaces reflect the rich diversity of our communities, recognizing that each of us is different based on our life experiences, identities, backgrounds and cultures
Our Approach: Invest to address gaps in representation in our talent pipeline, with a focus on racial, ethnic, cultural and
gender equity
Equity
Our Priority: Promoting balanced representation and fair treatment by providing the opportunities, information and resources needed so each of our employees can grow and thrive
Our Approach: Embed inclusive and equitable practices throughout the employee experience
We have a longstanding commitment to ID&E
Our formal ID&E efforts began in 2014 with the opening of our first Learning Lab and our support of STEAM education in the community.
Soon after, we launched our Employee Resource Networks (ERNs), which strengthen community and belonging within Vertex across functions and levels; provide employees with access to peer and executive mentors and professional development; and amplify the voices, insights and experiences of colleagues from traditionally underrepresented groups.
Our Global Employee Resource Networks (ERNs)
BRAVE
Recognizes the veteran and first responder community and promotes the unique talents of these employees
IWILL
Inspiring Women in Leadership and Learning
Seeks to strengthen Vertex’s efforts in attracting, retaining, developing and enhancing the career satisfaction of women, contributing to their professional advancement
Vertex PRIDE
Supports, provides visibility of, and celebrates our LGBTQ+ employees and allies
VIBE
Vertex Includes Boundless Ethnicities
Supports the empowerment and growth of our racially and ethnically diverse employees as leaders, building a diverse community based on trust and respect
ID&E Week
We launched our inaugural ID&E Week in 2017 to provide an opportunity for Vertexians to connect and explore the important role ID&E plays in our business, culture and communities. We recognize that ID&E must be activated and sustained every day throughout the year, this annual program provides a forum for Vertexians to intentionally pause, re-energize and learn more about the impact of ID&E. We come together as a community, commit to the important role we each play in advancing ID&E at Vertex, and celebrate progress toward our aspiration of fostering an inclusive and equitable culture that enables all people to thrive. Our seventh ID&E Week in 2023 focused on the theme of 'Game Changers' — a call to action for Vertexians to learn from game-changing leaders, advance ID&E, and be inclusive team members and leaders. Learn more about ID&E Week.
Ongoing Learning
In 2019 we began formal ID&E learning for our senior leaders and in 2020, we developed and released a training to all employees on unconscious bias in the workplace. In 2021 we introduced the LIVE ID&E Learning Portfolio, a comprehensive learning portfolio to provide employees with resources to listen, learn and advance their fundamental understanding of what it means to LIVE ID&E at Vertex. Through this portfolio, employees Learn key concepts, are provided with tools to Implement the concepts in their daily interactions, Validate what works, and Embed ID&E in our systems and processes.
We have focused efforts to increase the diversity of our candidate pools and hires
Our career growth programs are critical to nurturing a diverse pipeline of talent. We have robust summer internship, co-op and industrial placement programs and have established several flagship programs such as: Vertex Fellows, Physician Investigators, PharmD Fellows and MBA Summer Associates. We're intentional about ensuring these programs provide equitable access to individuals from communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in biotech.
We know we can’t do this work alone; we partner with organizations that allow us to drive equity across the entire educational and career journeys of students and young people in our communities.
Our partner organizations
We invest beyond our four walls to promote equity and justice in our communities
Our efforts in ID&E go beyond the workplace. In 2020, Vertex and the Vertex Foundation committed $4 million over three years to fight racism and injustice around the world. This commitment includes:
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$1.5 million commitment from the Vertex Foundation to help establish the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. The Center represents a collaborative, multidisciplinary research and education effort in pursuit of social justice and equity.
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The Vertex Foundation was one of the first funders of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, a coalition of Black and Brown executives in Massachusetts who have come together to leverage their individual and collective power to eliminate systemic racism and racial inequity throughout Massachusetts.
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Vertex expanded support to long-time partners, including the Boston Private Industry Council, Bottom Line and the Biomedical Science Careers Program, while the Vertex Foundation increased its commitments to City Year and Equal Justice Works.
Chiruza Muhimuzi, Vertex Science Leader Scholar and student at the University of Massachusetts, speaks at Bottom Line’s annual Rise Up Gala.
We're proud to be recognized for our efforts in ID&E
Forbes
Best Employers for Diversity
Forbes
America’s Best Employers for Women
Fortune
Best Workplaces for Women
Human Rights Campaign
Corporate Equality Index
STEM Workforce Diversity
Top 50 Employers
Women Engineer magazine
Top 50 Employers for Women Engineers
Seramount
100 Best Companies
We have made progress and recognize that achieving true excellence in ID&E takes a sustained push. We are committed to doing even more.
Employee and board of director demographics
Promoting gender equity
We have made progress and recognize that achieving true excellence in ID&E takes a sustained push. We are committed to doing even more to promote gender equity throughout our organization.
Data as of December 31, 2023
Investing to address gaps in representation
We have made progress and recognize that achieving true excellence in ID&E takes a sustained push. We are committed to doing even more to address gaps in representation, with a focus on racial, ethnic and cultural equity.
Data as of December 31, 2023
Advancing ID&E with our leadership
The diverse perspectives of our board, combined with decades of experience, is critical to the guidance and stability they provide to help us execute on our mission.
Data Transparency
We have been committed to ID&E for years, and we measure and hold ourselves accountable to progress across our key focus areas for inclusion, diversity and equity. We’re continuing to focus on intentionally embedding ID&E throughout our global organization and across all of the work that we do. We invite you to learn more about our ID&E journey, progress and priorities.
We are committed to greater data transparency, and that’s why we are sharing our Federal Employer Information Report, known as EEO-1. These data are based on U.S. federal government requirements that categorizes roles into 10 job categories, each with seven race/ethnicity categories and two gender categories. While this is important data to collect and share, it does not fully reflect all of Vertex’s job levels and titles and is not inclusive of all races, ethnicities and genders.
View our previous ID&E fact sheet.