BASEL, Switzerland & BEIJING & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– BeiGene (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global biotechnology company, today announced the appointment of Julius Pryor III as its first Global Head of Diversity and Health Equity, effective immediately.
Mr. Pryor has more than 30 years of experience in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) efforts, having successfully built transformational DEI&B programs for biotechnology companies, as well as global consumer-focused businesses. In this newly created role, he will lead BeiGene’s efforts to elevate the company’s health equity and DEI&B initiatives, ensuring representation is at the forefront in BeiGene’s commitment to colleagues as well as patients, caregivers, and other external stakeholders in combatting disparities in healthcare.
“As a global company determined to deliver accessible and affordable medicines to more patients around the world, health equity and diversity are central values for BeiGene,” said Graham Hardiman, Head of Global Human Resources at BeiGene. “Julius brings a wealth of experience to our team and a commitment to advancing corporate diversity initiatives as well as improving the lives of patients and caregivers. We are excited to expand our efforts in this space under Julius’ transformative leadership.”
In addition to Mr. Pryor’s appointment, BeiGene has formed an internal Diversity & Health Equity Council with the goal of expanding the company’s DEI&B initiatives as well as the affordability and accessibility of its medicines and ensuring greater patient diversity in the company’s global clinical trial ecosystem, which has enrolled more than 20,000 patients to date across more than 45 countries and regions.
“BeiGene is engaging in a fundamental shift in how it jointly considers the unique needs of the company’s diverse external stakeholder base and its employees. I’m excited to join this team at a pivotal moment in its growth and continue to ensure that equity and diversity are at the center of our work moving forward,” said Pryor.
Mr. Pryor joins BeiGene from the J. Pryor Group, where he served as a General Managing Partner. Previously, Mr. Pryor held executive roles at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Genentech, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Russell Athletic, Abbott, Takeda, and Cerner. He was Vice President of Global Diversity at both J&J and CCE, and served as Head of Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion at Genentech. He is chair of the Board of Directors at the Center for Healthcare Innovation, a nonprofit research and educational institute making healthcare more equitable.
