ENTERPRISING WOMEN IN COMMERCE
ENTERPRISING WOMEN IN COMMERCE
Wanda Bryant Hope : 2024 Enterprising Woman of the Year
By Jamie Grill-Goodman
Wanda Bryant Hope , COMMERCE Magazine ’ s “ 2024 Enterprising Woman of the Year ,” hopes to leave a legacy of inclusivity that drives innovation and business success for Johnson & Johnson ( J & J ), while also positively impacting the patients and communities it serves .
Bryant Hope , J & J ’ s Chief Diversity , Equity and Inclusion Officer , took home the award at the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey ’ s ( CIANJ ) “ Enterprising Women in Commerce ” awards ceremony in August .
Responsible for advancing J & J ’ s global diversity , equity and inclusion ( DEI ) strategy , Bryant Hope and her global DEI team work across J & J to embed DEI into business strategies . During her career at J & J , she has held various senior business leadership positions , consistently demonstrating an ability to drive growth and profitability , translate in sights to action , and develop and execute global change management strategies .
Chosen from the Enterprising Women in Commerce “ Platinum ” award winners – who have all reached the C-suite or pinnacle of their careers – Bryant Hope ’ s tremendous career accomplishments secured her spot as Enterprising Women of the Year . However , she notes her greatest accomplishment is her son , Tyler . “ He is a remarkable young man , and I am immensely proud of him and the positive impact he is already having on this world !”
Below , COMMERCE sits down with this year ’ s Enterprising Woman of the Year , Wanda Bryant Hope , to learn more about her career , family , and how she inspires others , as well as who inspires her .
Jamie Grill-Goodman : What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your career ? Wanda Bryant Hope : My ‘ best ’ day at J & J happened in 2019 as we were celebrating the 75th anniversary of Our Credo . J & J ’ s Credo outlines the responsibilities we have to our many stakeholders . Our Executive Committee contacted employees worldwide to ensure Our Credo was still relevant to all stakeholders ’ needs . Our diversity , equity and inclusion ( DEI ) team had launched our DEI Vision , Mission , and enterprise strategy the previous year . While DEI had always been a part of Our Credo , our employees requested that we more explicitly call out each person ’ s individual responsibility to DEI . As a result , we made a few edits to our Credo , to address our employees ’ concerns and further reinforce our commitment to DEI . The day the change to Our Credo was announced was one of my proudest moments at J & J !
Grill-Goodman : How are you working to advance Johnson & Johnson ’ s global DEI strategy ? Bryant Hope : At Johnson & Johnson , our global , evidence-based DEI strategy guides our work , helping us to invest resources where we can have the greatest impact . There are three main ways we are advancing DEI at J & J :
◾ We drive DEI by using data and insights to inform our global priorities , embedding DEI throughout our business strategies , and making DEI part of how we work every day .
◾ We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging that encourages employees to be their authentic selves , drives engagement , and creates an environment where everyone can share new ideas . This helps J & J to drive innovation and solve some of the world ’ s most pressing healthcare challenges .
◾ We collaborate with companies , policymakers , academic and advocacy organizations to improve health equity in communities around the world .
By embedding DEI into our business strategies , fostering an inclusive culture and collaborating externally , we have been able to sustain our progress and leadership in DEI . This allows us to better deliver for our patients , communities and colleagues around the world .
Wanda Bryant Hope , Chief Diversity , Equity and Inclusion Officer , Johnson & Johnson , is COMMERCE and CIANJ ’ s 2024 Enterprising Woman of the Year .
Photo : Russ DeSantis Photography and Video
Grill-Goodman : How do you and your team embed DEI into business strategies ? Bryant Hope : Embedding DEI into business and functional strategies is key to driving change . We partner across the global organization to ensure everyone understands our DEI strategy and the value that DEI brings to our organization . It starts at the top of the house with the engagement and support of our Chairman & CEO , Joaquin Duato and Executive Committee ( EC ). Each EC member serves as a sponsor to one of our global enterprise employee resource groups ( ERGs ), demonstrating the importance of DEI to our employees .
We work with our ERGs to strengthen our culture of belonging and drive DEI strategies . Their unique perspectives help drive innovation and growth across our business , leading to better outcomes for our patients , employees , and the communities we serve . We partner with leaders across our organization to help embed DEI into key business Continued
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