Transmuting Diversity & Inclusion: The Will to Survive in 2024, and Beyond
One step at a time. Non-attachment to the outcome. Integrity above appease. Repeat.
These were my mottos for much of 2023. A weekly Monday ritual of repetition that reinforced my mission-aligned work and reminded me that said work was bigger than me. Bigger than any singular organization. These mottos were a palate cleanser that enabled a clear and fresh perspective to the challenges that awaited each week. They were also the rocks I swam to when the weather was not kind and needed a place to weather the storms. Mottos I shared with my colleagues to uplift them when their knees would buckle from the weight of ignorance, indifference and indolence. We take a deep breath as we renew our gratitude for these mottos that will continue to carry us through 2024. A poignant sentiment and reality we must acquiesce, lest we forsake all the painstaking progress.
In 2024, we will add the following motto to the chant - Hope is bigger than defeat. See, the thing about Hope is that she is stubborn. Hope does not comprehend defeat. She does not know setbacks. She rejects defeat. Hope does not miss the forest for the trees. She rises tall above setbacks and always carves a path forward. Hope inspires us to be our best and to always go high. She is a chameleon that adapts to change - not out of appease, but out of grit. Hope embodies the stubborn refusal to give up.
Where are we going with this?
The FDA's exigent demand for diversity & inclusion from drug and device developers is positioned for spectacular dissension amongst a polarized political climate. The work in this space is getting ready to undergo a new phase of acrobatics, adding a fresh coat of complexity to an already rebellious design that rivals Picasso. 2024 will certainly be a year of fierce transmutation for diversity & inclusion in the drug development industry and for the emerging leaders at the forefront of this work. It appears the great skill of building a ship before the flood will be overshadowed by the more elusive talent of building an airplane while it is midflight. The Bermuda Triangle's talent agency must be put on notice - immediately.
If you have worked in the DEI space this last year, I hope I have gotten a few good chuckles out of you. The light in me sees the light in you, fellow warriors. The reality is, progress has been both significant and not enough. In the last half of 2023 alone, we have felt the sharp increase in demand for diversity & inclusion strategy, regulatory deliverables, and operational accountability. The anxiety and restlessness from the industry has been palpable as we grapple with the reality of a new submission/approval element - a total X factor. On a personal level, this has been a validation of Hope's vision - a reinforcement that we are making meaningful progress in that regard.
So what role will public perception play and how might it impact the trajectory of what has quickly become a new specialty vertical for our industry? Do we expect resistance against the momentum we have built? I think we may be asking the wrong questions here. What if we were to ask this question instead: why will the growing influence of perception matter to the work at hand? Besides the evidence that representation in clinical trials can increase commercial success, we have not yet seen any indication that the FDA's position may change - not that they have authority over the legislation that has mandated them in policy.
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Hard at work...right?
The work at hand can be described in two categories - the work that is done to drive systemic, structural, and operational diversity & inclusion innovation, and the work that is done to create, refine, and maintain perception & awareness. The first one can be largely invisible. The latter is critical in aligning stakeholders and harnessing the power of influence and organizational motivators. Take your pick - they are both incredibly challenging and constantly evolving in complexity across therapeutic areas and industry verticals. This work is not going away. In fact, the volume of work in each category will continue to steadily increase over the next year as we head into the hard commercial approval requirements going live in 2025.
We should, however, consider giving more dedicated platform to a third category of work that has had to have a hand in the weeds: thought leadership. I have the great privilege of working alongside industry leaders and colleagues in the diversity & inclusion space. Most of us have been hard at work with our heads down and out of the public platform in 2023. Our efforts have not gone unnoticed and are not without critical impact both for our teams and various other constituents. However, it is a challenge to translate that work into the public eye and garner the interests of stakeholders - stakeholders who can elevate and scale the impact of our work. The need for this type of work is one that industry should consider cultivating, rising above polarized politics and aligning to the common incentives of all stakeholders involved.
This too, shall pass.
The transmutation of "diversity & inclusion" to a less polarized brand is, in my opinion, an inevitable symptom of this year's suspenseful events. And, we must come to terms with and perhaps even embrace a necessary evil along the continuous journey towards health equity. A threshold to cross. A temporary corridor. A mild temporary adverse event that shall resolve without sequelae.
Because Hope is stubborn. Hope does not comprehend defeat. She does not know setbacks. She rejects defeat. Hope does not miss the forest for the trees. She rises tall above setbacks and always carves a path forward. Hope inspires us to be our best and to always go high. She is a chameleon that adapts to change - not out of appease, but out of grit. Hope embodies the stubborn refusal to give up.
Daniel Perez is the Global Head of Health Equity Strategy at Worldwide Clinical Trials, has worked in healthcare and pharmaceutical industry for over 14 years, moving through various progressive roles in health administration, clinical operations, strategic business development, and C-Suite executive management. To date he has led the implementation of over 40 early and late phase clinical trials, overseeing full cycle including protocol development, protocol feasibility, site qualification, site initiation/study start-up, clinical operations, patient recruitment & retention, standard operating procedure & policy writing, and regulatory strategy.
Daniel serves as leader, strategic counselor, and architect for Worldwide's patient engagement, diversity, and inclusion efforts across 60 countries and 5 therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroscience, oncology, and rare disease.
Welcome back to the online world, and congratulations on publishing your first article of 2024! 🎉 As Picasso once said, "Every act of creation is first an act of destruction." Your time away shape-shifting has clearly paved the way for fresh creativity. Can't wait to dive into your insights and see what exciting perspectives you're sharing this year! 🌟📚 Follow us!
Linkedin Top Voice | CEO & Founder at Eureka | Recruitment | Talent strategy | Career expert | SIA 'Staffing 100' Leader
12moThoroughly enjoyed reading this and agree whilst some progress has been made, there is much more to be achieved. It's reassuring to see much greater awareness and conversations about DE&I (which was evident over 2023), particularly as it relates to patient selection. To more action in 2024!
Relentless research ethicist and regulatory consultant. Attorney by trade, rebel by calling.
1yIt is IS a will my friend. And you have it. Inspiring as always 🫶🏼
Bilingual Community Engagement & Outreach and Clinical Research Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Thought Leader | Patient Advocacy & Empowerment Champion | Director-Level Consultant
1yBEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, Daniel A. Perez, CCRP (he/him)!! "Hope is bigger than defeat. See, the thing about Hope is that she is stubborn. Hope does not comprehend defeat. She does not know setbacks. She rejects defeat. Hope does not miss the forest for the trees. She rises tall above setbacks and always carves a path forward. Hope inspires us to be our best and to always go high. She is a chameleon that adapts to change - not out of appease, but out of grit. Hope embodies the stubborn refusal to give up."
Rebel Regulator in Healthcare | Drug & Device Development Executive | Board Member | Care for Rare | Healthcare Innovation, AI, Blockchain, Digital Health & Privacy Geek | DEI Champion | PharmaVOICE100 honoree |
1yLove love love this!!! Hope wins every single time - the relentless pursuit is what keeps people going....