When seasoned healthcare industry executive Ben Whitehouse sits down with his mentee – a pupil from Surrey – he gets as much out of the exchange as he puts in. “It’s rewarding, I hope I can offer some advice on how to navigate the wider world,” says Whitehouse. “But these kids are incredibly robust. When I was 14 I don’t think I was half as switched on as they are.”
With 16 years in the pharmaceutical sector, Whitehouse is one of several employees from pharmaceutical group Sanofi to have signed up for a popular voluntary mentoring scheme that brings the corporate community together with schoolchildren in Guildford. He has also just begun to mentor younger employees within the company, as part of a formal scheme. “We try to meet face to face – a lot of what we cover is how to be effective in the corporate world.”
He works as head of marketing and business operations within Sanofi Pasteur, Sanofi’s specialist vaccine division, which produces approximately 40% of influenza vaccines worldwide, and works with Public Health England to distribute vaccines across the country. “We’re an important partner in delivering public health,” he says. “And we act accordingly. Our credo is written on the walls of the offices: ‘No one should suffer or die from a vaccine-preventable disease.’”
Whitehouse joined Sanofi for a variety of reasons – one of them being the draw of working at the forefront of the innovative field of vaccines. “They are complicated biological products. The UK is well recognised as a leading and innovative provider of vaccines, and we also have some of the highest rates of coverage.”
Being part of a larger group has other benefits. “You can be plugged into a huge company network and all the opportunities that offers – a wealth of expertise and resources from the wider business.”
Like Whitehouse, who’s committed not only to mentoring but also to continuing his own career development, employees can take advantage of the strong culture of learning, says Mary Sullivan, head of people management and talent development at Sanofi UK and Ireland.
“Every year, each employee has the opportunity and is encouraged to create a formal development plan in conjunction with their manager,” she says. “A strong development plan supports great performance and helps the employee fulfil their personal aspirations within Sanofi.
“Employees get the opportunity to articulate career aspirations, roles they might be interested in, willingness to travel and so on, and this is documented and discussed with their manager and visible to human resources. We encourage the employee to be the driver of their career and the manager’s role is as coach and enabler supporting them.”
To reach their professional goals and take control of their career path, employees can take advantage of a range of training and development opportunities, with a focus on broadening their experience and knowledge in other parts of the business; either as formal career moves, or by getting involved in projects outside of their day-to-day remit. There is also a Further Education scheme, formal training courses, mentoring and external coaching, for example.
For those who become managers there is a structured development pathway including the extremely popular Management Essentials course for first-time managers. There are Sanofi-wide development programmes right up to the nuanced leadership development programmes for senior employees, such as Whitehouse. “If anyone becomes a line manager in Sanofi, whether it’s in the UK, China or the US, they have the support of a consistent global management programme,” says Sullivan.
Dr Vivienne Beckett, head of patient advocacy within rare diseases, agrees: “There is a culture of learning and sharing,” she says.
Beckett – who liaises with patients affected by ultra-rare diseases in order to ensure Sanofi provides them with the right support – has recently been collaborating with the NHS to find out what support families of children with such rare diseases need to enable their children to go to school. “I have a lot of autonomy in my role and I’ve been able to shape it so far. Advocacy is a non-promotional essential and shapes what we offer today, but also what we will focus on in the future,” she says.
Through a “buddy” system, she shares her knowhow with colleagues when relevant. “We help each other when our work overlaps – we don’t try to reinvent the wheel, we share each other’s good ideas. It’s very supportive.”
Like Whitehouse, she’s completed some of the professional training modules on offer at the company, including one last year on managing difficult conversations. “It was fantastic,” she says. “I found myself alongside other senior managers from Sanofi and we all found we struggled with similar issues.”
Belonging to a larger group gives employees from all of Sanofi’s different arms access to professional development, says Sullivan. There are always opportunities to learn with a portfolio that covers everything from biotech, well-established medicines and preventative vaccines, to treatments for rare diseases and widespread long-term chronic conditions. While most learning takes place on the job, this experience is backed up by formal in-house development such as mentoring and training programmes. “We have a highly professional capable workforce,” Sullivan says. “I’m always inspired by their passion for what they do.”
