FY23 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Progress Report
Making a difference in our communities at work and beyond
Not only do our employee resource groups (ERGs) enrich our culture and create a more inclusive work environment for all our team members, but they are also active outside the walls of our offices and distribution centers. They partner with external organizations, raise money for charities, and organize volunteer activities to support their respective communities — including others that intersect.
Here is what our eight ERGs accomplished in FY23.
- 130 hours volunteered by EPN to Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence
- $2,700 raised by LGBTAllies for Covenant House through the Strides for Pride challenge
- $10,000 plus 4 pallets of collected items donated by WIN and LGBTAllies to Covenant House Pennsylvania and Covenant House New York
Empowering communities through our ERGs
Our employee resource groups celebrate the shared backgrounds and experiences that our team members have in common and work together to strengthen our intersecting communities inside and outside of Cencora. We have eight ERGs with a combined total of 5,400 ERG members at the end of FY23, which is a 20% increase over our total membership at the end of FY22.
ERG members as of September 30, 2023
Ability
People with visible and invisible disabilities
- Hosted an in-person fair at our Conshohocken headquarters to celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed.
- Held a Disability Employment Awareness Month Lunch and Learn focused on navigating your career and included trivia to test attendees’ knowledge around disability employment.
- Collaborated with our Unidos ERG to present a joint session on enhancing mental health and work performance as part of their Bienvenidos Amigos panel series.
- Partnered with the Cencora Digital IT team to host a session about the latest accessibility features offered by Microsoft Teams to optimize user experience for everyone.
ASPIRE
Asian and Pacific Islanders Reaching for Excellence
- Celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May with webinars, networking and social events, and a keynote conversation exploring the bamboo ceiling with Susan Jin Davis, Social Impact Officer at Al Roker Entertainment, Inc.
- Engaged team members through celebrations for Diwali and Lunar New Year.
- Hosted a monthly workshop series with ComPsych Global Guidance Resources, focusing on topics like delegating at work and at life, managing up for professional success, staying engaged as a remote employee, and more.
- Collaborated with our Unidos ERG on a trivia event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Filipino American History Month.
- Answered questions from team members related to immigration as part of their Ask the Expert event series.
- Worked together with our Black Organization for Networking & Development (BOND) and Unidos ERGs to host a panel discussion on cultural identities across generations.
- Partnered with our Veteran’s in Action (VIA) ERG to send cards to U.S. troops during the holiday season.
- Teamed up with our Women’s Impact Network (WIN) ERG to promote International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.
BOND
Black Organization for Networking & Development
- Inspired and engaged team members through the celebration of Black History Month by hosting several sessions in February, culminating in a live conversation with sportscaster and philanthropist James “JB” Brown.
- Held a youth essay contest in honor Martin Luther King Jr. and selected four winners, providing children of Cencora team members the opportunity to participate in our inclusive culture.
- Hosted a panel discussion with a Cencora senior leaders on the importance of allyship to support our Global Inclusion Day celebration.
- Conducted several career development sessions throughout the year focused on a variety of topics, including LinkedIn personal branding, creating a career plan, and networking with mentors.
- Collaborated with our Talent Acquisition team to host our 2023 internship close-out session.
EPN
Emerging Professionals Network
- Provided funding for more than 30 team members to participate in Toastmasters, an international nonprofit organization that enhances public speaking skills and confidence.
- Achieved President's Distinguished Club status from Toastmasters for outstanding commitment to excellence.
- Contributed more than 130 volunteer hours with team members serving as mentors to local middle school students as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Beyond School Walls program.
- Collaborated with our WIN ERG to host a workshop featuring relationship development expert Sean Hand, which offered practical strategies for making networking less uncomfortable and was followed by an in-person networking event for people to practice their skills.
- Continued sharing stories from Cencora leaders in the Letter to My Younger Self series and corresponding coffee chats, where members can get to know leaders in a conversational setting.
- Expanded the coffee chat series to include four conversations in Spanish.
- Published the seventh edition of The Ladder, the ERG’s quarterly newsletter, which is designed to highlight a professional development theme in each issue and provide relevant tools and resources.
LGBTAllies
LGBTQ+ community
- Engaged team members globally during Pride Month through their Pets with Pride photo competition, Wear the Rainbow program, Drag Story Hour, an ally learning session with PFLAG National, and Pride trivia.
- Raised over $2,700 for Covenant House through participation in the Strides for Pride activity challenge.
- Teamed up with our VIA and Unidos ERGs to host a conversation with Rich Fierro, the former Army Major who saved lives during the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs.
- Celebrated LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day, Spirit Day, Transgender Awareness Week, Black History Month, Non-Binary People’s Day, Bisexual Awareness Week, and many other awareness events with communications to uplift important segments of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Collaborated with our WIN ERG to organize a variety of National Volunteer Month activities.
- Promoted National Reading Month by highlighting LGBTQ+ book recommendations from LGBTAllies leaders and members.
- Created customizable e-cards with inclusive, workplace-appropriate sentiments to celebrate Valentine's Day with an LGBTQ+ twist.
Unidos
Hispanic and Latino communities
- Celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting panels, networking events, and community gatherings to support our Latino/Hispanic friends and colleagues.
- Hosted a panel series called Bienvenidos Amigos, which included five sessions focused on various career-related topics like leadership, mental health, wellness, and more.
- Worked with our Innovation Community of Practice team to create a safe space for people to share suggestions on how we can foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Partnered with our ASPIRE ERG for a session on immigration-related updates.
- Participated in the American Cancer Society's Notes of Hope program by inviting team members to write letters of kindness in Spanish to people with terminal illnesses.
- Collaborated with our ASPIRE and BOND ERGs on a panel discussion about self-awareness and improving personal and professional relationships.
- Hosted a session with Dr. Robert Rodriguez, founder and president of DRR Advisors, who shared his expertise on personal branding specifically for Hispanic professionals.
- Sent a series of newsletters to educate team members about specific Latin countries, including Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
VIA
Veterans in Action
- Collaborated with our Talent Acquisition team to better incorporate Veterans into our overall DEI strategy.
- Sourced VIA-branded Challenge Coins to create unity among members of the ERG and honor those who have gone above and beyond in supporting the ERG’s mission.
- Hosted multiple speaking engagements with Veterans outside of the organization on topics such as overcoming adversity, allyship in action, and the value of hiring Veterans.
- Partnered with the American Red Cross to present three workshops focused on emotional wellbeing and effective communication skills.
- Facilitated a panel discussion focused on leading by example for our 2023 interns.
WIN
Women’s Impact Network
- Partnered with the United Nations Foundation on an International Women’s Day celebration that attracted over 1,700 team members from 37 countries.
- Delivered 4 pallets of collected items plus $10,000 in product donations to Covenant House Pennsylvania and Covenant House New York after collaborating with our LGBTAllies ERG on a Brunch and Lunch and leading four distribution center product drives.
- Worked together with our LGBTAllies ERG and the American Cancer Society on a hybrid note writing initiative to encourage patients and caregivers at ACS Hope Lodges.
- Hosted several events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including a Lunch and Learn with breast cancer survivors, a virtual fun run, and the We Wear Pink on Wednesdays campaign.
- Co-hosted a Women’s Leadership Panel with our ASPIRE ERG to discuss the journeys, successes, and challenges of several leaders within our organization.
- Collaborated with our EPN ERG on a career development series about building your professional brand.
- Held two virtual networking sessions with more 100 attendees at each event.
