Rainbow flag raised at Novartis in Slovenia to celebrate Pride Month

  • Novartis in Slovenia to raise rainbow flag across all sites to mark Pride Month in June.
  • For many years  now, the company has been striving to promote diversity and inclusion, and is  dedicated to providing a stimulating work environment for all associates.
  • By supporting the LGBTQI+ community, Novartis raises awareness to basic human rights and advocates for the elimination of discrimination based on sex, gender identity, orientation, or any other personal circumstance.
1. 6. 2022

Today, Novartis in Slovenia raised a rainbow flag in front of its headquarters in Ljubljana and at the Mengeš Site to mark Pride Month. Over the following days, the rainbow flag will be flying at Novartis Sites in Lendava and Prevalje as well. With this symbolic act, they joined numerous Novartis Group members around the globe in demonstrating their commitment to the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

Novartis is committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere that promotes diversity and allows associates to be true to themselves, regardless of their gender, gender identity, orientation, or any other personal circumstance, globally and nationally – without fear of discrimination. Novartis in Slovenia addresses diversity and inclusion through four pillars: Cross-Generation Cooperation, Individuals with disabilities, Diverse talents, and the LGBTQI+ community. In the latter, they seek to understand the core human rights of LGBTQI+ people, to establish an inclusive environment for LGBTQI+ associates, and to raise awareness and sensitivity amongst employees to detect violations of LGBTQI+ people in the workplace. “Diversity and inclusion are amongst the most important values at our organization, and we consistently encourage our associates to be the best versions of themselves. In keeping with our culture, we make every effort to establish a workplace where associates feel included and completely accepted. We believe that diversity delivers strength and new perspectives that allow us to create ground-breaking solutions. This is crucial for our continued development and achievement of our objectives – to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives,” said Robert Ljoljo, President of Lek's Management Board and Novartis Country President.

In June being the Pride Month and dedicated to celebrating equality of the LGBTQI+ community for many years now, Novartis shows their support by flying a rainbow flag. Last year, they also received the LGBT-Friendly Certificate from the City of Ljubljana, committing itself to continuing to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization. This was one of the most highlighted aspects in the re-acquisition of the international certificate "Top Employer," where Novartis in Slovenia outperformed similar European organizations by 16 percent. “In the past, we have made significant advances in accepting diversity. At the same time, we continue to face some challenges, which is partly a reflection of what is going on in the society. Therefore, it is important to discuss these issues, raise awareness on a regular basis, and promote equality for all. By raising the rainbow flag, we promote discussions about diversity both inside and outside the company, and we support associates who are members of the LGBTQI+ community," said Katarina Klemenc, Head Communications and Patient Engagement and LGBTQI+ Community Sponsor at Novartis in Slovenia.

In 2018, Novartis signed the global Standards of Conduct to Support Business Communities in Combating Discrimination against LGBTQI. Organizations have considerable possibilities to foster diversity and a culture of respect and equality. As a global corporation, they are so committed to promoting positive social change in the communities in which they operate. The pillars of operations are respect for human rights, striving for greater inclusion, and responsible business.

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Novartis is the leading provider of medicines in Slovenia, where Lek d.d., Novartis Pharma Services Inc. and Sandoz d.d., operate. Together we are building and maintaining the reputation of a dynamic, ethical, and trusted pharmaceutical company. Lek develops, manufactures, and markets effective, safe, and high-quality medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With our knowledge, quality, and experience we have gained an important role in Novartis' organizational structure, especially in the Novartis Operations, Global Drug Development and the generic division Sandoz. We are the leading Sandoz development center, and one of the key development sites for technologically complex projects. We invest a great deal in the development, education, and training of our employees. Novartis invested in Slovenia more than EUR 3 billion since 2003.

About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical needs. Our ambition is to be the world’s leading and most valued generics company. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2021 sales of USD 9.6 billion.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world.  Find out more at www.novartis.com.

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This press release contains statements and forecasts of future business operations.The forecasts include estimates based on all the information currently available to us. Should these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results of business operations could be different from those expected.

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For further information, please contact:
Gregor Makuc
Communication & External Engagement
Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d.
Telephone: 01 580 22 43
gregor.makuc@sandoz.com