Olympus Establishes Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Position

Wenlei Yang has been named chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Olympus Corporation (Olympus).
 
In this newly established role, Yang will drive, oversee, and implement initiatives related to Olympus’ new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) directions set as part of the company’s global ESG strategy announced on May 12. The company will deepen measures to fully realize the DEI principles in all facilities worldwide to foster a healthy organizational culture.

Yang joined Olympus in 1992 and held various roles during her tenure, mainly in global sales and marketing positions across China, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2010, she was assigned head of Sales & Marketing Division and general manager of the Imaging Business and general manager of Olympus China. Yang was then appointed Regional Representative Officer, China, in 2019. In 2023, she was appointed Regional Representative Officer, Japan. Moving forward, Yang will continue to represent Japan as the Regional Representative Officer and will also lead initiatives related to Olympus’ global DEI strategy.

“Both employees and society hold expectations of DEI that are constantly evolving, and as a global medtech company, we must remain informed of global trends and implement appropriate solutions for Olympus to meet the expectations of our stakeholders,” Olympus Chief Human Resources Officer Shigeto Ohtsuki said. “The creation of this new role will ensure a strong global governance structure for our DEI program. Together with Wenlei’s multilingual skills and extensive global management experience, her background exemplifies the benefits and goals of being committed to DEI principles. I am confident that Wenlei’s seasoned leadership will propel our organization toward our DEI goals.”

Olympus continuously works to build an inclusive culture and equitable systems, where everyone, including those within the communities it serves, is accepted for who they are, with equal access to opportunities.The company has formulated a vision and developed a phased plan to advance all aspects of DEI in Olympus. After the foundation is set in the initial phase, company processes and systems will be reviewed through a DEI lens, making DEI part of its daily operations to further contribute to its external partners and the communities Olympus serves.

Four key themes are prioritized at the global level¹ under the DEI strategy:

1. Gender and Life Priority: Further support for women employees and all caretakers² that may have time constraints due to personal life events.
2. Nationality and Culture: Increase diversity and ensure equitable access to opportunities regardless of nationality, culture, or language skills.
3. Career and Experience: Enhance employee professional experience and broaden the perspective of team and organizational coverage.
4. Inclusive Environment: Ensure an environment where everyone can speak up freely and collaborate effectively.

To address the four themes, on top of ongoing initiatives,³ concrete new initiatives will continue to be introduced to global employees.

KPIs and targets to accelerate DEI initiatives:

1. Achieve 30% representation of women in management roles globally and 13% at Olympus Corporation (Japan) by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028.
2. Achieve 100% of eligible men in Japan taking parental leave by FY2026.
3. Increase nationality and cultural diversity in the organization and increase employee engagement survey scores.

Olympus partners with healthcare professionals to provide solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has produced products designed to deliver optimal outcomes for customers. 

References
¹ DEI efforts concerning other pillars, including age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, (dis)ability, religion, opinions and political stance, are all equally important in Olympus. Further increases in diversity and ensuring equity in each pillar will be driven in each region, taking regional features into account.
² Caregivers are people who need to work and care for their children, parents, or other loved ones.
³ Includes global DEI training for managers, enhanced work-life balance support for all genders, increased opportunities to apply for global roles, language learning opportunities, and a pilot Peer Learning Program.