BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) today announced the appointment of Uzair Qadeer as the company’s first Chief Diversity Officer. In this new role, Mr. Qadeer will be responsible for shaping the company’s diversity, inclusion and belonging (DI&B) strategy, building relationships with key leaders, communities, and organizations to create awareness and advocacy for diversity and inclusion efforts, and advancing a unique culture of belonging for Alexion’s patients and employees. The appointment of Mr. Qadeer will also accelerate Alexion’s efforts to embed DI&B across the company, spanning employee programs, corporate social responsibility initiatives, culture efforts, and patient programs. Mr. Qadeer will serve on Alexion’s Executive Committee, reporting to Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Alexion.
“Establishing the Chief Diversity Officer role at Alexion is an important next step in our continued efforts to cultivate diversity, inclusion and a unique sense of belonging at the company, all of which enhances our ability to deliver on our mission of transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases and devastating conditions,” said Dr. Hantson. “Uzair has been instrumental in helping to shape Alexion’s approach to diversity and inclusion to date, and I am confident that, in this new role, he will help us build a stronger, even more inclusive organization, while ensuring every voice within the company is heard.”
Prior to assuming the role of Chief Diversity Officer, Mr. Qadeer served as Vice President, Head of Enterprise Partnership at Alexion, helping the company build leading-edge vision and capabilities in executive coaching, HR business partnership, and strategic workforce planning, while shaping the company’s initial DI&B strategy. Before joining Alexion in February 2019, Mr. Qadeer worked in roles of increasing responsibility in Deloitte’s Human Capital consulting practice where he advised clients across industries and geographies on forward-looking human capital topics spanning talent management, organizational design and development, human resources management, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to that, Mr. Qadeer worked at Bristol Myers Squibb Company, expatriating to Rome, Italy and gaining deep insights in global and international work. Additionally, Mr. Qadeer also taught at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Mr. Qadeer received his master’s degree as well as his B.A. and B.S. degrees from Pennsylvania State University.
“At Alexion, we believe that diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard. Our work isn’t done until our employees and patients can feel a true sense of belonging,” said Mr. Qadeer. “Magnetizing and incubating diverse talent will allow us to harness diverse insights that fuel innovation and create value for the patients we serve. I am committed to activating this purposeful vision.”
About Alexion
Alexion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing medicines. As a leader in rare diseases for more than 25 years, Alexion has developed and commercializes two approved complement inhibitors to treat patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), as well as the first and only approved complement inhibitor to treat anti-acetylcholine receptor (AchR) antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Alexion also has two highly innovative enzyme replacement therapies for patients with life-threatening and ultra-rare metabolic disorders, hypophosphatasia (HPP) and lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) as well as the first and only approved Factor Xa inhibitor reversal agent. In addition, the company is developing several mid-to-late-stage therapies, including a copper-binding agent for Wilson disease, an anti-neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antibody for rare Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated diseases and an oral Factor D inhibitor as well as several early-stage therapies, including one for light chain (AL) amyloidosis, a second oral Factor D inhibitor and a third complement inhibitor. Alexion focuses its research efforts on novel molecules and targets in the complement cascade and its development efforts on the core therapeutic areas of hematology, nephrology, neurology, metabolic disorders and cardiology. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexion has offices around the globe and serves patients in more than 50 countries. This press release and further information about Alexion can be found at: www.alexion.com.
