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People and Culture

Thriving Together: Employee Resource Groups At United Therapeutics

Jun 14, 2024

11 minutes

"We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike."

Maya Angelou

the poem “Human Family”

"We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike."

Maya Angelou

the poem “Human Family”

Fact: humans are more similar genetically than we are different, sharing on average 99.9% of our genetic code.1

Despite our overwhelming sameness, the diversity among us has driven amazing scientific discoveries, breathtaking expressions of art, and works of literature, theatre, and film that move, inform, and inspire us as we evolve toward better versions of ourselves.

Nonetheless, the beliefs that some people are more worthy of resources, services, and basic human dignity than others remain tenaciously fastened to the very scaffolding of mainstream culture and systems. It does not necessarily require evil intention to harm others in a world still afflicted by white supremacy, sexism and misogyny, and bias against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, plus (LGBTQ+) people. Like ancient viruses, these biases pre-exist any of us walking the earth today, becoming, in some sense, part of everyone.

It takes effort – active, intentional, sometimes uncomfortable – to untether from these biases. As employees of the biopharma industry, we have a special imperative to shoulder the work of dismantling these biases in ourselves and in our own organizations and networks, not only to address the wrongs of the past, but because the work of innovation to save lives requires it. We need creative minds who think differently to work together to find better solutions for our patients. That is part of the reason why United Therapeutics Corporation (UT), like many other employers, supports employees in establishing employee resource groups (ERGs). We recognize that to achieve our public benefit purpose, we must recruit and retain smart, capable, creative people. We want to find those people wherever they are today, retain those who have joined us to solve the problems we face now, and nurture those future leaders who will build on these efforts to create the solutions of tomorrow. ERGs can help us do that.

We spoke with the following five employees, whom we call Unitherians, to discuss their work and the role of ERGs in advancing UT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and helping us move forward on our public benefit objective to “be a destination employer”:

  • Alyssa Friedrich, UT’s Executive VP and Chief People Officer
  • Karren Jackson, Senior Director of the UT Oncology Program and chair of the women’s ERG called the Inspire Initiative
  • Joshua Lee, Bioprocess Associate II and chair of the UT-Black Affinity Organization (UT-BAO)
  • Bill Herrera, Executive Cardiopulmonary Specialist – Remodulin/Orenitram, and Lonnie Aschebrook, Cardiopulmonary Specialist – Remodulin/Orenitram, co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ ERG called oUT & Proud

All also shared what they would like to see next at UT.

About our ERGs

Our ERGs have sponsored educational webinars and book clubs, hosted celebratory events for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, and Juneteenth, sponsored professional development opportunities, and engaged in direct service events.

The UT Inspire Initiative

Founded: 2019

Number of members: ~250

Founded: 2019

Number of members: ~250

UT Black Affinity Organization

Founded: 2022

Number of members: ~50

Founded: 2022

Number of members: ~50

oUT & PROUD

Founded: 2023

Number of members: ~40

Founded: 2023

Number of members: ~40

What are Employee Resource Groups?

Affinity groups, employee resource groups ERGs, business resource groups – different organizations prefer different acronyms – provide spaces for employees who share identities and interests. One of the first documented affinity groups was the Black Employee Caucus Group founded in the 1960s at Xerox Corporation, which was expanded to include women and other underrepresented groups.2 Hewlett-Packard started its first ERG for gay employees in 1978. As of 2021, more than 40% of employers supported employee efforts to create ERGs, and between 55% and 75% of employers said ERGs enhanced recruiting and retention.3

Typically led by employees, ERGs provide personal and professional resources to its members to help them thrive once they join an organization. The idea is to narrow the focus of an ERG enough to effectively support underrepresented groups whose needs and concerns may not be reflected adequately or addressed inside the company otherwise, but not to be exclusive of others. In this respect, allies4 are welcome to help create an inclusive workplace, enhancing trust and psychological safety5

ERGs at UT: You are Not Alone

Our employee resource group guidelines state: “As part of our overall diversity and inclusion strategy, we are committed to establishing employee resource groups through which individuals from underrepresented groups can connect in a comfortable space, expressing and communicating their experiences and needs.” We invite employees to start groups of interest to members, supported by and with guidance from human resources. To-date, employees have established three ERGs.

Alyssa

Alyssa Friedrich

“At UT, we are focused on fostering an inclusive culture through intentional practices that respect and value the diversity of individuals, while striving for equity and fairness in all aspects of our operations,” Alyssa explained. “Our ERGs have been good at helping foster inclusion; they have given some people a sense of belonging, a place to meet people who share common experiences.”

It’s precisely this need to belong, and, more to the point, the feeling of not belonging, that compelled our ERG chairs to form the groups they lead.

Before he joined UT, Bill, who is gay, shared that he was out to his family, but not out in the workplace. “It’s limiting to be so guarded all the time.”

Joshua Lee

Joshua Lee

Joshua echoed Bill’s statement and shared a broader view, one that links the historical and all too common clinical mistreatment of Black people in the United States to his work on DEI at UT today. “A lot of times, [African Americans] don’t feel comfortable showing up at work as our true selves because if we do, we are treated differently.” He explained: “In our industry, it’s layered. We are no strangers to the history of how the medical and pharmaceutical industries have taken advantage of Black people and other minorities.6  So, there are historical trust issues for Black people and our industry. UT is not part of that history, but even here, some Black people who have been with the company longer than I felt frustrated by the pace of change. Maybe they experienced microaggressions7, maybe they were passed over for promotions. Since we started BAO, we’ve been able to connect with others across the organization, share our experiences so we don’t feel alone.”

Karren Jackson

Karren Jackson

The challenges Karren experienced that prompted her to launch the Inspire Initiative were of a similar theme, but different lens. “I started the initiative at a really hard time for me. I was a new mom, I was struggling with home, with work – I was feeling like I was not enough. Career-wise, I felt stagnant; I was on a team composed mostly of men and it seemed that they were advancing around me while I was not. I wanted to connect with other women who were going through similar things. What was also really important to me was to make sure I helped other women be successful. I’ve had experiences where other women were not supportive. I wanted to change that.”

Making a Difference

When asked what makes her most proud of our DEI efforts at UT, Alyssa brightened. “When we do our annual DEI survey and see the results, the positive changes are tremendous. We have higher overall participation rates, and employees report more positive sentiments regarding feelings of safety, inclusion, and trust. While we’ve always striven to be inclusive and a place where people feel respected, it’s great to see that the work we’ve done the past few years is being felt and is making a difference for our employees.”

Beyond the importance of mutual recognition and support, ERGs and the people who lead them often help the organizations in which they operate to change, making the environment more inclusive for everyone.

Lonnie Aschebrook

Lonnie Aschebrook

“Prior to coming to UT, I worked at several specialty pharmacies. I never saw DEI as a priority there. I am a gay man, married to a man, and we have two kids. UT changed its adoption policies [in 2022], adding surrogacy benefits8 that help families like mine,” Lonnie shared.

“On the way to work this morning, I was thinking about our core values,” Joshua added. “We added ‘inclusive’ to the list in recent years. Our conversations about DEI informed that decision. We were part of that progress.”

The Journey Forward

We believe that an intentional culture of inclusion unlocks innovation. But inclusion is never one and done – it is ongoing work.

Bill Herrera

Bill Herrera

When asked what they would like to see going forward, our leaders spoke in one voice: while they feel reassured that UT has not stepped away from its commitments to DEI, they would encourage more Unitherians to join our ERGs as members and allies, and they seek more leadership on these issues from middle management, not just from the C-Suite. “I was approached by a colleague from another division who shared that they felt uncomfortable coming out because they were concerned about how their manager might react,” Bill shared. “I was surprised. Here, in an organization led by a transgender woman?! But it’s not that surprising, because bias is everywhere. No one can perform their best if they are not comfortable being their authentic selves.”

All four ERG leaders also said they are looking forward to seeing continued advancements in the diversity of our organization at all levels of leadership.

Alyssa shared that UT is evolving its DEI approach to respond to these calls to action. “How do we move the needle on our DEI objectives? We start by developing our people. Part of that is looking beyond where we typically look. So, we have tended in the past to focus only on those who excel where they are today. But we are now asking ourselves, do we do enough for those who have potential, but maybe are not showing up in their best light? We are also cultivating relationships with local schools – to help grow the talent of tomorrow. That’s what we are focusing on next.” UT is also expanding its networks and recruiting relationships with local community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

To those considering joining United Therapeutics in the future, or current Unitherians interested in supporting one of our existing ERGs or even starting a new one, our leaders shared this: use your voice, learn from each other, be open to change. “This is a company that listens,” Karren said. “We are different here and we approach problem solving differently. To new joiners, I say, welcome to the most unique company you will ever work for, but the most fun and rewarding job you will ever have.”

Learn More

Careers at UT: https://vhr-unither.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External

Diversity and Inclusion at UT: https://www.unither.com/careers/diversity-and-inclusion

Our Benefits and Amenities: https://www.unither.com/careers/benefits-and-amenities

Our Code of Conduct: https://ir.unither.com/~/media/Files/U/United-Therapeutics-IR/documents/corporate-governance/Code-of-Conduct-and-Business-Ethics.pdf

Our Culture and Values: https://www.unither.com/careers/to-be-a-unitherian

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

UT’s DEI efforts align particularly with UN Sustainable Development Goals 5 – Gender Equality, 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, and 10 – Reduced Inequalities.

Sustainable Development Goals

Gender EqualityDecent Work and Economic GrowthReduced Inequalities


1https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics

2https://www.teleskope.io/post/the-evolution-of-employee-resource-groups

3https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliekratz/2024/01/17/its-not-too-late-to-start-employee-resource-groups/?sh=420801021c7f

4Allyship (noun) is the active practice of individuals with privilege – those unearned advantages or benefits that individuals from dominant social groups have based on their social identities, which can contribute to systemic inequalities and biases – and power supporting and advocating for marginalized groups. (United Therapeutics internal resource, A Guide to Allyship at UT)

5Coined by Harvard Business School professor and author Amy Edmondson, Ph.D., the term “team psychological safety” is a shared believe held by members of a team that it is okay to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. We seek to foster for personal and team psychological safety for all UT employees, whom we call Unitherians. (https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety)

6A recent successful lawsuit filed by the estate of a Black woman named Henrietta Lacks against a biotech firm for its role in the extraction and use of her cancer cells in medical research for decades without her or her family’s knowledge or consent only served as a reminder of the long history of medical exploitation of Black people. Sadly, this kind of injury is not relegated to the past, as we saw when Serena Williams’ treatment team initially dismissed her concerns that she was experiencing a recurrent pulmonary embolism after an emergency cesarean section. (https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/transgenerational-trauma-and-trust-restoration/2021-06)

7Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional, everyday actions or comments that marginalize or discriminate against individuals based on their social identities, reinforcing stereotypes and power imbalances. (United Therapeutics internal resource, A Guide to Allyship at UT)

8Surrogacy is when one person carries and delivers a child with the intention that another individual or couple will be the intended parent(s).