At Ipsen, we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Our focus is on supporting the career development and employment of people with disabilities.

’We chose to work on the topic of disability back in 2021, and we’re thrilled to see the progress we’ve made since then. More than 9% of the Russian population has a disability, which makes it a very relevant concern for our country. In 2022, we started talking about this issue with our teams, and in 2023 we launched our first project aimed at helping young people with disabilities develop professionally. We believe in the theory of small steps. By taking these small steps together, we can build a path that leads to great things! Thank you to each of our volunteers! You’re the ones who make miracles happen when you choose to share your knowledge and skills and devote your time and soul to those you serve.” – Anna Strelnikova, HR and Administrative Director, Russia & CIS.

In 2023, three of our colleagues participated in the Step into the Profession project, which enabled interns with disabilities to gain professional experience at Ipsen. In 2024, four Ipsen Russia employees supported the 1:1 Mentoring for Professionals with Disabilities project in cooperation with ROOI Perspektiva. Each mentor was tasked with providing maximum support to the candidate in order to realize his or her professional and social potential. Once a suitable mentee was selected, the colleagues held online meetings to advise the jobseekers on their specific job search needs. The 1:1 Mentoring program allowed colleagues not only to help mentees, but also to practice their own mentoring skills, discover new opportunities, and gain valuable experience in coaching, goal setting, and motivation. We share the impressions of our volunteer mentors in this article:

Taisiya Ivannikova, Assistant of General Manager:

“I chose a mentee in the field I was most interested in – she wanted to work in administration, as a business assistant. At our meetings we focus on very specific things: together we look at vacancies on hh.ru, discuss how best to complete a CV, what to emphasize. My goal is to get her to the vacant position and successfully pass the interview.

This is a very motivating experience: on the one hand, I have the opportunity to help a person, and on the other hand, it is a great exercise for me to develop my leadership skills. It requires me to explain in a clear and structured manner what my job is, how this area works, what the perspectives are, to consider the plan of the meeting and to organize it in the best possible way. I like to teach, to share knowledge: you open up this world to a newcomer and they see you as a mentor, an expert. This is very valuable”.

Lidiya Krasilnikova, Regional Key Account Manager:

“I joined the project because I wanted to be useful, to do something that would help mentees choose their path. I was also interested in ‘pumping up’ my mentoring skills. To hear and listen to people more, to understand their needs and objections, to guide them, but not to pressure them. This is an important experience for me and an opportunity for further development. The journey wasn’t easy, the most difficult part was figuring out my mentee’s unique goals and understanding what she ultimately wanted to achieve. In the process, I learned that motivation is key. It’s not just about having experience or skills; alone they will not help, and this is fundamental when choosing a job. I’m glad that I could play a role in helping my mentee see her path more clearly and chart a course for future success.”

Olga Egorova, Aesthetics Manager:

“My mentee wanted to change her job, and we discussed how best to get an interview, what jobs to look for. And after two weeks of active searching, at our third meeting, she announced that she had already found a new job and was starting her new duties the other day. I am very, very happy for her!!!

We plan to continue meeting to discuss the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey and how to make the transition to a new job smoother. I am happy with the program; our communication was relaxed, and many ideas and conclusions were generated.”

Yulia Rodionova, Medical Scientific Liaison, Oncology:

“For me, a project is a lot of emotions and amazing impressions. Already during the selection of the mentee, I noticed a very interesting curriculum vitae: a lot of experience, many projects, an internship in the USA, and yet a very young age and visual impairments. How does a person cope with that? I was eager to immerse myself in the problems of such people. We quickly found a common language. I helped my mentee figure out where to look for a job, which direction would be more competitive, and she even went on interviews. As a result, my mentee was able to get an internship in the marketing department of a large international company!

I realized that I like to be useful, to help overcome barriers, to share what I am strong and competent in, and my mentee confirmed this, much of what we discussed was very useful to her. It was a beautiful reminder that human potential knows no bounds. With the right understanding and support, anything is possible.”

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” – Jackie Chan.