Social
People - the potential of together.
Environment
ICON is committed to conducting our business in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Learn moreEnvironmental, Social & Governance
Translating intent to impact.
Learn more and download 2021 ESG reportOur commitment to advancing public health
Advancing public health through the development of medicines and devices is at the core of ICON’s mission. We have built enduring relationships with customers and engaged an ever growing number of clinical trial investigators worldwide. Our collective work has made a measurable difference in the world – a difference that inspires ICON employees every day.
Driving patient-centric innovation
As a leader in healthcare intelligence and clinical research, we are focused on using technology and partnerships to drive innovation and increase access to clinical trials, advancing the development of drugs and medical devices that both improve patients’ quality of life and save patient lives.
In 2021, ICON was the first CRO to have supported a DCT that has had positive published results in a medical journal. We also launched partnerships with key technology and analytics partners including Veradigm, among others.
We have long championed patient-friendly decentralised clinical trials (DCTs). Using local healthcare providers, in-home services and digital health technologies instead of site visits, DCTs can:
- Increase patient recruitment and participation
- Improve patient engagement during trial development
- Provide more information directly to the patient
- Use patient-reported outcomes as study endpoints to better inform care
Our commitment to our employees
Our people are core to our ability to deliver our services and drive better patient outcomes. Through diversity, inclusion and belonging, industry-leading talent management practices, a sincere attention to our employees’ needs, well-being and health and safety, we continue to power the potential of together.
We believe in a workplace culture that embraces diverse perspectives and empowers our team members to grow - at work, at home and in their communities. The diversity of our teams is critical to our success. As a global operation, we deliberately structure teams to be diverse to support the delivery of our customers’ clinical development programs across multiple geographies and communities.
We acknowledge and celebrate our differences in gender, ethnicity, culture and abilities. As a values-driven organisation, respect for diverse points of view is foundational to how we interact with each other as well as with customers, patients and suppliers.
A culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB)
ICON’s DIB practices and programs are viewed through the lens of our four DIB ambitions. ICON’s Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Steering Committee brings together individuals from across ICON to develop and execute work streams under each of the four ambitions, with a central team overseeing the overarching efforts.
In 2021, we focused on setting targets and goals related to diversity. While our workforce is nearly 70% female, gender representation decreases at the higher levels of leadership. We are aiming for gender parity at senior leadership levels by 2025. As at 31 December 2021, women represent 40% of the positions at the VP level and above. We are also focusing our efforts across departments to ensure gender representation exists across all key business functions and is not concentrated in a small set of geographies or supporting departments.
Our ambitions do not end here. We realise that our workforce must reflect and represent the diversity of the patients we serve. To achieve this, we are focusing on ensuring equitable representation on dimensions of diversity beyond gender.
ICON’s community groups are another way in which ICON promotes diversity, inclusion and belonging by bringing together employees with common identities and related interests.
NOW @ ICON
The Networking Organisation for Women at ICON is committed to inspiring and connecting current and potential leaders through an inclusive environment with targeted initiatives and supportive mentorship.
PRIDE
Supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies, ensuring that no matter where our employees are in the world, our offices are a safe space where they are welcomed, respected, and valued.
DAWN
The Disability Awareness Network is a community group focused on developing and fostering a mind-set towards creating an inclusive workplace and working environment where everyoneis treated equally with respect and dignity, irrespective of any visible or hidden disabilities.
SPACE
Supporting Parents and Carers Everywhere promotes a workplace where people stepping out of careers due to personal commitments for a period is wholly accepted and not career-limiting, and where stepping back into their career is an organic and positive process.
EmbRACE
Supporting all race and ethnic backgrounds in creating an inclusive workplace culture.
Our commitment to strengthening our communities
ICON has established a long track record of supporting our communities through corporate giving programs, employee volunteering opportunities and industry–academia partnerships. We have focused our efforts on a broad vision for social impact, one that includes aligning priorities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the organisational goals of diversity, inclusion and belonging.
UNICEF Corporate Vaccine Alliance
In 2021, ICON became a lead member of the UNICEF Corporate Vaccine Alliance to help ensure that people in 92 lower-income countries received COVID-19 vaccinations. ICON contributed significant funds in July to support the purchase of 38,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the alliance - one on behalf of every ICON employee.
Partnering with employees for community support
Each year, ICON supports causes that our employees are passionate about, donates to charitable partners and encourages employees to volunteer in their local communities. Since 2012, our annual employee-nominated Charitable Donation Program has supported over 90 charities, donating $10,000 to each organisation. The selected organisations focus on a range of critical issues, from relieving poverty and homelessness to improving child welfare through education and enhancing the lives of people living with a variety of diseases. During 2021, ICON selected 20 employee-nominated organisations to gift $10,000 each.
Industry-academia partnerships
ICON’s most enduring industry-academia partnership is with Trinity College Dublin where the company has been named a Benefactor Through the Centuries. This award recognises our ongoing support for Trinity College including The ICON–McKeon Research Fellow in Motor Neurone Disease, in honour of Declan McKeon, a former ICON Board member and the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), which provides educational and employment opportunities for those living with intellectual disabilities.
Advancing gender equality through sports
In the spirit of supporting our communities and advocating for gender equality, ICON sponsors the Gordon Highlanders Women’s Rugby Football team in Sydney, Australia. The Gordon Rugby Football Club for men’s and women’s sports was originally established in 1927 and has undergone many iterations in the nearly 100 years since its founding. In 2017, the club established its inaugural women’s rugby sevens academy, a stepping stone to the creation of its Women’s XV program in 2021. ICON is excited to support this growing program in women’s sports.