As a member of the People & Organisation team at Novo Nordisk, Leandro Calixto Nunes is close to the employee experience. For him, inclusion is intrinsically linked to wider wellbeing. And both are tied to our culture at Novo Nordisk.

“I strongly believe in the power of well-being. When we talk about wellbeing, it’s more than a conversation about benefits. It’s about the environment we create, one where we need to feel able to share our ideas and bring our best selves to work. So, well-being and the right environment are essential to high performance. At Novo Nordisk, we experience openness and respect, and we’re always thinking how we can support wellbeing, whether that’s physical, mental or emotional.”

Speaking specifically on mental health, Leandro acknowledges the support the LGBTQ+ community can need, and how Novo Nordisk helps with that.

“My perspective is shaped by my own journey, and how I’ve experienced inclusion in different environments, I kept this part of my life to myself and dealt with it alone. But here, there are a lot of channels and groups to support you. People here talk more openly about LGBTQ+ and diversity issues which means people feel more comfortable asking questions, offering help, having conversations and seeking collegial support when things get hard. From my first day at Novo Nordisk, I could be who I am. That counts for a lot.”

That sense of connection is what turns an inclusion policy into something real. It’s reflected in global and local Pride initiatives and events alike. But it’s a signal of something much deeper than a celebration alone, and something that lives on well beyond June.

“Pride Month is a great time not only to celebrate, but also to bring visibility to something that should be present all year round. It’s important to listen to these stories and understand this community. Initiatives like Rainbow Laces Day show our support for each other – and that support is felt at all levels. When leadership participate, diversity is seen as important and leveraging our differences becomes part of decision-making which leads to initiatives that properly represent people and show that they belong here. Creating an inclusive environment is not only about doing the right thing, it also drives engagement, performance and long-term impact.”

Novo Nordisk reflects Leandro’s sentiments and places significant importance on inclusion. Different backgrounds, fresh perspectives and authenticity are essential to what we do, to moving our life-saving work forward and to making medicines more accessible. That’s how we create equal opportunities for a healthy life.