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Elsevier named a Best Place to Work for diversity, culture, women — and leadership

December 16, 2022 | 5 min read

By Catherine Adenle

Images of Kumsal Bayazit in NYC office

Based on employee surveys, the 2022 Comparably Awards recognize Elsevier as a top company for diversity, company culture, women and our CEO

We need talented people to help us inspire groundbreaking research.

In the image above: Elsevier CEO Kumsal Bayazit (center) talks with employees in the New York office. (Photo by Alison Bert)

As is traditional at this time of year, Comparably — the global workplace culture and compensation monitoring site — announces the winners of its Best Places to Work Awards. I’m very pleased to say that for 2022, Elsevier has won in four categories:

One of the elements that makes the Comparably awards meaningful is that they are voted on by the people who work here. So here are a few of their stories.

Diversity and inclusion take many forms here

Software engineer Kelly Smith and Kelechi Okere collaborates

Software Engineer Kelly Smith collaborates with Kelechi Okere, Identity Customer Segment Director for Health Markets, in Elsevier’s New York office (Photo by Alison Bert)

We are thrilled to be place in the top 10 of Comparably's top 100 companies for Diversity. We’re committed to ensuring that everyone at Elsevier has an equal opportunity to succeed, and you can read about some of our initiatives on our Inclusion and Diversity page.

Recently, we heard from Stacy Masucci, Publisher for Elsevier’s Bioscience & Translational Medicine Books, ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. She shared the ways Elsevier has supported her to succeed:

When I was an Acquisitions Editor, so much of my position revolved around going to conferences and meeting new people. When I needed an accommodation, I called my manager, and she was wonderful. Her immediate reaction was, ‘What can I do to make this easier for you?’

I consider Elsevier one of the blessings in my life. During that time, I could not fulfill all the functions of my role, but Elsevier allowed me to work full-time from bed with voice-activated software and granted me a one-year travel hiatus. Elsevier had faith in my skills and the value I brought to the company and gave me the opportunity to get back to a healthy place. It was truly amazing.

Image of Stacy Masucci

Stacy Masucci

Our people shape our culture

It’s especially heartening to be recognized for Company Culture, where we placed in the top 20, because the culture is shaped by our people. Knowing that people here have colleagues who care means a lot. Just recently, we were fortunate to be named among the Best Places to Work for Working Daughters, for our efforts supporting caregivers.

At the time, Maria Aguilar, Associate Director of Customer Insights at Elsevier, commented on her experience following her son’s autism diagnosis, which reflects Elsevier’s culture of support and compassion:

Nobody at Elsevier ever questioned my need to have a more flexible schedule and to work from home so that my son can have therapy. I have felt empowered to continue to push myself at work due to the respect and understanding I’ve received from my colleagues. During the past 3 years, I’ve grown to embrace my son’s neurodivergence, and I’ve felt incredibly supported in the process by Elsevier.

Image of Maria Aguilar and her son

Maria Aguilar and her son

Hear from Derrick Walker Jr, a multimedia producer based in our St Louis, Missouri, office. Watch 'Elsevier values cultural differences and welcomes diversity'(opens in new tab/window)

Developing talent for gender equity

Ghada Captan, Kelsey Conners and Hanan Teleb working together

From Left: Director of Content Management Ghada Captan, Acquisition Editor Kelsey Connors and Software Engineer Hanan Teleb collaborate in the New York office. (Photo by Alison Bert)

Connected to that is our recognition as one of the Best Companies for Women. Among the initiatives we have for women is the Developing Talent for Gender Equity Program. Victoria Pearson Esser, a Senior Designer at Elsevier, shared her experience of the program earlier this year, writing:

Elsevier has not only provided a professional, stable working environment, but my colleagues also helped me realize that personal development is very important. I am so privileged to be part of Elsevier’s Developing Talent for Gender Equity Program. There, I am receiving the guidance and support I have yearned for my whole professional career, and I am loving the opportunity. The program also allows me to form a mentoring connection with someone who is guiding me further in my career journey.

Our CEO is passionate about inclusion & diversity and gender equity

Image of Victoria Pearson Esser

Victoria Pearson Esser

Kumsal Bayazit in NYC office giving a speech

CEO Kumsal Bayazit gives a townhall in the New York office. (Photo by Alison Bert)

And finally, for the second year in a row our CEO Kumsal Bayazit has been named among Comparably’s Best CEOs. It’s a fitting wrap up to this year’s awards, as her work is central to the company culture that our people build, our commitment to diversity, and our pursuit of gender equity. As she noted at the recent Women of the Future Awards ceremony:

Inclusion and diversity is at the heart of the way we work, think and run our business, and we believe strongly in the need for recognition and visibility to support opportunities for talented women in the UK and globally. … I am encouraged by the significant measurable improvement in the engagement and advocacy of our colleagues over the last three years, which has also resulted in valued recognition for our company on diversity and career growth.

Working at Elsevier

Our people are our greatest strength at Elsevier. Through purposeful work, we help researchers, clinicians and engineers tackle humanity's biggest challenges. We have a wide range of opportunities. Our goal is to inspire groundbreaking work by hiring talented people. There are job openings worldwide, and we are always open to new talent.

Contributor

Portrait photo of Catherine Adenle

CA

Catherine Adenle

Senior Director, Employer Brand

Elsevier