In observance of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue & Development on May 21, Dentsply Sirona celebrated a week of diversity and inclusion focused activities.

In an organization with over 15,000 employees located across the world, diversity and inclusion are a natural aspect of the makeup of Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies. To highlight both the efforts made in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) space, and to celebrate the diversity of its employees, Dentsply Sirona last week celebrated its Global Diversity Week, from May 16-20.

Activities and events included an eye-opening Conversations of Understanding, where participants provided insight into how to help cultivate a workplace of belonging and a culture of inclusion. Additionally, employees in the company’s Bensheim, Germany location were treated to food from the nation of Cameroon, further showing the diversity of Dentsply Sirona employees through food.

New D&I Council Co-Executive Sponsors Announced

The company also announced that Cherée Johnson, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary, and Andreas Frank, Executive Vice President, Product Group, have agreed to be co-executive sponsors for the company’s Diversity & Inclusion Council moving forward. “Diversity and Inclusion efforts in any organization are parts of a long journey, but a crucially important one,” added Johnson. “It is humbling to be able to play a critical role in the direction and path of D&I within Dentsply Sirona, and I cannot wait to see where we can go.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to make an impact together with this organization and our people in such a profound way,” said Frank. “My passion for D&I spans my entire career, and assuming this role will allow me to make meaningful contributions to our efforts in the space while also helping to shape our D&I direction.”

Dentsply Sirona has also grown its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), now encompassing seven global networks and thousands of employee participants. In the past year, four new groups have been established - DS Able, Emerging Talent, DS Pride and APACG (Asia PACific Group). These ERGs are open to all employees with similar personal backgrounds and interests and foster conversations about diversity and inclusion.

Diversity as a Part of Overall Sustainability Initiative

Global Diversity Week is just a small part of Dentsply Sirona’s overall commitment to taking action for a brighter world and ensuring a sustainable business framework. Dentsply Sirona is constantly seeking ways to foster an inclusive culture and diverse workforce. Additionally, the Dentsply Sirona Beyond initiative is highlighting the organization’s efforts in Sustainability, both internally and externally.

For example, Dentsply Sirona supports the Women in Dentistry initiative which strives to support and promote women in the dental industry. This includes the Smart Integration Award honoring creative ideas and successful treatment concepts of female dental professionals and creating a platform for them to network internationally, the “First to 50” program, designed to offer personal development for female dentists, specialists and dental assistants and promote them as speakers. To learn more about Sustainability and Dentsply Sirona and its ties to Diversity & Inclusion, click here.