ZEISS
The Power List 2021 – Power List
Laurie Ferguson
Head of Global Communications, Carl Zeiss Meditec Group, Ophthalmic Devices
Anita Burton, Head of Human Resources
Erin Powers, Head of Medical Affairs & Professional Education
Why is diversity so important in the medical technology industry?
Diversity boosts a company’s capacity for innovation – no matter what the industry. Diverse teams learn from each other and encourage one another to think outside their own cultural boundaries. At the same time, diversity in its various forms at an international company, like Carl Zeiss Meditec Group, is also the key to global success, because employees in different regions know their markets, understand customers’ different needs, and know how to respond to business partners’ cultural practices and customs. This greatly contributes to local acceptance and trust in the company.
What place does diversity have at Carl Zeiss Meditec Group?
ZEISS is one of the world’s leading innovators in the design and development of medical devices. We create and supply cutting-edge technologies and application-oriented solutions for ophthalmology, and we couldn’t do this without a diverse team of people. With more than 3,200 employees at the Carl Zeiss Medical Group alone from all around the world, diversity is a major driver of everyday life at ZEISS. The company is shaped by a diverse array of skills, mentalities, leadership and work styles, cultural backgrounds, and lifestyles. Diverse teams are more creative and solutionoriented, which helps them innovate – and that’s a great advantage.
For example, the three of us, hailing from different backgrounds, with diverse views and experiences, work together every day to further ZEISS innovation in the ophthalmic devices industry, collaborating and aiming to influence the way customers, partners, and employees see ZEISS, further positioning the company as a market leader.
How will ZEISS continue to advocate for diversity in ophthalmology in the next five years?
When ZEISS started 175 years ago, we and our customers were inspired by curiosity, passion, and precision – new perspectives that shaped how we looked at the world; to discover major challenges and turn them into great opportunities. Despite the many ways the world has changed over the past 175 years, one thing remains the same: together we challenge the limits of imagination.
We plan to continue this journey of innovation together over the next five years and beyond, giving employees the opportunity to expand their professional and personal horizon, and promoting diversity in all its forms.
