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Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 05, 2022 | Diversity Equity Inclusion

A smiling mother of Asian descent holds her smiling baby.

This May, we’re celebrating the culture, traditions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the 2022 focus – Advancing Leaders through Collaboration – which, whether it’s collaborating, supporting each other or serving our communities, embodies how we work together at CVS Health.

Our commitment to inclusion is unwavering in our workforce and in the communities we serve. At the core of our work to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging are our Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) which are colleague-led organizations formed around shared interests or backgrounds.

We’ve asked a few of our colleagues who are a part of our Asian Professional Network Association CRG to share who or what inspires them and how they lead at CVS Health to bring their hearts to every moment of your health.

Sarah McMullen, Diversity Program Manager, Talent Acquisition
Unrelenting passion inspires me every day at CVS Health. I feed off my colleagues’ level of passion for increasing diverse representation, promoting inclusion and establishing equity across our organization. I believe that this deep level of passion contributes to resilience, perseverance and persistence and ultimately drives results. To me, a leader is articulated best by Brené Brown – “A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.”

Raymond Yu, Senior Marketing Manager
Change is an inspiring chase. As consumers, we constantly change how we communicate, what we value and how we shop. Sometimes it happens over time; other times, it’s instant. It’s inspiring how we relentlessly adapt our business at CVS Health to meet consumers’ needs. Leaders genuinely energize others toward shared goals powered by diverse thinking and welcome different backgrounds and experiences. They foster an environment where everyone is comfortable being their authentic selves.

Lily Wu, Manager, Enterprise Business Development and CVS Health Ventures
I’m inspired by the stories of those who within our community have faced obstacles head-on by pushing through with resilience, determination and positivity, including my parents and other members of our CRG. Leadership is important because it takes courage to start something new, be a pioneer or lead a team. Many achievements and progress wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have strong leaders paving the way for change or a new vision.

Nimish Bakshi, Senior Lead Coordinator, Product Safety & Pharmacovigilance
My parents inspire me every day. They left their families behind and came to the U.S., looking for higher education and opportunity. Through their experience and hardship, they have instilled so many incredible values in me, and they inspire me to be a better person. I believe a leader is willing to do whatever it takes to get the goal done. They will put 100% effort into whatever they do and have a strong sense of passion for what they do.

Estaer Taylor, Senior Manager, Human Resources
From an early age, my parents instilled in me to – be kind, be compassionate and respect everyone – and I carry these values with me within the CVS Health community. I believe a leader is vulnerable, and they work to listen to everyone and all ideas. It’s someone who encourages different perspectives and asks questions to reflect on yourself and your development.