Summer 2018  |  9 As efforts progress, it’s also critical to continually measure, learn, apply and share widely what works— and what doesn’t—and transparently sharing updates about this important work. MAXIMIZE THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS (ERGs) ERGs can play a huge role in building an inclusive culture that attracts, engages and retains top talent— and promotes the cross-pollination of ideas needed to solve today’s biggest healthcare challenges. ERGs offer groups underrepresented at senior levels an environment to build confidence and skills, and a forum for networking, mentorship and collaborative learning. Smart companies leverage ERGs stra- tegically to gain perspectives and connections for customer insights, marketing and sales, and identify where talent resides in the organization. BUILD EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS TO MULTIPLY IMPACT Moving the needle on gender parity also requires external efforts to publicly advocate for parity as a business (not a women’s) issue. And, companies can make a greater impact—and set themselves apart from the competition—by building strong partnerships. For example, companies can partner with non-governmental organizations—like the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Gender Parity Collaborative—focused on diversity to offer events, programming, professional development and thought leadership. By following these and other D&I best practices, biopharma companies can make great strides toward retaining senior women leaders, attracting the brightest talent, and better serving both patients and the company’s bottom line. Visit genderparity. hbanet.org for more best practices and resources.  To garner greater visibility as a gender parity leader, the HBA is partnering with publisher Mediaplanet on a special “Empowering Women in Healthcare” issue that will run in the centerfold of USA Today in major U.S. cities on 28 June. Other industry stakeholders and gender parity advocates contributing to the issue include GSK, Amgen, Takeda, the American Medical Women’s Association, UN Women, the Association for Women in Science and celebrity spokespersons Shonda Rhimes and Marlo Thomas. View the special section of Women in Healthcare. “Empowering Women in Healthcare”