CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Don’t fear that asking others for help makes you appear weaker, don’t be afraid to let others help you — and trust your instincts. This was the advice that Gina Clark, executive vice president and chief communication and administration officer at AmerisourceBergen (AB), said she would give to her younger self. Gina’s reflections were shared during a meeting hosted by George Rafferty, AB’s president of corporate partnerships.

Gina Clark

This candid discussion, part of a series of virtual town hall meetings moderated by Rafferty for AB’s largest retail customers, broached the challenges and opportunities of women in top business roles.

Clark admitted that in the early years of her career she didn’t think she could ask for assistance.

“I felt as though I had to pretend that I always knew as much as everybody else in the room — and what a mistake that was. So, if I were to embark on this journey again, I wouldn’t pressure myself to act like that, because I know that AmerisourceBergen is a company with a culture that values collaboration, innovation, respect and belonging,” she said.

Clark explained that during her career in health care, which includes 17 years at AB, she gained confidence — a trait she hopes to instill in others.

“I know now that my instincts are good. But in the earlier days of my career, I would assume that others had more education or experience — and that sense of imposter syndrome is felt by so many young professionals, especially women.”

George Rafferty

Rafferty confirmed: “When we empower women, it unlocks the potential to exercise a different type of leadership — and Gina, you are a true testament to that statement. You really have been one of the more prominent female leaders in an industry traditionally dominated by men — and having diverse perspectives — such as yours, in leadership teams is critical in terms of how we identify problems and the approach we use to resolve and work through them.”

Clark said: “I feel privileged to have had exciting opportunities come up and phenomenal sponsors during my career at AmerisourceBergen. But I am also proud to work alongside other formidable female leaders on our Executive Management Committee.” She added that more than 50% of AB’s current Executive Management Committee are women. “There’s more work to be done to remove the many systemic barriers that hinder women’s career trajectories — but AmerisourceBergen is committed to being part of the solution in our organization.”

Clark went on to share how she started her career in health care as a clinical social worker before joining the AB team in Dallas. There, Clark worked with a team of leaders that developed AmerisourceBergen’s expertise in supporting specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers and providers. From there, Clark relocated to the Philadelphia region several years ago, where AB is globally headquartered. Today she oversees several different areas of the organization, including marketing; communications; government affairs; corporate responsibility and sustainability; diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I); and human resources.

Clark also serves as president of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, which has a mission to improve the health and well-being of patient populations by partnering with organizations to expand access to health care and advance health equity.

She praised the leadership of Steven Collis, AB’s president and chief executive officer, who has always been a supportive and guiding force and one of several sponsors in her career. “Steve knows that incredible things are achieved through collaboration — that’s why we encourage it across all fronts of the organization through AmerisourceBergen’s purpose statement,” said Clark. “We are ‘united in our responsibility to create healthier futures.’ ” Clark went on to explain that this simple phrase encompasses AB’s identity as an organization, and it drives every decision made. “The company has grown to comprise more than 42,000 team members — and every team member knows and understands that purpose.”

Rafferty credited Clark with being an architect of this purpose statement. “That purpose is embedded in every aspect of the company,” Rafferty said. “We feel it is really important that we articulate our purpose to our existing customers and our new customers way before we start talking about how many distribution centers we have, how many orders we fill, etc.”

Noting her earlier praise of Collis, Rafferty asked Clark to dig into the nuances of sponsorship versus mentorship and how each shape career advancement. Mentorship, she explained, means that someone is really invested in the professional development of a team member.

“Sponsorship is a bit more involved,” she said. “A sponsor recognizes the individuality of a person and helps them harness their unique strengths in a way that positively shapes the course of their lives and their careers.”

Sometimes a mentor is a sponsor, added Rafferty. “Sometimes they are two very different people — but out of the two, the sponsor is the one who really puts the stake in the ground for you.”

Changing gears, Rafferty tasked Clark with providing a breakdown of the various programs developed to address corporate responsibility and sustainability.

“For the last decade, there have been conversations about the rise in corporate responsibility,” Clark explained. “I often say that we are a company that firmly believes in ‘doing well by doing good’ — it’s fundamentally connected to our purpose and our responsibility as a global corporate citizen.”

The acronym ESG, which stands for Environmental Social and Governance, is the popular term that Clark and other leaders chose to denote AB’s efforts to meaningfully benefit the world economically, environmentally and socially. “In the past, we didn’t do a good job of developing a formal approach to ESG or articulating our position and actions. We have that firmly in place now — and are intentionally integrating our ESG goals into our short-term and long-term strategic plans,” she said.

Clark further noted that the impact of these efforts would be amplified with the company’s recent acquisition of Alliance Healthcare, a distribution and pharmaceutical services company in Europe.

As far as the environmental portion of AB’s ESG goes, the company’s focus is to conduct operations in a resilient and sustainable manner. The company recently published a new sustainability report with requirements for carbon footprint, waste management and other environmental ­responsibilities.

Clark went on to explain that the second ‘pillar’ in AB’s ESG is building and sustaining a culture for the company’s 42,000 team members that feels safe, inclusive, and truly reflective of the diverse communities that they live in. “We all lived through the most challenging social environment in our history in centuries and being socially aware simply isn’t enough,” said Clark. “We have to be active, responsible and accountable, especially around the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Clark applauded her company’s recent hiring of senior vice president and chief diversity equity and inclusion officer Ann Anaya — stating that she has already been making outstanding progress and impact.

“Lastly, our ESG work focuses on cultivating healthy communities for all,” Clark said, referencing corporate giving through the AB Foundation, encouraging volunteerism and empowering team members to make a difference through internal channels like the Associate Assistance Fund, a 501c3 nonprofit to help AB employees who are experiencing extreme financial hardship due to natural disasters, medical emergencies and other events.

Wrapping up the discussion, Clark singled out Rafferty’s efforts to be an ally to all, especially those who are marginalized. “As a leader, you have stood out,” she said. “You’ve taken the responsibility and accountability to first be an ally and then take your allyship and be an executive sponsor.”