One of the many skills that military veterans bring into the civilian workforce is their love of participating in missions. At Syneos Health, our mission is to shorten the distance from lab to life. We know patients are waiting for a therapy that can change their life, and we’re here to make sure they get it. It’s a mission we embark on for a rewarding reason - to improve patients' lives around the world – and there’s no doubt our veterans make an impact on that mission.
That’s why we launched our Syneos Health Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG), to support our veterans, military families, and supporters.
Meet the Veterans Group Founders
The two co-leads of the ERG - Keith Gallagher and Shaun Williams - both served in the US Army. They’re responsible for building the infrastructure of the group; driving processes; educating staff; welcoming prospective veterans; and promoting, planning and executing events for Veterans and the ERG members.
Keith joined Syneos Health in November of 2018 as a Vice President, Operations Management. He served in the US Army for 34 years, earning the rank of Brigadier General. While Shaun served for six years as a Captain in the US Army and has been with Syneos Health since 2015, currently serving as Vice President, Investigator Management Solutions, . Both have been instrumental in getting the word out, both internally and externally, about the Veteran community at Syneos Health.
Jeff Kueffer, Executive Vice President, Global Operations is the Executive Sponsor of the ERG. As the Executive Sponsor, he serves as a strategic advisor collaborating with Keith and Shaun. Jeff served as a commissioned officer in the US Army for 21 years before joining the organization in 2004.
“I am hopeful that our ERG can help raise greater awareness of Veteran service and sacrifice to our fellow employees,” said Keith. “Veterans truly immerse into the values of the Company and build upon an already strong foundation derived by the military. Through example, professionalism and deed, Veterans are proud to join and contribute to the company as well as share their story and knowledge with fellow employees.”
Kerry and Brian Bambrick-Sattar
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Paying It Forward to Military Families
The Wolf Who Wanted Wings
Building the Community – a Place for All
At Syneos Health, 8.1% of the US-based employee population across the business identified as a Veteran, with many in our Clinical business.
And while the ERG is still in its early phases, the fact that nearly 900 veteran employees are helping us accomplish our mission of getting therapies to market faster than ever before is amazing.
“There’s a lot of work that we’re doing to build off the success that’s already happened in the Company,” said Shaun. “Based on the feedback that I’ve heard from vendors and clients, the number of Veterans that we have as an organization is very impressive.”
The Veterans ERG is open to all – Veterans, military families, and supporters – and the founders plan to continue expanding globally. The group is already open for Veterans in all regions throughout the world and the ERG goal is to create different chapters around the world to provide endless support for our Veterans.
Shaun shared, “We recognize the global reach of our Company and that many of our employees overseas may also be Veterans. We fully understand the value and contributions that each Veteran makes on their team. Through this ERG, we are excited about an opportunity to open up the window across the globe and collaborate on ideas and other initiatives to promote awareness of service and sacrifice by our Veterans.”
The Mission Continues
“Ideally, we want to get the word out about the community we’re building through our ERG and why Syneos Health is a great place for Veterans to work,” said Shaun. “We want to find the right opportunities to promote our organization, and give service men and women a chance to connect with us through our ERG.”
Veterans bring a multitude of transferrable skills to our projects at Syneos Health. The bond and the camaraderie that exists on each of our teams – things that Veterans are very familiar with from their time in service – gives them a chance to bring their skills into the civilian workforce. Together, we can all work together to accomplish our goal of accelerating the delivery of therapies to patients worldwide.
“These former or retired military service members have tremendous leadership skills and technical acumen in solving problems, building teams, driving solutions and strong outcomes,” said Keith. “They can share such experiences with fellow employees in forging relationships, instilling confidence and demonstrating resiliency and determination in the work effort. Veterans are typically dedicated, loyal and hardworking and they bring that same work ethic to Syneos Health.”
