Serena Ceccarelli:
Sustainability at the Heart
How Sanofi's transformation is building a purpose-driven culture
Serena Ceccarelli reveals how Sanofi's integrated approach to sustainability is transforming the pharmaceutical giant while creating lasting social value through ambitious environmental targets and expanded healthcare access.
When public health and sustainability collide, powerful transformation happens. In the gleaming Sanofi offices in Milan, Serena Ceccarelli, Corporate Communication, Employee Engagement & CSR Manager at Sanofi Italy, leans forward, her eyes bright with conviction. "Twenty-five years ago, sustainability was a peripheral concern for most companies. Today, it's existential.
The passion in her voice is unmistakable. Having graduated in public relations and corporate communication in Milan before building expertise at Vodafone and joining Sanofi over a decade ago, Serena doesn't just talk about sustainability. She embodies it.
"The climate crisis, healthcare inequities, and social disparities aren't separate challenges – they're interconnected," she explains, gesturing animatedly. "In Sanofi, we live it every day."
Ask Serena about her proudest achievement, and she doesn't hesitate. "We developed a study measuring Sanofi's impact in Italy that opened many eyes," she says. The analysis quantified the company's direct, indirect, and induced impact on the Italian economy and society.
"It wasn't just numbers on a page," she insists. "It showed our colleagues on the ground – especially our Corporate Affairs teams – exactly how we contribute to innovation and development. We're showing concrete evidence of our positive impact."
Her enthusiasm peaks when describing how this evidence helped strengthen relationships with local partners. "It's one thing to talk about your commitment to a region, it's another to demonstrate it with data."
Sustainability in action
Sanofi's approach to sustainability isn't theoretical – it's practical and ambitious.
The Sanofi Global Health Unit provides 30 essential medicines to 40 low-income countries, tackling diseases from diabetes to malaria. "When I talk about this program with colleagues," Serena says, "their faces light up. We're in healthcare to make a difference, and this is direct evidence of that difference."
Foundation S – The Sanofi Collective (Sanofi’s philanthropic efforts) tackles childhood cancer, climate action, and health resilience through community-based solutions. "These aren't just corporate programs; they're lifelines for vulnerable communities."
Our ambition in Sanofi is to tackle the impact of environmental challenges on health and healthcare. We’re bridging our key sustainability efforts together to focus on improving equitable access to healthcare, reducing the environmental impact of our activities, and transforming the delivery of care to reduce health systems’ environmental footprint.
On the environmental front, we're pursuing our efforts to help mitigate climate change, aiming toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. "When we removed plastic windows from our packaging, it eliminated 35 tons of plastic annually," she adds. "Small changes, multiplied across a global company, create enormous impact."
Culture as the secret ingredient
Serena lights up when describing Sanofi's culture. "There's something really special here that I haven't seen elsewhere," she confides. "It's genuinely who we are."
She leans in as if sharing a secret. "People can speak up without thinking, 'Oh my goodness, I might say something incorrect.' We need to share our ideas because it's the only way to evolve and develop, always respecting each other. These are our fundamentals."
This psychological safety powers Sanofi's transformation journey to become the first biopharma powered by AI. "I've been part of the local transformation team, helping colleagues see change as an opportunity rather than a threat," she explains. "When people feel secure enough to be bold, magic happens."
Her own experience exemplifies this cross-functional approach. "One month, I'm working on change management with People & Culture; the next, I'm collaborating with medical and market access teams on product launches. The diversity of experience helps us all grow."
When asked how co-creation works in practice, Serena exclaims: "It's not some special initiative, but how we work daily. Whether developing a sustainability study or organizing the Sanofi Cup (Sanofi’s own sports competition), we create working groups, share ideas, and tackle constraints together."
She dismisses the idea of lone-wolf success. "To achieve anything meaningful today, it's impossible to go it alone. Absolutely impossible," she emphasizes with a decisive gesture.
The Olympics and Paralympics in 2024 provided a powerful engagement opportunity. "Our colleagues participated as Igniters and volunteers. It was extraordinary to see them directly involved in bringing our strategy and values to life on a global stage."
Work-life balance as sustainability
Sanofi's approach to sustainability extends to employee wellbeing. "Our culture promotes health-work-life balance, which matters deeply to everyone," Serena explains. "We're constantly evolving in our agile way of working, health programs, and wellness initiatives."
She believes this approach ensures employees remain productive while enjoying fulfilling personal lives. "Sustainability isn't just about the planet – it's about creating sustainable working lives too."
As the interview concludes, Serena's energy hasn't diminished one bit. "Our purpose is delivering first-in-class medicines, but ultimately, it's about answering healthcare needs," she says. "That's what makes each of us proud to work here."
Her definition of sustainability goes beyond environmental metrics. "Being sustainable long-term means improving people's lives through growth that benefits all stakeholders," she reflects. "It's about being a trusted company guided by strong culture, unique identity, and solid values."
Her parting thought? "Inclusiveness, equity, diversity, engagement, focus on people, health, planet, environmental action, technology, innovation – these aren't separate initiatives. They're all threads in the same fabric of our sustainable future."
The sparkle in her eyes makes it clear: at Sanofi, sustainability is more than a corporate priority: it's a passion that drives transformation from within.
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