Stories and Viewpoints

June 15, 2021

By Curtis Sutton

As a Human Relations (HR) Business Partner at the oral solid dose manufacturing facility located in Carole Park, Australia, I work closely with Quality, Commercial Supply Chain and Regional Operations teams both here and in New Zealand. But I also have a keen interest in psychology and business, completing both psychology and business degrees at The University of Queensland. That background has guided my supportive approach to HR and is also one of the reasons I am proud to be a chair of our new LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. I believe in everyone being able to bring their whole self to work each day, and I understand the physical and mental toll of having to hide parts of yourself when at work.

As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I invited in my parents at age 18 after becoming more comfortable sharing this knowledge with those close to me. Growing up in a semi-rural part of Australia meant that there was a journey in being comfortable enough to share this information with friends, family and colleagues. Professionally, I always try to bring an open and authentic approach when interacting with colleagues, helping to create a space where they can talk openly about topics relating to diversity, inclusion and belonging.

One of my proudest moments professionally was getting to develop and deliver Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging training to leaders in Australia. Training on this topic is something I believe can create meaningful change, as education is an important first step in allyship. My favourite quote is, “Change is possible at any age, but never inevitable.” This speaks to how everyone can become an ally at any age, but sometimes you need education, guidance and willingness to support marginalised communities.

Getting to be a founding member of the LGBTQ+ and Allies ERG has filled me with pride, as it has shown me the importance Viatris places on creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Also, it has led to meeting so many colleagues who share my passion, with such moving stories about their connection to pride and ideas about where they see the future of this ERG going. I’m thankful that we get to begin this journey together and look forward to what we can achieve in this year of discovery and education around diversity, inclusion and belonging.