As the vice president and general manager, Southern California, McKesson U.S. Pharmaceuticals & OWN IT National Chair - Jeanine Singer is an impressive woman who is thriving in her career and is keen to enable, support, and encourage others to do the same.

Here she opens up about McKesson’s women’s network, how it supports the professional development of women at McKesson and what she looks for in job candidates.

Women's Network at McKesson

Jeanine Singer: Our women-focused employee resource group was one of the first created here at McKesson. We’ve named our group OWN IT, which stands for Outstanding Women Networking, Inspiring and Taking Charge. And that acronym is a good reflection of what we do. We’re highly involved in creating and expanding networks for women at all levels of the company through our mentorship program and various networking events. We consistently feature our executive leaders’ thoughts on issues like gender equity, and why it matters to our future success. OWN IT also provides opportunities for women at all levels to raise their hands and take the lead on important initiatives, which helps develop leadership skills and provides exposure to other senior leaders. These initiatives are focused on changes that help make McKesson a great place to work for its current female employees and to raise awareness of McKesson as a preferred employer for future employees. For example, OWN IT was critical in expanding our parental leave policy last year. 

A dynamic network with inspirational events

Jeanine Singer: We have a reputation for putting together some of the most dynamic employee resource group (ERG) events! We’re able to leverage our relationships from across the company to connect our company’s most influential leaders with our members.  For instance, we held a career path panel discussion featuring women on McKesson’s Board of Directors, hosted a book reading and group discussion with Joann Lublin, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top, and in honor of International Women’s Day, we’re gearing up for our first ever international panel discussion, featuring our women leaders from the U.S., Canada and Europe and how they’ve pressed for progress in their careers.  We also enjoy partnering with our other employee resource groups for cross-cultural events and networking opportunities.

Supporting women in their careers

Jeanine Singer: Our network is our most valuable resource. Through our mentorship program, our members create long-lasting relationships with peers and people leaders who become mentors, advocates and sponsors. Through our events and network, we allow our executive sponsors and allies to provide feedback on how they have succeeded in their own careers, and what boundaries they’ve pushed or challenged along the way. We always end these discussions with a Q&A session. Usually, we get a lot of questions on salary negotiation and how to “Lean In.” We also benefit from a company culture that has a strong set of core values, called ICARE and ILEAD, that encourages people to speak up and be transparent about their goals and aspirations. These values are incorporated into our performance reviews, so we take them very seriously. 

An impressive workplace community 

For women interested in McKesson, take a look at the company’s Diversity & Inclusion Report which highlights some of the benefits and accomplishments that women achieve from being part of the OWN IT community. Whether it’s executing on a new internal initiative or its ongoing efforts to pair members with fantastic career opportunities, McKesson is always working to support its female colleagues. Why not take a look at these impressive current vacancies?

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