Putting a Focus on Employees at Beckman Coulter
5th March 2020
Workplaces enjoy better productivity and more innovation when gender diversity is balanced, according to Orlaith Lawler, Site Director of Co Clare-based biomedical device maker Beckman Coulter where more than half of the company’s managers are female.
The Tulla-based company, which employs 420 people, is one of the biggest employers in the Mid-West. As it marks International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020, it is continuing to develop its links with local schools to inspire more female scientists as well as recruiting more women scientists, technicians and engineers than ever before.
The company will mark IWD with a special ‘pop up’ photo-exhibition featuring some of the stories of its Co Clare-based female employees.
The theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) this year is #EachForEqual, a global campaign to empower women and girls, promote gender-balanced workplaces, boardrooms, governments, sports and media coverage and female/male equality in daily life.
Beckman Coulter Site Director Orlaith Lawler says equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. “We are proud to be involved in work that impacts very positively on women’s health – and which empowers women. As a site, we are also very proud of our current gender diversity.
“We currently have a 48% female and 52% male split which strengthens through to middle level management with 53% of our managers being female. One of the Core Values within Beckman Coulter is that the best team wins – and we really believe that gender balance support this. Ensuring we have strong female representation, means that as part of our overall Diversity and Inclusion program, we are more productive, more innovative, more engaged and are a better team as a result.
“I think it is very important that we highlight and support International Women’s Day. We need to show the generation following us, both male and female, that the current situation is just not good enough even though we have come so far. There is still so much that needs to be done.”
Pictured (l-r): Claire Murray, Research & Development Scientist; Angela Keogh, Senior Manager Global Product Management; Eileen Downes, Supervisor Regulatory Affairs; Orlaith Lawler, Senior Director, Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc; Michelle McDonnell, Supervisor Manufacturing Science VA; Denise Addie, Senior Project Manager in Operations and Aideen McNamara, Technician Production Operations. (Photograph by Eamon Ward).
