How do you maintain a people-first culture while scaling a global organization to over 41,000 employees across 50 countries? In today’s episode, John Duisberg sits down with Joe Cronin, Chief Human Resources Officer at ICON, to explore how ICON has grown from a small team of five in Ireland in 1990 to a global leader in clinical research and healthcare intelligence.

Joe shares insights into:

• ICON's Mission: Accelerating the development of life-saving drugs and devices by supporting over 1,300 clinical trials in 2023 alone.
• Maintaining Culture Through Growth and M&A: How ICON preserves its core values—collaboration, agility, inclusion, and integrity—while integrating over 30 acquisitions, including the significant merger with PRA Health Sciences.
• 'Own It at ICON' Philosophy: Fostering a culture of ownership that empowers employees to embrace challenges and contribute proactively.
• Global Initiatives: The annual "Wake Up to Culture" day that unites employees worldwide to celebrate and reinforce ICON's values.
• Digital Innovation in HR: Leveraging AI and technology to enhance recruitment processes, candidate experience, and streamline HR operations.

Joe also discusses the complexities and contradictions in today's workforce, emphasizing the need for flexibility, personalization, and deeper connections in a post-pandemic world.

Resources Related to This Episode

• ICON Website: iconplc.com
• Connect with Joe Cronin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joe-cronin-7540073
• Learn More About The Cooleaf Podcast: cooleaf.com/resources/podcast

Credits

• Theme Music 🎵DPMusic from Pond5.com
• Produced by Chat With Leaders Media