Board of Directors Oversight on Corporate Responsibility and ESG
Originally published in Quest Diagnostics 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report
The Board of Directors has aligned its activities to oversee the organization from an ESG perspective. Different committees of the Board and, in some cases the full Board itself, oversee various areas. Each committee’s responsibilities are included in its charter, and the full Board’s ESG responsibilities are set forth in the company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. For example, the Governance Committee oversees the organization’s overall ESG priorities, goals, and strategies and also reviews policies, programs, and reports pertaining to environmental sustainability matters. The full Board is responsible for providing oversight on various human capital management topics, including inclusion and diversity and employee health and safety.
Quest Diagnostics ESG Leadership Council
In 2020, the Quest Diagnostics ESG Leadership Council was developed to oversee the advancement of the overall corporate responsibility program. Jim Davis, our CEO-elect and Executive Vice President, General Diagnostics, leads the ESG Leadership Council, which includes representatives from key areas, including Finance, Human Resources, Investor Relations, Legal, Operations, and Procurement. The Council spearheaded our materiality assessment process, which will foster the alignment of key ESG topics within our business strategy.
ESG working groups
As part of the materiality assessment, working groups were developed to review select areas, assist in finalizing the assessment, and position the company to define objectives and identify goals and targets. Each working group has executive-level oversight and is supported by a senior-level leader and cross-functional team. These groups are building on work to date as well as identifying new opportunities for us to go even further.
