I, Catherine Levitt, personally commit to the following:

Personal Commitment 

• As General Counsel of Astellas, influence and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Astellas Legal Division and across the Astellas enterprise as well as within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry and the broader legal profession.
• Cultivate a culture where all Legal Division personnel feel a sense of belonging and psychological safety so they can make meaningful contributions to the Astellas business.
• Continually learn from our employees’ unique perspectives and experiences and challenge my own perspectives and unconscious biases.
• Meet at least twice a year with my organization’s LCLD Fellows, Pathfinders, and Alumni to discuss their experiences within the organization and request each of them to recommend ways in which we can further enhance our DE&I efforts.
• Leverage my relationships with other leaders in the legal profession to learn and share best practices and to further advance DE&I change in our profession and in our communities.

Organizational Commitment 

• Ensure diversity and inclusion remains a core pillar of the Astellas Legal Division’s strategic plan, including:
  • Regularly educating our global colleagues about DE&I matters;
  • Ensuring transparency in our internal initiatives to attract, develop, and retain diverse talent;
  • Holding Legal Division leadership and our law firm partners accountable for meaningful engagement and progress in DE&I;
  • Cultivating a culture of inclusion and openness where challenging historical norms and our own unconscious biases is encouraged; and 
  • Developing metrics to track progress toward our goals and transparently sharing them within the Legal Division and the broader Astellas organization.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Astellas’ senior leadership and Human Resources organization on initiatives to cultivate a global culture of inclusion at Astellas where employees thrive, diversity is celebrated, and diverse talent is developed and advanced.
• Continue to support Astellas Legal Division members’ continued participation in LCLD and identify ex-US organizations dedicated to promoting diversity in the legal profession.