How My Veteran Status Serves Our Mission

Veteran Voices

Having the voices of the veteran community represented throughout inclusion and diversity conversations is important in fostering a culture that embraces everyone’s unique experiences. Neil Albuja, a Senior Director in Finance, shares how military service has shaped his approach to inclusion and diversity.

When I left the Navy, I was presented with a challenge—understanding and harnessing the value my experience as a veteran could bring to the corporate workforce.

What I found was the values of respect, teamwork, and the strength of diversity run parallel in both military and civilian work. No matter your background, rank or title, we treat one another with respect.

In a workplace culture that mindset needs to originate from the top, but it shouldn’t stay there. It’s up to us, as leaders at every level, to empower all employees to express their diverse perspectives. That’s where the power behind the best teams and ideas come from.

Overcoming Stereotypes

Veterans represent a slice of America, and as diverse as our country is, so are our veterans.

I want people to know veterans come from different walks of life. No two veterans are the same, even if we have shared experiences.

Each of our identities are unique, and at Daiichi Sankyo, fostering a culture that not only accepts those identities, but embraces them, is a significant part of our I&D mission.

More About Neil (see photos and quotes): My parents emigrated from Ecuador, so being a first-generation member of the U.S. military is an accomplishment I’m proud of.  I’m from the Top Gun generation. That 1980s movie influenced my decision to serve my country and enroll in the U.S. Naval Academy. An unforgettable experience was transporting WWII veterans to the site of the Normandy invasion to commemorate the 50th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 1994.

A Shared Mission Matters

When reflecting on my career, having a focus on an honorable mission is something that’s consistently motivated me. In the military that mission was to protect the freedom of our country and its citizens, and everyone played a part—whether you were a mess cook or the ship’s captain.

Daiichi Sankyo recognizes how the diverse skillsets of those who served our country contribute to the company’s honorable mission—to extend and improve the quality of lives of patients. Teamwork and leadership are two important skills I developed in the military, both which are crucial to my success each day and encouraged by Daiichi Sankyo and my manager.  The value that my team and I strive to deliver is greater through teamwork and collaboration, and that much more rewarding.

My team focuses on budget planning and financial analysis, and we play a key role in realizing our company’s mission. Through strong relationships with our business partners, we find efficiencies to get patients the treatments they need. I am proud to lead a talented team to make a difference in the lives of people with cancer—it’s what motivates me every day.