Stephen Maguire has worked for Perrigo for over four years and is currently a Global Sourcing Sustainability Manager (Packaging). Below he shares his insights into Perrigo's relationship with Movember and just why he is so passionate about supporting this campaign!
Why is Movember important to recognise, especially for Perrigo? I first partook in Movember over 15 years ago and at the time my employer said they would contribute to the charity if I did not participate and grow a mustache. That shows how far society has come in recent years and how employers mindset used to be…I decided to take part regardless and raised twice the amount they offered! We first brought the idea of Movember to the Dublin office in 2019 when Isabel Condon and I launched the initiative in the hope we would have a few people join. It was a huge success and we felt it brought the entire office together. The ‘Self-Care’ Supremo’s were born! Not only was it a lot of fun but we helped create awareness around men’s health. The support we received from senior management was incredible and it blew me away. Having such support from the likes of Grainne Quinn and Rob Willis help set the tone and showed there are no barriers when it comes to DEI. The core values of integrity, respect and responsibility within Perrigo allows employees to be open with their passion and encourages positive initiatives by providing a platform to drive awareness around important topics like men’s physical and mental health.
Let’s face it, historically men have not been great about proactively looking after themselves, especially when it comes to mental health, and statistics globally will concrete that theory. The more we can help drive awareness about looking after yourself as a male or supporting a male in your life, the more improvements we will see in the numbers.
What sort of impact have you witnessed based on Perrigo’s support of the Movember campaign over the years? We have continued to roll out the Movember campaign every year since 2019 in the Dublin office and Perrigo as always have been very supportive with time, resources and of course helping to contribute financially by matching monies raised. Raising funds is great and this helps the charity fund more research and resource around the 3 principal areas of Suicide Prevention, Prostate Cancer & Testicular Cancer. Personally, it is the awareness this campaign brings that motivates me. Nearly everyone has been touched or knows someone, whether it is family or friends, who has been challenged by cancer or mental health at some stage. I have had countless conversations with colleagues at the water cooler, in the hallways, or having a coffee regarding varieties of these topics since 2019. Bringing awareness and opening the door to these conversations normalizes the stigma around men’s health. Perrigo facilitates these conversations by the respect it shows to employees at a holistic level.
In what ways did Perrigo empower or encourage you to help lead the company’s involvement in Movember? From the first campaign we were given the space to lead this with encouragement. We were trusted to drive the initiative to a high standard, while also having the full attention and focus to carry out or main roles in Perrigo. This showed respect by management – this respect empowers people to do the right thing and put your whole heart into it.With the success of the ‘Self-Care’ Supremo’s in 2019 came the opportunity to role out Movember at a global scale. Grainne Quinn approached me and asked if we would be interested in driving Movember as a company wide initiative in 2020 and that Perrigo would be 100% behind it. From being told by a previous employer not to do it, to Perrigo encouraging us to make it bigger and better it shows the value this organisation has on DEI. There is no doubt the global campaign would not have happened if it were not for the likes of Grainne & Rob. They provided the foundation to support it, but it was Kolene Miller who took it to another level. You cannot but be impressed with Kolene’s mindset, her organisational skills and pure passion to successfully help run Movember globally and for that I can only say thank you so much – we could not have done it without you. In 2020 Perrigo raised $23,000 for Movember.
What is one action individuals can take to support the Movember movement? The one ‘action’ is to support! Support comes in many forms, whether it is contributing financially, participating in growing some facial hair or moving 60km for the month of November. Any support is welcomed big or small.But the biggest take away point for our readers is to talk…talk about your health, especially your mental health. The more we talk about these things the less power they have. This is for all the men in your life!
If you want to support our Perrigo 'Self Care Supremos' and keep track of our efforts this year then check out our fundraising page - Perrigo Movember