The Fridley, Minn.–based medtech giant said the hire underscores its focus on making an investment on inclusion and diversity as a business priority. Last month, Medtronic won the 2020 Catalyst Award in recognition of the company’s initiatives for fostering a workplace in which women can advance.
Saba recently served as VP of equity, inclusion & diversity at Kaiser Permanente Health Plan & Hospitals, heading initiatives at the company like a supplier diversity program. Before that, she held leadership roles at Vodafone.
The new position assumed by Saba takes effect on March 2. Her role is slated to hold responsibility for delivering a comprehensive global inclusion and diversity strategy while strengthening Medtronic’s inclusive culture and employment brand. Saba is set to report to chief human resources officer Carol Surface, according to a news release.
In the news release, Surface said Medtronic’s progress with inclusion, highlighted by the Catalyst Award, is a point of pride and the addition of Saba builds upon the company’s already strong inclusion, diversity and equity foundation.
“My philosophy is to listen and learn, and bring people along to co-create,” Saba said in the release. “When employees participate in shaping the future of who they want to be as a company, they are more engaged, and we collectively move faster. Equity, inclusion and diversity isn’t one big thing you do – it’s a million little things that we all do every day.”
