Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 114
114
( 2026)
SPONSOR CONTENT
Roche Canada offers a legacy of purpose and impact
A
t Roche Canada,
being a “responsible
corporate citizen” is a
core value, says
Alvin Raskina,
head of human resources, Roche
Canada. Philanthropy and social
responsibility are priorities for
the global health care leader, he
says. “Our employees want to be
at Roche because they seek more
than a job — they want to see and
feel real impact.”
At the centre of Roche Canada’s
philanthropic and charity work is
Neli Brum, communications and
philanthropy senior coordinator.
She began working at Roche more
than 12 years ago and soon embraced the opportunity to lead the
corporate philanthropy program.
What drives us is
creating change and
making a real difference.
— Neli Brum
Communications & Philanthropy
Senior Coordinator
Roche Canada believes collaboration between its diverse, multi-disciplinary teams is key to fostering
innovation in the life sciences sector.
“Over the years,” she says, “I’ve
worked to build it into a program
that not only provides financial
support to our charitable partners
but also offers employees a variety
of opportunities to volunteer and
actively give back to the community. Seeing its growth and impact
has been incredibly rewarding.”
Brum is particularly proud of
the Roche Gives Back program,
which connects employees with
charitable partners through
volunteer activities. “It gives them
the chance to support causes
they’re passionate about while
strengthening bonds with their
co-workers and the community.
Time and again, I hear from
employees how proud they are
to work for a company that truly
values giving back,” she says.
Feedback and collaboration are
integral to how Roche operates,
and this is also reflected in its philanthropic programs. By fostering
open communication and valuing
employee input, Roche ensures
its initiatives are impactful,
meaningful and aligned with the
needs of both employees and the
community.
“This year,” Brum notes, “I saw
a shift in the engagement from
our employees. Almost half of
the teams that volunteered were
proactive in reaching out to me,
looking for volunteer opportunities for their teams. Over the years,
there have even been instances
where some employees who
participated in our programs went
on to volunteer independently in
their own time.”
Raskina notes that leadership at
Roche strives to lead by example.
“Many of us contribute by
donating funds and time, participating in events that support our
charity partners, advocating for
their important causes through
social media, and encouraging
our teams to get involved in the
various
volunteering opportunities available throughout the year.”
One of the highlights of Roche
Canada’s charitable efforts is
Roche Gives Back Week, which
Brum describes as ‘a chance to
showcase the profound impact of
volunteering and the meaningful
difference it brings beyond financial support.’
This year, Brum says, the company added #RocheProud Day to
the annual event, “to mark Roche’s
founding and celebrate our long
history of giving back.” Founded
in Switzerland on October 1, 1896,
Roche’s commitment to philanthropy spans much of its nearly
130-year history.
