Kimberly Palladino, GSK

Kimberly Palladino 
Collective Backbone Director
GSK

Years with GSK: 21

Activating my passion into meaningful impact

The Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective GSK Pulse Volunteers, From left: Linda Earland, Leng Nickels, Kimberly Palladino, and Megan Ketchum

I am very passionate about gender equality.

I live by #womensupportingwomen as a principle, participating in Women’s Leadership activities at GSK and through my alma mater, Villanova University.

I coach and mentor many women through GSK and Villanova, helping them to bring their best selves to the forefront and achieve their goals.   The United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) revealed to me how much marketing and money play a part in gender equity, which has led me to be selective about how I spread my likes and shares on social media, as well as where I spend my money.

Although, I still appreciate and follow largely marketed sports such as football and men’s basketball, I am consciously giving more attention to women’s sports such as softball, field hockey, and women’s basketball and spending more money through season tickets, donations and purchases benefiting those programs.

Work/volunteer synergies

Our company supports employee engagement on many levels including our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). I am a member of many including the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and I am on the Steering Committee for our Cancer Awareness and Resources for Employees (CARE) group.

What I’ve learned from volunteering with GSK

The most valuable thing I have learned is to start taking action.  Activism does not have to be as big or bold as a protest or policy change.  It can start small with your own personal value system and making daily choices to act in a certain way.

What excites me within corporate volunteerism 

Corporate volunteerism is an amazing opportunity to bring skills and talents, which may be taken for granted in the corporate environment, to a place where they are greatly valued and needed.  It makes you appreciate more what you have.