A year of passion
and impact
2022 Environmental, Socialand Governance ReportDedicated in memory of ZS’s
co-founder Andy Zoltners(1945-2023)
Andy’s passing happens to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the firm he took great pride inbuilding from the ground up, starting all the way back in 1983. Andy built deep relationships acrossthe biopharmaceutical landscape by helping clients solve their most complex business challenges.
His desire to make an impact that truly mattered was an inspiration, and that mindset is what drives
our passionate and dedicated people across 35 global offices today.
As we spend this year celebrating four decades of client impact, culture and an unwaveringcommitment to our core values, we now have one more thing to celebrate and pay tribute to: thelegacy of Andy, an admirable man and extraordinary visionary.
I’m humbled to have the privilege—along with ZS people across the globe—to carry forward Andy’s
guiding vision of transforming healthcare through our work with clients. You’ll be missed, Andy.
Pratap Khedkar (he/him)
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Contents

Overview

Advancing healthequityEmpowering ourpeople to make an
impactOperatingsustainably andresponsibly

Reporting

A letter to our stakeholders

Thought leadership2022 highlights

2022 highlights

About this report

About ZS

2022 highlights

Teams leading the way

Teams leading the way

Data collection andOur approach to ESG

Teams leading the way

Helping our people succeed

Reducing our climate impact

ESG mission and goals

Understanding the drivers ofConnecting with top talent

Evolving information security

2022 in review
Recognitions

health outcomes
Addressing disparities inhealthcare
Supporting human healthbeyond healthcare
Improving community healthWorking toward inclusion andbelonging
Designing the road map fora better ZS

and data privacy
Maintaining professional
integrity

methodology
Stakeholder engagement
GRI Content Index and SASB
Standards

1

ZS 2022 ESG Report

A letter to ourstakeholders

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

has women leading ZS’s road to success—across ourGoal No. 1: Advance health equity

board of directors, leading our environmental, social

We are investing in cross-industry partnerships to closeand governance (ESG) team and at every level ofthe health equity gap. In 2022, we elevated our healththe organization.

equity services by establishing a patient health andSome things never change, though. After 40 years, weequity accelerator team that affected an estimated~1.9 million lives.

I see the future of healthcare—in my role as CEO,are still steadfast in helping our clients succeed andthrough the lens of all stakeholders that make healthcare

ZSers thrive, we are faithful to our values and cultural

We are also innovating with clients in industries outside

happen, and above all, the patients and people thehallmarks, and we are passionate about advancingof healthcare who influence drivers of health, such

system cares for. I am constantly reminded that, on the

our ESG journey.

as economic stability and food security. In 2022, weother side of ZS’s solutions and innovations, are real
providers and patients—like my wife, Madhura, and thepatients she’s cared for over the course of her career as
a pediatric nephrologist.

Now, we are translating that passion into tangible impact
by making ESG a business priority. In 2022, we built
an ESG strategy around our core values and definedmaterial issues that matter to our business, stakeholders

engaged with clients in industries like financial services,
agribusiness, consumer goods, high tech, private
equity, retail and travel and transportation to help them
improve health outcomes in unique ways.

As I listen to her stories, it is clear that patients wantand vision of improving health outcomes for all. It is with

Given our people’s passion for pro bono and volunteer

competence and compassion in their care, both of

this strategy that we aim to achieve three goals:

work, we invested $8 million in nonprofit initiatives

which are enshrined in ZS’s values and hallmarks. I am

• Advance health equity​

to further tackle social and environmental disparities

humbled to be part of a firm with a vision to improvehealth outcomes for all, in partnership with so• Empower our people to make an impact ​across communities where we live and work. We
also launched our ZS Donation Match Program andmany others.

• Operate sustainably and responsibly ​I’ve seen a lot during my time here. Our once “small” firm

Our 2022 ESG report provides a behind-the-scenes lookof a couple thousand now has more than 12,000 ZSers

at what we are doing now to achieve these goals—thein 35 offices across the globe helping improve healthprogress we’ve made, challenges we’ve faced and path

Overall, ZSers across 32 offices in 2022 dedicated more

outcomes. A firm once focused on sales optimization

forward for making the impact we want to see with thethan 37,000 hours of service through pro bono andis now a global, end-to-end consulting, analytics,

partners we rely on most: our people, clients, suppliers,

volunteering activities to improve the health oftechnology and products firm with clients in and outsideindustry leaders and communities.

their communities.

of healthcare. And a firm once largely run by men now

contributed ~$600,000 within the first six months, 54%
of which directly supported health, housing and shelterand other human services nonprofits.

2

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Goal No. 2: Empower our people to make an impact​

In listening to ZSers at all levels, we also recognize key

change—a prominent driver of poor health outcomes.

2022 was another year of opportunity for our global

opportunities to strengthen our culture of inclusion

After a thorough review and understanding of ourteam. We promoted more than 2,000 ZSers andand belonging—particularly for colleagues who havecurrent impacts on the environment and discussions

enhanced professional development offerings to help

historically been underrepresented across consulting,with key stakeholders, we have a plan in motion to create

ZSers succeed.

our firm included.

genuine, sustainable and healthy change.

We also evolved elements of our hiring process to ensure

We identified areas for improvement, including

In 2022, we filed our near-term targets with the Science-

it was equitable for the 4,700 people who joined ZS in

increasing representation, retention and engagement

Based Target initiative (SBTi) to reduce our scope 1 and2022. Mainly, we audited our application and hiringof Black, Hispanic and Latino ZSers and creating an

2 emissions by 46% and scope 3 emissions by 55% byprocesses to remove obstacles for candidates andequitable path to leadership for women in our India

2030 (as compared to our 2019 baseline). While we await

advanced our bias mitigation training to help ZSers makeoffices. The latter aims to help accelerate growth in aapproval from the SBTi on these targets, we are forging

objective, merit-based, job-related and structured

region where we’ve historically seen fewer women inahead with tactics to reduce all three emissions globally.

hiring decisions.

leadership roles compared to other regions.

We maintain a continuous listening strategy to

Knowing there are even more opportunities to support

understand ZSers’ needs and support them during every

our people, we defined diversity, equity and inclusion

step of their journeys. Each year, we conduct an annual

commitments in 2022 to focus our efforts and achieve

engagement survey followed by a ‘pulse check’ mid-year

systemic and sustained impact.

to see how we are progressing on the actions we takefrom ZSers’ feedback. In our 2022 annual survey, 72% of
ZSers reported feeling engaged at ZS.

Goal No. 3: Operate sustainably and responsibly
The way we operate in and of itself is a driver of healthoutcomes—the health of our people, our partnerships,

Another listening opportunity last year was “OUR ZS

the environment and lives we touch through client- andDay.” For the first time in our history, we gathered in

nonprofit-facing work. We can only deliver tangible andevery office around the world for a cultural session thattransformative value when we commit to responsible,

prompted our people to share what matters to them.

ethical and sustainable principles.

From those rich discussions, ZSers collectively agreed
on six essential behaviors and attitudes that will help us
continue to live by our core values.

For example, we feel a heightened responsibility
to reduce our firm’s emissions and tackle climate

3

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Last year we switched our largest ZS office to renewable

Moving forward with purpose

energy. We also purchased renewable energy certificates

As I said earlier, the future of health should befrom Schneider Electric’s Energize Program, started

competent, compassionate, fair and accessible tonegotiating contracts with airlines to include Sustainable

all. Having a clear plan for addressing the biggest

Aviation Fuel options for employee travel and areenvironmental, social and governance issues of the day

contracting with rental car companies to include electric

are critical contributors to that future—and something

and hybrid vehicle options for ZSers commuting to thewe take seriously.

office or client sites.

With that, I have many people to thank for getting us to

Because of these and other efforts, we reduced ourwhere we are today: ZSers, for their unwavering passion

absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 29% and ourand drive; our clients for their continued partnership andscope 3 emissions per full-time equivalent by 49% (astrust; suppliers for their solutions and support; and ourcompared to our 2019 baseline year) in 2022.

communities for their confidence in us to make the world

We are also advancing our practices to ensure thea healthier place to live.

security and privacy of our people, partnerships andI look forward to partnering with all of you in 2023 andassets. We hired our first chief information security

beyond. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change

officer to lead ZS’s overall corporate information security

you want to see in the world.” Together, we can makestrategy, security infrastructure, governance, riskthat change.

management and compliance. With this new leadership,
we are better positioned to protect our partners’
information and earn their trust.
Pratap Khedkar (he/him)
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

4

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

About ZS
In 1983, Andy Zoltners and Prabha Sinha founded ZS on
three core values: Treat people right, get it right and do

Our purposethe right thing. Nearly 40 years later, we still work daily to

We solve complex problems to help our clients thrive.

embody those values in everything we do.

We work with companies in industries like healthcare,high-tech, financial services and more to bring ideas to

Do theright
thing

life—from discovery to commercialization, backed by ourOur commitment to ethicalbehavior is what allows us toapproach our work, our clientsand each other with integrity.

strategy consulting, analytics, platform andtechnology capabilities.

Our vision
ZS partners with companies to improve life and how we

Get itright

We apply industry expertise,leading-edge analytics,
technology and strategy to bringbold ideas to life.

live it. We transform ideas into impact by bringing
together data, science, technology and human ingenuity
to deliver better outcomes for all.

1983

ZS is founded by Prabha Sinha(photographed left) and Andy Zoltners(photographed right)

Treatpeopleright

We treat others with dignity andrespect, providing a supportiveand collaborative culture thatinspires real action.

5

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

The building blocksof who we are at ZS
To live our core values and drive
life-changing impact across ourcommunities, ZSers prioritize six
attitudes and behaviors. These
hallmarks inform our culture
today and inspire our priorities
for the future.

Do the
right
thing

Treat
peopleright

Get itright

ImpactCollaboration

GrowthEquityEmpathy

Empowerment

We go above and beyond

We partner with our

We continuously elevate

We champion our

We are inclusive andWe foster an environment

to create high-quality,

colleagues and clients,

our value by being curious,

colleagues and ensure

actively listen to ourof trust, ownership andexpertise-driven outcomessharing and evolving ourtaking risks, innovating andthey have unbiased accessclients and colleagues to

psychological safety, where

for all through ourexpertise to create positiveseeking feedback—all while

to the opportunities,

understand their unique

we influence decisions thattenacity and commitmentchange together in global

balancing humility andresources and support

perspectives, appreciatebenefit our clients, ourto excellence andhealthcare and beyond.

pride in our achievements.

they uniquely need totheir diverse experiencesbusiness and our personal

thrive—personally andand respect their personal

journeys at ZS.

professionally.

boundaries.

effectiveness.

6

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

12,000+35

1,200+

97%

1

ZSers globally

Global offices

Clients served

Repeat clients

Passionate team

7

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Our approachto ESG

We look to three teams and other functional leaders

Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, I always had big

and in the best interest of all stakeholders. ​dreams. These aspirations permeated every phase of
my career journey—moving to the United States for
new opportunities, earning my MBA and, finally, joining
ZS where I spent the better half of two decades helping
clients solve complex problems.
Two years ago, when I became ZS’s chief operating
officer, I knew it would allow me to focus to our mostimportant asset—our people. As a Latina woman whorose to leadership with support from a strong network, aacross ZS to help us on that journey.
Shareholders’ Council (board of directors)
Our elected leaders provide high-level oversight into ourfirm’s operations to ensure we act sustainably, ethically

ESG Steering Committee​
This group of tenured principals governs our ESG
strategy, objectives and accountability measures toensure we make progress.
ESG Core Team ​Global, cross-functional leaders drive our ESG initiatives
forward and help facilitate stakeholder engagement
across material issues.

founding member and now Chair of our Diversity, Equity

ZSers started our ESG work years ago because it was,and Inclusion Council, and former leader of ZS’s People

and continues to be, the right thing to do. Now we haveand Culture Team, I feel a responsibility to elevate others

the people, processes and structures in place to get

and help them achieve their full potential.

it right.

There is limitless potential at our firm because of ZSers’
intelligence and grit. Not only do we drive client impact
day in and day out, but we have influenced positive
climate impact, responsible social behaviors and ethicalgovernance for years. I’m thrilled that we now have thestrategic direction, operations and governance to scale
our existing work and create greater change.

Sandra Forero (she/her)Chief Operating Officer

8

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

ESG governance

Shareholders’ Council

ESG Steering Committee

ESG Core TeamThe Shareholders’ Council is a group of

The ESG Steering Committee is a cross-

The ESG Core Team executes on ESG

11 ZS principals who serve as ZS’s board

functional team of principals who govern

programs and interventions designed byof directors and represent the interest of

our ESG strategy. They meet monthly to

the ESG Steering Committee and approved

ZS’s shareholders. Several sub-committees

discuss progress and opportunities in ESG

by the Shareholders’ Council. They

ladder up into the Shareholders’ Council—

while working closely with other committees

partner with leaders across our Enterprise

including the Diversity, Equity andwho govern our risk, compliance and legal

functions—including legal, compliance,

Inclusion Council, Risk, Compliance andpolicies. The ESG Steering Committee

human resources, finance, marketing andProfessionalism Committee, Compensation

develops and manages initiatives that

communications and more—to drive holistic

Committee, and Principal Election

support our ESG goals, oversee reporting andand sustainable change within the firm.

Committee—providing high-level oversight

disclosure requirements, assess our progress

on ZS’s strategy and operations to ensureand design data-driven and strategic paths

we act sustainably, ethically and responsibly.

forward to keep us on track. Principal Judith

As the ultimate ZS governing body, theKulich is the ESG Chair on the Shareholders’Shareholders’ Council meet quarterly to

Council and member of the ESG

challenge and endorse our

Steering Committee.

ESG commitments.

9

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix“Global health is ripe for change, and we’ve designed our ESG strategy
and efforts to positively influence that change.
Without safe, responsible and secure practices, we can’t earn thetrust of our partners who propel life-changing solutions. Without
sustainable operations, we can’t improve climate change—a social
driver of health. Without a workplace culture that sees, hears,
understands and includes its people in decision-making and diversifies
its employee-base, we can’t innovate in new and profound ways.
Everything we focus on—health equity, climate impact, diversity,
equity and inclusion, data security and privacy, ethics andtransparency—coexist for a reason and are what will drive us toward
improving health outcomes for all. They are also the areas where we, as
ZSers, can have the most impact.
The road ahead is long, and progress won’t be quick or easy. But
I’m proud of the strides we’ve made to date. This is hard, criticaland purpose-driven work, and we have a global team who believein that purpose. We, in partnership with our clients, suppliers andcommunities, will help redefine global health for the better.”Judith Kulich (she/her)​
ESG Chair on the Shareholders’ Council in San Francisco, CA (U.S.)

10

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

ESG assessment

External reporting efforts

annually assessed by EcoVadis—the leading rating

A sound ESG approach requires a thorough, data-

We consult established reporting frameworks andorganization on business sustainability—on our

driven assessment. To get ours right, we identified ESG

standards to inform how we track progress acrossenvironmental, labor and human rights, ethics andtopics that interrelate with our business strategy andmaterial issues. This year, we are using the Sustainability

sustainable procurement impacts.

stakeholder relationships.

Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the GRI Standards

Through a qualitative assessment—which included areview of our employee engagement data and interviews
with clients and ZS principals—we identified material
issues that are important to society, ZS andour stakeholders.

Material issues
We are prioritizing five material issues today to aid our
pursuit of improving health outcomes for all:• Health equity• Data security and privacy• Diversity, equity and inclusion• Climate impact• Ethics and transparency
We will conduct a full materiality assessment to alignwith the evolving needs and priorities of ZS, our clientsand our other key stakeholders.

and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You
can find details on how we are aligning our material
topics against these frameworks and standards in thesubsequent pages and appendix of this report.

As we evolve our ESG work, we will continue to reference
SASB, GRI and SDGs for disclosure guidance and share
information through CDP and EcoVadis. We will monitor
global developments in sustainability best practices
across the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,

Additionally, we report our scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse

International Sustainability Standards Board and EU

gas emissions data to CDP, giving clients easy accessCorporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

to our environmental data and impacts. We are also

11

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

ESG mission and goals
Advance health equity
We work to understand and address the social andenvironmental drivers of health. We seek partnerships
and opportunities that drive change, bringing together
stakeholders in healthcare and beyond to tackle inequities.

Working together
to deliver healthy,
fair and sustainableoutcomes for all.

Empower our people
Our people are our most valuable asset. We prioritize fostering
a culture where every ZSer uses their passions to drive impact,
receives support based on their unique needs, feels heard andrespected, is enabled to thrive and belongs.

Operate sustainably and responsibly
We work to build trust with our clients, partners, colleagues
and suppliers by addressing the impacts of climate change,
ensuring data security and privacy and staying accountable as
we make progress.

12

ZS 2022 ESG Report

ZS supports the U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
We are prioritizing select SDGs that align with our ESG
goals and vision of improving health outcomes for all.

Overview

Our focus on health

SDG 10: Reduce inequalities: We work to help ZSers

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

SDGs guiding us to advance health equity

feel supported, experience equitable opportunities for
progression and have overall feelings of belonging bycommitting to actions that advance diversity, equity andinclusion. Additionally, we are helping our clients andnonprofit partners address social drivers—including
race, ethnicity, gender and economic status—that

SDGs guiding us to empower our people tothe World Economic Forum’s Zero Health Gaps Pledge

contribute to health disparities around the world.

make an impactand Healthcare Leadership Council’s pledge to advanceSDG 12: Responsible consumption and production: We

SDG 3: Good health and well-being: Recently, ZS signed

health equity. That’s because we commit to advance
health equity around the world and ensure everyone
has fair access and equitable opportunities for positive
health outcomes. We also work to support the healthand safety of our people, at every stage of their ZS
journey, through comprehensive benefits offerings, faircompensation, community supports and more.
SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy: We are scaling
the use of clean energy sources across the entire firm,with the goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Currently, five of our largest offices use 100% renewableenergy, and all offices in the U.S. reside in LEED certified
or Energy Star certified buildings. We also continue toupgrade electrical systems, phase out refrigerants andinvest more in renewable energy overall.

are uncovering new, sustainable consumption practices.
This includes engaging suppliers and vendors to reduce
emissions, reducing footprint of data centers, disposingof e-waste sustainably and responsibly and purchasing
food from restaurants that have sustainable packaging.
SDG 13: Climate action: In 2022, we submitted anear-term science-based target with the SBTi and are
awaiting validation. In the meantime, we are taking
action to reduce emissions, helping clients operate moresustainably, assessing climate risks and increasing our
climate disclosures regularly. We are on track to submit
our overall net-zero SBTi target by 2025.

SDGs guiding us to operate sustainably
and responsibly

13

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix2022 in review
Advance health equity

Empower our people to make an impact

Operate sustainably and responsibly

1~1.9 million 1

35% 2

50% 2,3

29% 6

49% 6

New global health

Potential lives

ZSers identify as

ZSers in the U.S. are

Absolute reduction in

Reduction in scope 3

equity teamaffected by our

women globallyfrom racial or ethnic

scope 1 and scope 2

emissions per full-timeminority groups

emissions (compared toequivalent (compared to2019 baseline)

2019 baseline)

patient health andequity accelerator
work

10

10

2,000+ 4

100%

5

100%

Healthcare practice

Therapeutic areas

ZSers promoted

ZSers with access

ZS’s largest offices

Of ZSers are required

areas with healthwhere we address

to professionaluse 100% renewable

to complete annual

equity projects

health equity

development tools

energycompliance training

7$8 million

72% 5

94% 5

Other industries

Invested in nonprofit
social impact initiatives

Of ZSers report being

ZSers believe in our

engaged (compared to ancore values

outside of healthcarethat we work in
to improve healthoutcomes

average 75% engagement 5
rate in management consulting
and professional services
industries)

1. This is an estimate derived by five health equity projects in 2022 health equity
driven by our patient health and equity accelerator. It considers the number ofpeople in a particular region diagnosed and/or living with a specific health condition
and the scale of ZS’s project to address the condition. We estimate that millions ofmore lives are affected through our other client-facing work and efforts to supportclients’ health equity efforts.
2. 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees
3. Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are persons who identify as any of thefollowing: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander,
Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, Multiethnic
4. Exactly 2,069 ZSers were promoted in calendar year 2022
5. August 2022 ZS HealthCheck (employee engagement) survey
6. Emissions calculated by a third-party vendor for calendar year 2022

14

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Recognitions
We received several

Our 2022 recognitions signal progress andopportunity

recognitions as agreat place to work
for women.

We received a perfect score for the

ZS received a Bronze EcoVadis rating

ZS received a C rating in the 2022 CDP

fourth year in a row on the Humanon our environmental, labor andClimate Disclosure, indicating we are

Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality

human rights, ethics and sustainableknowledgeable about the impact ZS has

Index and designation as a “Best Placeprocurement impacts. As with CDP, weon climate change. This was our second

to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.”

are using this tool to inform our strategy

year responding to CDP, and we are

and disclose targets and progressusing this score to inform our strategy,

across material issues. We have defined

define our commitments and guide us

a near- and far-term blueprint toimprove this rating.

in taking systemic action on climate
issues. We expect to improve this scorein coming years.

For more of our 2022 recognitions, visit zs.com.

15

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Advancing health equity

16

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

In an ideal world, every person would have a fair andImproving human health and reducing these disparities

ZS serves as a connector for these industries, facilitating

just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. However,requires cross-sector partnerships and innovation within

partnerships to address inequities and improve healththe reality is that individuals and entire populations

and outside of healthcare. Whether it’s a pharmaceuticaloutcomes for all people, in all regions of the world.

disproportionately experience higher rates of disease,

company designing affordable and accessible drugs to

We harness our passion, technology and expertise toillness and death because of one or several social

cure patients or an agriculture products manufacturer

deliver solutions that give everyone access to quality andfactors. Where they live, the air they breathe, thebringing nutritious food to market to prevent disease,affordable goods and services, regardless of their race,

education they receive, the color of their skin and much

everyone plays a role in reducing health disparities that

ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic status. This is no easy

more shapes their lives—and their health outcomes.

plague disadvantaged populations.

feat, but our values of treat people right, do the rightthing and get it right will guide our progress.

Our targets within the next two-plus years:

In this section• Develop programs to improve access to medicine for

17 Thought leadershipvulnerable and diverse populations• Engage in product innovation, research, consumer
access, digital health and more
• Support clients in diversifying clinical trials andimproving post-trial access to drugs• Support legislation and regulation that improves
access to health, tackles climate change, addresses air
pollution, provides access to mental health services
and addresses occupational health risks fromclimate change

18 2022 highlights
19 Teams leading the way
20 Understanding the drivers of health outcomes
21 Addressing disparities in healthcare
31 Supporting human health beyond healthcare
33 Improving community health

17

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

AppendixThought leadership
We create change with our clients, nonprofit partners and one another to address society’s

Our thought leadership in 2022 uncovered findings on the social and environmental

greatest challenges and improve human health. That type of social impact requires andrivers of health, which we hope will incite industry change. Here are just a selection of ourunderstanding of health disparities, researching solutions and extending our knowledge tothought pieces.

accelerate progress.

Reinventing patient centricity:
Bringing true patient-led
business models to life

How to recruit more diverse
clinical trial participants

Hidden patient drivers for
improving diversity inclinical trials

Leaning on ecosystem
partnerships to achieve
health equity

Q&A: Why the future ofhealth depends on innovative
collaborations, equity and trust

Advancing health equity:
Practical solutions to address
variations in care

Healthcare industry leaders
increasingly get behind wholeperson, personalized care2022 Impact Summits present
a vision for the future ofconnected health

Consumers call for connected
health: How can health plans
respond?

Beyond awareness: Insights
to increase willingness toparticipate in clinical research“What’s in it for me?”:Communicating the value ofclinical trials

Leave no patient behind: How
to develop a successful healthequity business strategy

18

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Our focus on health

Overview

2022 highlights
We drive change through healthcare expertise,partnerships, innovative problem-solving, proprietary AI
solutions and analytics acumen. But most importantly,
we apply a patient-centered lens for each solution.
In 2022, we elevated our health equity services bylaunching the patient health and equity accelerator.

10

Therapeutic areas where we touch health equity

• HIV
• HCV
• HPV
• Vaccines• Oncology• Immunology• Neurology• Rare diseases• Respiratory• Behavioral and mental
healthImproving human health is not just a healthcare priority

equity accelerator work

contribute to health inequities.

nonprofit partners
ZSers actively invest their time and expertiseto causes and nonprofit organizations thatvolunteering activities focused on community
health and well-being.

of health, or the underlying, nonmedical factors that

Healthcare practice areas with health equity projects

Other industries outside of healthcare that we work

• Research and development• Applied behavioral insights• Real world data and• Agribusiness and food• Private equity• Consumer goods• Retail• Financial services• Travel and transportation• Strategy andtransformation• Digital and connected
health• Healthcare ecosystemsolutions• Insights and analytics

Our work contributes to three U.N.
Sustainable Development Goals:

710• AI and advanced analytics• Value and access

Invested in social impact initiatives within sectors beyond healthcare to address social drivers

Potential lives affected by our patient health andproviders$8 million

hours of service through pro bono and~1.9 million• Health payers andAppendix

across 32 offices dedicated more than 37,000– it’s a priority for all industries. We innovate with clients

evidence

Our operations

address the drivers of health. In 2022, ZSers

This team of global experts collaborates with clients toimprove patient experiences and outcomes.

Our people

in to improve health outcomes• High tech andtelecommunications

19

ZS 2022 ESG ReportTeams leading
the way

Overview

Our focus on healthPatient Health & Equity Accelerator
In 2022, we formalized our health equity workby convening a team of experts to deepen ZS’s
understanding of health disparities that exist aroundthe world.

At ZS, we focus on the future of health—whatmust happen now to create a future that is moreconnected, accessible and quality-driven? How
can we (and should we) address gaps today thatrisk human health, well-being and outcomes?

The team leans into their healthcare expertise, cross-

What we discovered is something we have known
for years: We must prioritize health equity in
our research, innovations and solutions. Our
approach is ingrained across our operations anddriven by specific teams.

experience and strengthen outcomes.

Our human-centered client teams
ZSers are passionate about improving consumer access.
We use a human lens for our solutions, from helping
clients achieve greater diversity in clinical trials to
evolving go-to-market strategies of products that affectelements of health. This approach defines the work
across teams and practice areas.

ecosystem partnerships and innovative problemsolving to support 10 of our healthcare practice areasand 10 of our therapeutic areas. They have a dual focusof health equity and patient health and leverage ZS’s
digital solutions to broaden access, improve the patientZS CaresThrough our ZS Cares program, we accelerate changewith nonprofit partners. Many of them—like us—strive
to address the drivers of health. Through pro bono
consulting and volunteering efforts, ZSers globally apply
their unique knowledge, skills and passions as a force forgood to make our communities healthier places to live.

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

20

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Understanding thedrivers of healthoutcomes

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Drivers of health outcomes: A U.S. view
Social inequities

Drivers of healthCompared with non-Hispanic• Socioeconomic

whites, people of color have:• Behavior and lifestyle• 2-2.5x higher poverty rate

• Education• Up to 140% higher• Access to care

Of health outcomes are

unemployment rate

• Food insecurity

driven by non-medical

including the social, physical, environmental and• 2-3x higher chance• Living condition

factors (that is, social

economic conditions in which people are born, live,

to be uninsured

There is no doubt that social drivers of health (SDOH)
affect our overall well-being. These nonmedical factors,

Overall health outcomes

68%
drivers of health)work and age, drive most health outcomes.
We are working with leaders across industry sectors
to understand SDOH and apply a health equity lensto our solutions and offerings. By addressing existing
disparities and building human-centered systems
and solutions for delivery of care, we can support thecomplex needs of patients, consumers and communities.

• Medical care
• Omics

32%
Of health outcomes are
driven by medical factors
Sources: goinvo.com, U.S. Census 2015, from HRSA 2017 Health Equity Report
Minorities include people who are Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native21

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Addressing
disparities inhealthcare

Overview

Our focus on health• Identifying and recruiting diverse patient populations
for clinical trials• Tailoring analytics and insights to detect healthdisparities in patient populations• Helping establish and integrate health equity

equity, we signed the World Economic Forum’s Zero

• Developing patient language guidelines

We are working to achieve health equity in part withhealthcare leaders, by developing programs andinnovating solutions to improve access to care andmedicine for vulnerable populations.

Appendixneeds, including:strategies into company processes

Council’s pledge.

Our operations

We have applied our solutions to various client

As a signal of our commitment to advance health
Health Gaps Pledge and Healthcare Leadership

Our people“At the intersection of healthcare, ESG
and diversity, equity and inclusion, healthequity is the perfect opportunity for impact.
The expertise and capabilities that ZS has
are incredible and we have the ability topartner with our clients to drive greater,
more significant change and bring value to• Developing universal language standards

a broader set of people and patients.”

While our patient health and equity accelerator
drives this work, we continue to integrate healthequity throughout our other healthcare practice andtherapeutic areas.

Judith Kulich (she/her)
ESG Chair on the Shareholders’ Council
in San Francisco, CA (U.S.)

Read more on how ZSers work to advance
health equity.

Four pillars define our health equity collaborations

Uncover fresh insights
and innovate ways tofight inequities

Pioneer programs andapproaches to help
healthcare stakeholders
accelerate their progress

Forge and scale

Assess and target healthpartnerships across theequity gaps around thehealthcare ecosystemglobe, with a focus on

to jointly tackle

historically underserved

entrenched challenges

populations

22

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Putting patients first to
reduce disparities
Despite more than a decade of discussion aroundpatient-centered healthcare, patients still face challenges
throughout their treatment journeys​. Some challenges
are driven by health disparities—financial burden,

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

AppendixPatients as People Co-Lab
To better integrate the patient experience in ourinterventions and understand inequities they may face,
ZS created a Patient Co-Lab in 2022. This community ofpatients live with various long-term health conditions
and provide ongoing feedback on ZS work products andthought leadership content.

limited accessibility to care, difficulty understanding

By asking their input and listening to their stories, we cancomplex and poorly written health information—and

better serve patients and meet their needs throughout

Reinventing patient centricity

may negatively impact health outcomes.

the entire healthcare journey.

Life sciences leaders are accelerating their investments

The need to re-center and refocus on patient centricity

Listen to Robin Ameny—a patient member of thehas never been stronger. We are partnering with life

Co-Lab—share her journey of living with

sciences organizations to:multiple myeloma.

• Evolve their business strategy. By understanding
the nuances of individual experiences and impacts of

to incorporate patient centricity during drug
development and delivery.
However, many struggle to define what patient centricity
should mean and how to best enact it to drive positive
health outcomes and business results.

SDOH, companies can improve the patient experience

In Reinventing Patient Centricity: Bringing patient-led

and drive measurable business outcomes.

business models to life, published in 2022, ZS leaders• Help design products and services that address
unmet needs across the patient journey.

• Integrate patient needs and known disparities in
research and development through efficient recruitingof diverse patient populations, reducing dropout
rates of trial participants and inspiring more tangible,
meaningful findings.

collaborated with healthcare experts to provide a rangeof perspectives and experiences and answer
important questions:• Why is patient centricity critical to life
sciences businesses?

• What can companies do to advance and show
meaningful impact for people living with diseases?

• What is the future for patient centricity?

23

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Measuring patient centricity
As the healthcare ecosystem continues to move toward
value-based care, life sciences companies must shift

Overview

Our focus on health

Leadership and culture
Where patients fit in the organization’s overarchingstrategic development plan.

Our people

Our operations

Structure and practices
How a company structure affects patient centricity

from a sole ROI mindset and incorporate a measure ofPatient Outcome Impact™ (POI™). When POI works intandem with ROI, organizations can make decisions that

Strategic
visionCulturalmindsetBusiness
Practices

Governanceand decisionmaking

Resourcing

Keyperformanceindicators

Education anddevelopment plan

benefit both patients and their business.
ZS developed a patient centricity index to help
companies understand what it takes to become patientcentric, measure progress and create better experiences

Portfolio
and pipeline
strategy

Appendixand solutions for—and with—patients.
The maturity assessment helps organizations determine
where they are relative to others in the industry acrossareas of leadership and culture, structures and practices,
data analytics and technology, and cross-industry
collaboration.
These efforts can have ripple effects across the entire
healthcare ecosystem—supporting the doctor-patient
conversation, reducing healthcare costs and ultimately

Data, analytics and technology
The company’s approach to capturing acquiring andworking with patient data
Knowledge
management
and insightsharing

improving patient outcomes. Read more on how we arebringing patient-led business models to life.

Data andanalytics strategy

Technology

Cross-industry collaboration
Identifying partners to ideate, foster, pilot andimplement patient-centric initiatives
Healthcare
ecosystem
partnership

Regulatory
road map andengagement plan

24

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on healthAchieving connected care

Our people

Our operations

AppendixPatients

ZS serves as a connector, working to facilitate
partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem to

Health equity

address inequities and make a positive impact onpatients’ lives. In facilitating these partnerships, we aim
to help each organization establish a common healthequity lexicon, equity-first business processes andmaturity evaluations of their equity solutions.
Providers

PayersLife sciences

Government

Improving data

Reforming

Advancing clinical

Data standards

collection

reimbursement to target

development

Ingraining diversity,

SDOH

Partnering to improve

equity and inclusion in

Incentivizing behavioral

care delivery

hiring and trainingchangeExpanding sites

Establishing standards

underrepresentedof careacross payers

patients

Supporting historicallyReimbursement reform
Public health funding
Regulatory flexibility

Creating interventions
with the community

ZS is building connections between these different players, helping them maintain data consistency,
share knowledge and best practices and scale impact

25

ZS 2022 ESG Report

The future of health is connected

Overview

Our focus on healthof technology.
Capturing the right data and sharing it with the right

this question to healthcare leaders from life sciences,people will help lead to more informed decisions.

biotech companies:“Technology exists to provide connected care. But areproviders, health plans and life sciences companies ready towork together to provide it?”
In key notes and break-out sessions, leaders discussed
their successes in leveraging data, science andtechnology to bring connected health to life and howeach sector could work together to improve
patient experiences.
Three general themes emerged from the
Impact Summits:
1. The future of healthcare is here, and it’s
unevenly distributed.
While AI can help accelerate clinical trials and cell andgene therapies can cure rare diseases, roughly half of
the world’s population lacks access tobasic healthcare.

Our operations

Appendix

2. Connected healthcare depends on a foundation

ZS hosted two Impact Summits in 2022 and posed
medtech, health plans, providers andOur people

3. Healthcare can benefit more people whencollaboration drives the infrastructure.
This will begin by zeroing in on the problem todesign solutions for real patients and pulling in
partners along the way.

“Your ZIP code has more to do with yourhealth than your genetic code. We must
work together to bridge the gaps thatcreate healthcare disparities.”
CEO, Pratap Khedkar in his opening address at the
Impact Summits

26

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

ZS’s Future of Health Survey
Our new Future of Health Survey reveals consumer
sentiments on healthcare and reinforces what we all
know: Experience and value matter.
Feedback from more than 9,500 healthcare consumers
and more than 1,000 healthcare providers across the
U.S., U.K., Germany, Sweden, China and Japan affirmedthat disconnected and fragmented healthcare systems
stop people from receiving effective care.
Despite differences in how these healthcare markets are
structured, there were significant similarities—including
the immediate need to reduce health disparities andimprove the intersection of trust, access to healthcare
and insurance. The current healthcare model isproducing poor outcomes, high costs and healthcare
inequities for many.
Connecting the care experience is large—too large
for any one company to solve alone. To create ahealthcare system that provides patients with accessible,
convenient and personalized care, the healthcare sector
must focus its collective energy around understanding
patients’ needs, establishing strategic partnerships andclearly defining outcomes.

“[The healthcare ecosystem]
doesn’t care about people
like me.”In five of the six countries polled for
the Future of Health Survey, nearly
half of respondents affirmed thisstatement. We see this sentiment
prevents a wide range of people
from engaging in care, regardlessof who they are, and across different
races, ages, incomes andhealth conditions.

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

27

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Data-informed health solutions

Risk Propensity Framework

With the help of this tool, we hope more companies can

Our Risk Propensity Framework is one data solution we

better infuse SDOH across their services and solutions.

Healthcare generates 30% of the world’s data—

have developed and specifically establishes consistentan enormous asset pool that we must harness indefinitions of SDOH. It gives clarity to this relatively newmeaningful ways. However, the complexities inand fragmented area of research and includes:

healthcare are like no other. From designing clinical trials• More than 800 SDOH variables consolidated fromto ensuring patients get the right treatment at the rightpublic data sources and processed into an analysis-time, there are infinite opportunities to improve theready databasepatient experience.

• Deep insight into the complex and nuanced influences

Through advanced analytics, predictive modeling andon SDOH in healthcare access, decisions, delivery

AI capabilities, we strive to help our clients make data-and outcomes

driven informed decisions to do just that. With ourclients, we:• Reimagine the business of health and generate
greater value from digital initiatives• Leverage the power of technology and data
to innovate

The framework also provides rich insight on the impactof SDOH on access, care and delivery. By combining
SDOH data and predictive risk scores and applying it tocustom models in our Patient Analytics Cloud, we havealready started using the tool to help clients:• Predict health outcomes in a particular community• Change the ways of work to accelerate progress• Quantify health inequities• Build connections across the ecosystem to shape the• Identify barriers to care access and delivery

future of health• Understand clusters of historically disadvantaged
patient populations• And more

ZS’ Risk Propensity Framework
14 types of risk scores across 4 social paradigms
Communityandsocial risks

Risks to healthcare access

Behaviorrisks

Socio-economic
risks

Healthcare
accessBehavior
andlifestyle

Familyinstability

Food insecurity

Coverage

MentalhealthImmigrant
integration

Housing

Access totransport

Racialsegregation

Financial

Digital adoption

Exposure toviolence

Education andawareness

28

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Our focus on health

Overview

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Healthcare partnerships
in action

Through workshops, ZS analysis and outside research,

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL)

we developed a comprehensive report that:

The GPZL is a coalition with a “triple-zero” mission: no• Identifies top issues in SDOH

leprosy, no disability and no discrimination or stigma.

Personal, preventive care begins with collaboration. We• Dives into the benefits of collaborating across sectors

are partnering with industry leaders to build a futurethat is patient-centered, connected and equitable. Hereare just some of our recent partnerships.
Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC)
HLC is a coalition of chief executives from all disciplines
within the American healthcare system. Together, they
aim to develop policies, plans and programs to ensure
affordable high-quality care is accessible to
all Americans.

and industries• Provides steps that should be taken by eachorganization• Recommends government and policy changes
The report now serves as a guide—for ZS and other
healthcare ecosystem players—to better understandmembers to gain deep insight into gaps of quality of caredriven by racial and ethnic variation, along withother SDOH.

known for causing nerve damage and skin lesions.
GPZL developed two leprosy diagnostic profiles for theWorld Health Organization to:• Diagnose individuals with symptoms of leprosy• Screen exposed family and community members
affected by leprosy, to catch the illness early

and address disparities in care. It has also prompted aNow, GPZL must create a diagnostics road map andcommitment among HLC member CEOs to do their part

recruited ZS’s expertise in 2022. A team of experts

in addressing health equity within the U.S.

across Europe, India and the U.S. are working to provide
guidance for community development and distribution

In 2022, HLC sought ZS’s expertise to better understanddisparities in healthcare today. We partnered with HLC

They are committed to ending the infectious disease

Advancing Health Equity:
Practical Solutions toAddress Variations in Careaddresses U.S.-specific

We interviewed more than 30 of HLC’s member

disparities in the quality

organizations, including major hospital systems, nationalof care within a broader

health plans and global life sciences companies.

health equity context.

of the diagnostics in local markets.
Learn more about how ZS aims to eradicate leprosy.

29

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on healthPatient language guidelines for AstraZeneca

Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care

Varied disabilities and social, economic and educational

In 2022, ZS partnered with Shrimad Rajchandra Love andbackgrounds can affect a patient’s experience with

Care (SRLC), a global non-profit organization working tohealthcare providers. Poor communication between a

eradicate anemia in Valsad, Gujrat, India.

patient and provider, in particular, can create obstacles
to quality care and lead to preventable health disparities.

Anemia is often prevalent in low-income areas withhigh populations and driven by nutritional deficiencies.

AstraZeneca is one industry leader committed to

To drive awareness about the disease and improveensuring people can find, access and use information

diagnostics, SRLC sought ZS’s help.

and services that help them make informed
health decisions.

Over the next several months in 2023, ZS will collaborate
with Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital and Research

In a recent project, we partnered with AstraZeneca inCentre—who is administering the program – to apply

creating patient language guidelines to help providers

proven strategies, data management and analytics that:share complex health information with patients in an• Increase the reach of the project, optimize resources

easily understood and accessible way.
The handbook and checklist provide guidelines forcommunicating complex topics to patients, consideringvarying backgrounds, levels of education, physicalbarriers and other cultural considerations.

and improve outcomes at the community-level
in Valsad• Identify new areas to further reduce incidents
of anemia
Through this partnership, we aim to reduce theLearn more about how ZS works toward a universal

prevalence of patients with anemia in this region byhealthcare language.

50% in 2023.
Learn more about the partnership.

Our people

Our operations

88,000+Appendix

People so far have been
screened for anemia and arestarting treatment

30

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Roundtable• Pursue fresh ideas and innovations

Spurring digital solutions through ZS PRIZE

series with healthcare leaders• Develop relationships around a shared purpose of

ZS PRIZE is a healthcare innovation award that

Hosted by ZS, the DEI Roundtable series unites leadersfrom more than 10 healthcare companies to discuss

advancing DEI in global healthcare

DEI topics that affect global healthcare. This ongoing

The third session of the 2022 roundtable included

partnership is an opportunity for partners across therepresentatives from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Johnson

ecosystem to:& Johnson and more to discuss SDOH factors that can• Share learnings and best practices

get lost in a patient’s care journey, lead to inconsistent• Challenge, refine and validate priorities• Learn new approaches and perspectives to improveexisting plans

treatment and drive poor health outcomes.
Roundtable participants shared initiatives underway
within their organizations and ideas for addressing
SDOH in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond.

2021 inaugural ZS PRIZE winner: Stamurai
Stamurai, a speech therapy app for stuttering, was the first winner of ZS PRIZE in 2021.
The app, launched by a group of friends who experienced stammering as children, wereawarded Rs. 75 lakhs (or just under $92,000) from ZS PRIZE to develop the solution further.
Over 10 million people in India have a stammer—millions of whom struggle with theemotional challenge and stigma associated with speech impairment.
Through Stamurai, people now have access to an AI-powered mobile app that provides
personalized, digital speech therapy. The application is both affordable and scalable,
reaching remote regions of India where therapy solutions may not be readily available.

encourages startups, professionals and students in India
to pursue ideas that can change the future of healthcare.
It recognizes innovations that use data, analytics
and advanced technology to help create healthcare
outcomes that are accessible and affordable for all. The
latest ZS PRIZE competition launched in September 2022
and we just announced the winners in April 2023.

31

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Supporting humanhealth beyond
healthcare

Proprietary technology

Solving health disparities is not a responsibility of theSDOH, such as:

Our focus on health

We offer AI-enabled tech solutions to help clients solve
business challenges, improve customer experiences andreach all people.

We intentionally seek partnerships with clients who
directly and indirectly impact human health and address

Our people

7

Our operations

Appendix

Industries outside of healthcare that wework in to improve health outcomes• Agribusiness and food• Private equity• Consumer goods• Retail• Financial services• Travel and• High tech andtransportation

telecommunications

healthcare industry alone. Companies in industries
outside of healthcare actively work to improve one orseveral SDOH through their goods and services.
And since SDOH is often a stronger predictor of aperson’s outcomes than genetics alone, ZS is compelled
to help these companies improve their access to more,

Food security
We help animal health and nutrition providers, food
manufacturers, global retailers and more to improve theaccessibility of food services and feed an ever-growing
global population.

and possibly underserved, consumers.
We lend our expertise to several industry verticals
and help them close the health equity gap in uniqueways. Our approach to improving our clients’ access tocustomers is three fold:

Customer research and insights
Through qualitative and quantitative research, we better
understand customers’ journeys.

Go-to-market strategy
We help clients apply data-driven and tailored strategies
to target audiences effectively.

Financial wellness“We must take a holistic approach tohealth equity. From food and travel
to finance and fitness, so many of ourclients outside of healthcare work to

We work with financial services players who haveaddress social drivers of health andpioneered affordable products to democratize access toimprove people’s quality of life. We

financial wellness.

Behavior, lifestyle and mental health
From a bedding manufacturer to a wearable technology
company, we help brands promote various health andwellness products and services.

are passionate about helping themget there.”
Russell Evans (he/him)
Principal in Austin, TX (U.S.)32

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Helping clients reach morecommunities to address SDOH
Environmental drivers of health
Pine Environmental Services LLC is a market-leading
provider of environmental testing equipment in the U.S.
and Canada. They work to ensure air, water and soil aresuitable for residents, as per government regulations

Overview

Our focus on healthA full-service payment technology and processing

agriculture products manufacturer with its digitalprovider helps businesses and consumers repay theirtransformation and go-to-market strategy to better

loans on time and manage their debt obligations.

engage with and meet changing grower needs. We’ve

In recent years, the company acquired several others
to fuel its growth and suit the financial needs of moreconsumers. However, coordination and communication
between teams during the acquisitions was challenging

After the COVID-19 pandemic impeded Pine’s ability to

ZS stepped in and redesigned the company’s go-to-landscape and Pine’s performance, created a tailoredanalytics tool to manage sales and operations rolesand developed customer touchpoints to improve go-tomarket strategies.
We scaled these new sales processes and analytic
dashboards to more than 30 branches and helped
improve sales reps’ performance by roughly 95% in
the early going. Moving forward, Pine is positioned toachieve even greater success than pre-pandemic levels
and reach more populations in need.

Appendix

Over the past decade, we have supported a leading

and negatively affected sales and reach.

factors, Pine sought ZS’s help. We assessed the market

Our operations

Financial drivers of healthand other health codes.

reach communities affected by poor environmental

Our people

market strategy, fueling the company’s growth, teamcohesion and ability to scale rapidly. Now, the company
is positioned to help more consumers and businesses on
the path to financial independence.
Food as a driver of health
Agriculture is critical component of food security andprovides a source of income for populations aroundthe world. Diversifying crops and increasing yield on
available land directly contribute to maintaining ahealthy food system that can feed billions of people.
Global agriculture companies are answering the call not
only by innovating in products, but also by engaging
farmers in modern and sustainable agriculture practices.

helped our client understand the needs of farmers,
redesigned their engagement process with farmers,
and accelerated adoption of digital tools andadvanced analytics.
This partnership has had lasting impact. Together,
we have empowered farmers to adopt high-yielding
crops and digital farming tools to maximize theirfarms’ output and deliver a consistent food supply
to the market—that is, feeding more people facing
hunger. For this and similar clients, we have influenced
sustained growth and market share gains, driven bydeeper penetration and engagement with growers.

33

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Improvingcommunity health

Overview

Our focus on health2020 and 2021 partnership with
America India Foundation (AIF)
during COVID-19

ZSers are passionate, purpose-driven individuals who

The recent pandemic exposed deep-rooted

invest their time and expertise to causes they carehealth inequities. Across all parts of the world,

about. Throughout 2022, ZSers volunteered, provided

certain racial, ethnic and socioeconomic

pro bono consulting and contributed monetary
donations that ZS matches to nonprofits affecting
positive, community change. Through our ZS Cares
initiative, ZSers are empowered to apply their uniqueknowledge, skills and passions as a force for good toimprove the health of communities where we live
and work.

groups were disproportionately harmed andat greater risk of illness or death.

Our people

Our operations

Appendix$8M

90,000+Invested globally inLives touched in our

nonprofit social impact

India Corporate Social

initiatives

Responsibility efforts

44~17,000

Pro bono consulting

Hours spent on pro

projects

bono consulting~2,50037,000+

ZSers engaged in

Hours spent on

ZS Cares in 2022

nonprofit social impact

To help reduce health disparities in India—
home to the majority of ZS’s workforce—wepartnered with AIF to provide immediate relief
to government hospitals facing a shortage of
medical, oxygen and other supplies.
ZS principals firmwide raised $350,000 for

efforts~$600,000

54%

Total raised throughOf ZSer donations were

Andhra Pradesh) and helped an estimatedthe Donation Matching

made to education,

more than 37,000 beneficiaries over the

Program within thehealth, housing andcourse of 2020 and 2021.

first six months

shelter and human

AIF. This supported the installation of oxygen
plants at three locations (Rajasthan, Bihar andservices nonprofits

34

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Partnership with Jeevan Stambh
Foundation to address healthcare
access, an SDOH
Based in Delhi, India, Jeevan Stambh Foundation (JSF)
supports the lives of people who are marginalized andeconomically disadvantaged. The ZS Delhi office has
partnered with this organization to scale healthcare
offerings and access to citizens across Delhi.
Health centers
Between 2021 and 2022, we supported JSF in developing
COVID-19 support centers to help citizens get access to
medicine and other support. In 2022, we helped themconvert the centers to focus on other healthcare needs
and better aid residents for the long term.
Today, JSF has five permanent healthcare centers and 21
health camp centers that have touched roughly 20,000
lives. We continuously organize health check-up camps
at all the locations and support patients with awarenesssessions of various diseases. Today, we focus on:

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

1. Health camps for women: Regular checkups, gynecological care, screening, testing andmedication for overall well-being.
2. Health camps for children: Nutritional health,immunization, detecting deficiency and provide
long-term solutions.
3. Health camps for senior citizens: Eye check-ups
to screen cataracts, testing and diagnosis, general
health ailments and medical support.
ZS Cares Day 2022
Ahead of ZS Cares Day 2022—ZS’s annual day ofgiving—ZSers conducted door-to-door mobilization
campaigns, encouraging citizens in the village to comefor health check-ups at one of the healthcare centers.
On ZS Cares Day, ZSers helped organize health camps,
held awareness sessions on nutritional deficiency
and on women’s health and installed bio toilets forslum areas that did not have toilet facilities. ZSers
also supported local schools in the slums, distributing
goods and organizing career counseling sessions for“Health equity is close to our hearts…
In India, we aim to create a meaningful
impact through our interventions inpreventive healthcare for people living inslums and remote geographies. We strive
to provide them the accessibility andaffordability to quality healthcare.
Giving back can have a profound
impact on the individuals involved andthe community as a whole. The act ofvolunteering and pro bono work helps
to build a sense of community andempowerment and creates a positive
impact for generations.”
Akshita Vyas, Ph.D (she/her)Corporate Social Responsibility Lead in India

9th through 12th graders.
Read how Akshita drives positive social change
through her work and volunteering.

35

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Partnership with Working for
Women to address economic
stability, an SDOH
ZS is the first corporate partner of Working for Women(W4W), a 501(c)(3) organization that helps all womenachieve economic independence.
W4W is a community that invests capital (dollars andskills) from businesses into nonprofits supporting
women in becoming financially independent. Throughthe W4W model, businesses can give back better by
providing financial and skills-based contributions to
expand the capacity of their nonprofit partners.
As a founding partner of W4W, ZS has established fourtypes of programming to engage employees and further
impact women in society:2022

impact by the
numbers

Our focus on health

Pro bono consulting: ZS employees bring consulting
skills to pro bono consulting projects to help W4W’s
nonprofit clients achieve their strategic goals and build
ongoing partnerships.
Skills-based volunteering: W4W and ZS facilitateskills-based volunteering workshops to increase

Our people

Our operations

2

Pro bono consulting
projects in 2022

6

participants’ skills in areas such as negotiation, public

Skills-based

speaking and more.

workshops in 2022

Speakers and engagements: In 2022, ZS inaugurated
a panel series titled “Break the Bias Around Women’s
Health” for ZS employees to learn and discuss thevarious inequities women face during menstruation,
pregnancy and menopause.

Appendix

100+

ZSers engaged in pro
bono consulting or skillbased workshops

3

115+

health equity issues

for each panel

Key women’s

ZS participants

explored throughZS Cares Day: Each year, W4W and ZS partner to lead apanel seriescase competition in which ZSers spend a week solving aproblem for a select nonprofit organization, resulting increative approaches to strategic problem-solving.

6+

Nonprofit organizations directly engaged with our efforts• Working for Women• Chica Project• Women Employed• Bottomless Closet• New Women New Yorkers • Women’s Way

1,200+

14

with W4W

with W4W

Hours spent partnering

ZS offices engaged

36

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Partnership with Cara Collective
to address economic stability,
an SDOH
Cara Collective is a non-profit organization on a mission
to build an inclusive economy and eradicate financial
and relational poverty. They develop employment
pathways to advance transformative individual andcommunity success.
Cara Collective sought the help of ZSers in Chicago, IL(U.S.), to improve participant retention in their jobtraining and placement program.

Overview

Our focus on healthPartnership with BusinessCouncil for Peace (Bpeace) toaddress economic stability,
an SDOH
Bpeace is a global non-profit organization working
to grow small and medium-size businesses, create
significant employment opportunities for all andexpand the economic power of women in crisis-affected
communities.
In 2022, 28 ZSers engaged in our long-term partnership

Our operations

Appendix“You took the time to really, deeply get
to know our organization, our mission,
our values and our people. It reflected
throughout the effort. The work you havealready done has been inspiring andenergizing, and we are already putting
this into action.”
Joe Mutuc, chief business development
officer at Cara Collectivewith Bpeace to deliver various pro bono support,

ZS adopted a data-driven, participant-centric approach

including developing business profiles and facilitating

to help Cara Collective retain and place at least 70% of

three Objectives & Key Results (OKR) Learning Labs with

the nearly 50 participant cohorts entering the program

partnering businesses. In delivering these initiatives,

each month. The introduction of the new KPIs aims to

ZSers helped 34 small business owners in El Salvador

help Cara Collective monitor and improve

establish their strategic objectives for 2023.

participant success.

Our people

The U.S. cohort of ZSers also supported 17 minorityand women-owned businesses in Atlanta, GA, andsurrounding metropolitan areas, helping them create
sustainable employment opportunities in theircommunities through goal-setting and pro
bono projects.

“The Objectives & Key Results workshop[facilitated by ZS and Bpeace] was themost important to me. Planning out
the quarters with measurable goals is
so effective, and it makes me feel moreproductive.”
Kaylon Jackson, owner at Lightweight Fitness,a business supported by Bpeace

37

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on healthPartnerships to address
SDOH: environment

Partnerships to address
SDOH: transportation

In 2021, the City of San Mateo, CA (U.S.) adopted a

Access to public modes of transportation is often a

Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance to reduce andbarrier for people using wheelchairs. To improve that

regulate the amount of plastic disposable foodware used

accessibility, Transportation Network Companies

across the city.
ZS helped the city to increase awareness and complianceof the new compostable foodware policy by crafting
adoption strategies to reach the over 100,000 residents.
We applied our strategy expertise to build a toolkit thatenabled change, reached more of the population and(TNCs)—such as Uber and Lyft—are incentivized toprovide wheelchair-accessible rides for passengers.
However, the process for collecting data from TNCs
did not capture how well TNCs met performancerequirements to serve passengers
with wheelchairs.

managed risk.

To address this need, the San Francisco Municipal

With this promotional plan and materials, the city can

the San Francisco County Transportation Authority

further the ordinance’s objectives of reducing waste,(SFCTA) recruited ZS’s expertise and pro bono

keeping waterways clean and safe and improving theconsulting services.

health of the community.

ZS worked with SFMTA and SFCTA to develop publicly

Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and its sister agency,

available dashboards that display data submitted
by TNCs. This data tracks wheelchair-accessible
transportation—encouraging more and improved
options for people with mobility issues.

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

38

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Empowering our people
to make an impact

39

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

When people are seen, heard, represented, understood

We are thoughtfully growing our talent pipeline, so that

What we aim to achieve in the next three toand provided the opportunity to contribute, their healthour global team better reflects the communities andfive years:

outcomes may improve.

stakeholders we serve. We are evolving our offerings• Ensure we continue to provide equitable recognition

That is why DEI is critical to organizational operations.
When companies and communities diversify the minds

to motivate our top talent to stay and innovate with us.
We are doing the work. And we have more to do.

behind their innovations, they can reach more people,

At ZS, we commit to helping every ZSer bring their

reduce health disparities and solve the most complex

authentic talents and ambitions to ZS for meaningfulhealth challenges of the day.

careers, personal fulfillment and purpose-driven

Expansive representation within ZS positions us to meetthose challenges—and we have room to add new, morediverse perspectives and experiences in our work and to
our teams.

impact. After all, their passion changes lives and thehealth of our world—and it is our responsibility to feedthat passion.

to our employees through benefits and compensation• Increase the proportion of women candidates in India
to reach representation in the market• Attract Black, Latino and Hispanic candidates at
representation levels that reflect the U.S. market• Increase the overall diversity of principal, associate
principal and manager representation• Retain ZSers across racial and ethnic demographics

In this section
40 2022 highlights
41 Teams leading the way
42 Helping our people succeed
47 Connecting with top talent
50 Working toward inclusion and belonging
58 Designing the road map for a better ZS

40

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix2022 highlights
must make to attract and retain top talent.

12,000+ ZSers globally

2,000+ ZSers promoted

In 2022, we expanded recruiting strategies to

Women globally

Racial and ethnic minorities

We have evolved our employee offerings tobetter connect with innovators who have been

represent:in the U.S. represent:

give ZSers development opportunities that are

historically excluded in technology and consulting

35%

50%

We also take steps to ensure our employees

Of ZSers

Of ZSers

As we grow, we never lose sight of the efforts we

sectors. We also invested in our applicationand interview processes to strengthen our bias
mitigation efforts and provide fair and equitable
experiences for all.

85%

Of ZSers would
recommend ZS as agreat place to work

94%

37%

57%

Of new hires

Of new hires

Of ZSers believe in
ZS’s core values

88%

Of ZSers agree that ZS
cares for the community
around it

We partner with internal governance groups and ZSer-led community

ZSers’ passion for doing good is a coregroups for direction, guidance and activation on how to live our values.

driver of the ZS experience. In 2022, weWe update policies and measures that secure our culture of purpose andestablished a donation matching program

belonging as we move towards a successful future.

and other nonprofit supports to generate
greater, positive social impact.

useful, practical and valuable.

receive equal pay for equal work. We
regularly evaluate our policies so that pay andpromotion are equitable.

Our work contributes to two U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals:

Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees; August 2022
ZS HealthCheck Survey
Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are persons who identify as any of thefollowing: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander,
Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, Multiethnic

41

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Teams leading
the way

Human Resources (HR)DEI Council

HR’s contributions are often at the center of the

ZS’s DEI Council was created to help ZS better connect

employee experience. More than 400 HR professionals

with, support and inspire future and current ZSers.

in offices around the world support ZSers in all areas ofWorking directly with ZS’s Shareholders’ Council and led

their lives and work.

by COO Sandra Forero, the DEI Council sets priorities

We have carefully evolved our values-driven
culture since our founding nearly 40 years ago.
It is through our shared purpose and values
that we deliver on our vision to transform global
healthcare and beyond.

Using feedback from employees—through regular

Our people are a unified team of tenacious
talent spanning the world. Our goal is to create aworking environment that inspires them to follow
their passions, supports them in achieving theirbest and encourages long-lasting relationships
with each other, our communities and our clients.

strategies and at the front line addressing ourOur approach to making this possible is driven
by three teams—Human Resources, DEI Council
and People and Culture Team. Together, they set
priorities, elevate our expansion andmeasure progress.

and through. From the processes that support ZSers toengagement surveys and other channels—the HR teamdelivers comprehensive benefits, programs and otherand oversees interventions that help attract, develop
and energize people from various backgrounds
and experiences.

opportunities to help ZSers develop their careers, take

Above all, they are impassioned to create an inclusive

care of their well-being and work in safe and secure

culture, inform equitable policies and ensure people

spaces. They are the strategic force behind ZS’s talentfrom all walks of life feel like they belong at our firm.

people’s needs.

They partner closely with the DEI Center of Expertise, ateam of DEI practitioners in HR responsible for executing

People and Culture Team (PACT)

our DEI priorities and evaluating opportunities toThis cross-functional team actively preserves andadvance ZS’s culture of belonging through systemic andevolves our culture as we grow—particularly our sharedsustained impact.

core values. The PACT supports ZSers in getting it right,
treating people right and doing the right thing, throughthe expectations that leaders set, the PACT brings ourvalues to life and inspires functions across the firm to do
the same.

42

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Helping ourpeople succeed
ZS is at the forefront of identifying and defining what’s
next in the future of technology and healthcare. And—because we can’t stress it enough—it’s all because of ourtalented people. To ensure they have everything they

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

AppendixProfessional development coach

Milestone training

No matter the career stage or level, we believe people

Throughout every career stage, there are new

perform better and more confidently when they havecompetencies ZSers must develop to thrive in theira trusted advisor on their side. That’s why we connectroles and advance to the next level. From associate

all ZSers with a professional development (PD) coachconsultant to principal, we provide a Milestone training

on their first day. PD coaches can support ZSers’

to ensure ZSers are challenged and grow. Participants

professional growth in many ways, including regularlearn to master professional frameworks, build trust andone-on-one meetings and group gatherings. Read about

establish influence at every level.

one ZSer’s experience with their PD Coach.

need to succeed, we invest in resources built to satisfy

EVOLVE2022 impact by the numbers

and support long-term goals for smart, driven and value-

ZSers can reimagine their professional goals and career

focused thinkers.

path with our EVOLVE program. They can develop or100%

2,500+Of ZSers havea professional
development coach

ZSers used the EVOLVE
program in 2022

3,500+~3,600People participatedin New to ZS

People participated in
Milestone trainings

54

100%

Average hours spenton learning in 2022

Of eligible ZSers* receive
regular performance reviews

improve skills within their current work environment,

Professional development

explore new skills or another business unit, or change

Learning is embedded in every aspect of ZS culture.

practice area.

We look for trailblazers who embrace new ideas withlimitless curiosity and without the fear of failure. Whena person has these attributes, we know they have thedrive and aptitude to develop new skills and grow at ZS.

the type of work they’re doing by moving into a new

New to ZS
To ensure new ZSers understand what is expected ofthem in their roles so that they can continue to grow,we assign them to the New to ZS program. This global
initiative emphasizes cultural integration, businessawareness and project readiness. With this foundational
knowledge of ZS history, culture and essential skills, new
ZSers have the first set of tools for long-term success.

Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees*Eligible ZSers include associates, associate consultants, consultants, managers

43

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Benefits
We are on a mission to improve health outcomesfor all—including the health of our people. We arecommitted to offering comprehensive benefits that
support the total well-being of ZSers through agenerous benefits package and other supports.

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

We regularly evaluate our benefits programs to ensure

Other standard benefits consist of:

we meet the evolving needs of our people.

• Health insurance

In 2022, we specifically enhanced access to several• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) emotional healthresources for all full-time ZSers and their families.
This included offerings for family support, carecoordination, prescription drug allowances, flexible
work arrangements, financial security and retirement

With 35 offices around the world, local regulations andpreparation. These tailored mechanisms are designed tomarket norms inform benefit designs in each country.

ensure our people feel safe, healthy and taken care of.

“My family and my mental health are very
important to me, and I wanted a career where
I can prioritize those. ZS has many benefits
that help me do just that.

I am also able to easily adjust my schedule
as needed on a daily basis to make sure I canbe there for my daughter for daycare dropoff and pickup, doctor’s appointments, sickdays, etc.”

I feel so lucky that I was able to have thatamount of time [off] to focus on my family andadjust to being a mother without the added
stress of work…In addition to the official flex
agreement that I have from before my leave,
which allows me to work four days a week,

Angela Wang (she/her)Strategy Insights & Planning Manager in
Evanston, IL (U.S.)

Read more about Angela’s experience here.

and personal support• Parental and sick leave benefits that align with
regional standards• Life insurance and supplemental death benefits

100%

Of full-time ZSers are
eligible for our benefits

100%

Of full-time ZSers haveaccess to mental healthresources

100%

Of full-time ZSers
are eligible for paid
parental leave44 ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

AppendixPay
We conduct annual compensation reviews to hold us accountablein delivering an equitable, inclusive workforce and are currently
partnering with a third-party vendor to further evaluate our practices.

“I’ve been promoted twice during my time here—and the opportunities ZS has given me madethat happen. Even when I was at the most junior level in the firm, I was given ownership ofprojects that inspired internal and external impact and I got to work with leaders in the firm
to make the projects successful.

Promotion
We want our people to see themselves as leaders within the firm andhave access to resources that help them grow their careers. In 2022,
we found that rates of progression were equitable for men and women

I am so grateful for the impactful and inspiring DEI work I get to do every single day in my job,and I’m just as grateful for the people I get to do it with. I know that my two promotions at ZS
would not have been possible without the amazing support from ZSers along the way.”

ZSers. We are committed to identifying and addressing barriers for the

Avery Smith (she/her)progression of groups who are underrepresented at ZS, which is why

Human Resources Specialist, DEI Center of Expertise in Evanston, IL (U.S.)

tracking leadership representation is one of our top priorities.

Read about other ZS promotions in 2022.

2022

impact by the
numbers

2,069

30%

45%

promotedpromoted represented womenor ethnic minorities

15 out of every 100 ZSers

15 out of every 100 ZS women

12 out of every 100 Hispanic and Latino ZSers were promoted*

were promoted

were promoted*

7 out of every 100 Black ZSers were promoted*

ZSers globally wereOf ZSers globally who wereOf ZSers who were promoted in the U.S. represented racial

Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees
Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are persons who identify as any of the following: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, Multiethnic.
*15% of all women ZSers globally were promoted, while 13% of all racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. were promoted

45

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our people

Our focus on health

Our operations

Appendix

Path to leadership
We are committed to providing all ZSers access to leadership opportunities, so they

Currently, representation of visible and invisible diversity at the leadership level iscan create a future and career with ZS. As previously highlighted, we continue to invest

imbalanced. That’s why one of our current priorities is to elevate women, Black, Hispanicin programs and partnerships that make the path to leadership clear and ensure

and Latino ZSers into leadership roles. We need ZSers in these communities to see

development and mentorship is available throughout ZSers’ journeys.

themselves represented in the highest levels of leadership and know that they, too, cangrow into such roles.

Overall representation

Leadership representation

2022 ZS headcount2022 ZS headcount of principals, associate principals and managers
Gender(Global)

35%

Women

Identiﬁes as
LGBTQIA+

Not
disclosed

65%

Men

Middle Eastern /North African
Prefer not to disclose
Multi-Ethnic
Black
Hispanic / Latino
Other - not listed
Asian
White

Race and Ethnicity
1%
(US)
1%
3%
3%
4%
8%
39%
41%

(CA,IN,GM,SZ,UK,US)

29%

Women

71%

Men

63%

1%

Veteran(US, CA)

Prefer not to disclose
Multi-Ethnic

42%

Hispanic / Latino
Other - not listedNo

Identiﬁes as
LGBTQIA+57%

Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees. Percentages were rounded and may not sum to 100%

Asian
White

1%
1%
1%
2%

(US)

Yes

No

(CA,IN,GM,SZ,UK,US)

31%

Not
disclosed

Race and Ethnicity

LGBTQIA+

1%

Does notidentify as
LGBTQIA+

Black

Not
disclosed(Global)36%

Does notidentify as
LGBTQIA+

Yes

Gender

LGBTQIA+

2%

67%

1%

Veteran(US, CA)

47%

13%
41%
41%

Not
disclosed

52%

46

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Spotlight: Investing in
exceptional women

we should redesign the workplace to remove hidden

Women@ZS—our first Inclusion & Diversity Group—

Equity” learning portal for all ZSers, empowering them

formed and has invested in many programs to improve

to deploy ZS-tested solutions for cultivating greater

the experience of women and help them build successful

engagement and equity—while still honoring individuals’

careers at ZS. This continues to be one of ZS’s chief

unique needs.

priorities—here are two of many programs we invested
in last year to make that a reality.

barriers and foster inclusion.
From that, we developed an on-demand “Engagement &Our representation of principals and associate principals

and to know that our culture supports their growth

in India is lower than in other regions. And with manyand future.

create a strong program to enable individual growth.
Enter Path to Principal, an equity-based leadershipprogram that helps accelerate the growth of women in
India who are tenured managers—preparing them tonavigate new personal and professional milestones andaccelerate into senior leadership roles.
Designing for greater engagement and equity
In 2019, ZS launched an initiative to understand whatgets in the way of women’s engagement and how

Appendix

Genderrepresentation goal

Progress
in 2022

50%

35%

Women and gender
expansive ZSers *Women and gender
expansive ZSers

stages of the ZSer journey. We want every person to seethat a leadership position is accessible and achievable,

workers, Women@ZS and the DEI Council saw a need to

Our operations

The DEI Council is embedding this work across various

Path to Principalof our women colleagues in India being first-generation

Our people

2022 impact by the numbers

29%

20%

Of managers andabove globally werewomen

Of managers and above
in India were women

18%

30%

Council (board of

who were promoted

directors) were women

represented women

Of the Shareholders’Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees*Gender expansive is an umbrella term for any expression of gender that falls outside of society’s current gender binary standards.

Of ZSers globally“Organizations around the globe need
to be more intentional and systemic in
their approach to nurturing women withleadership traits…The earlier we recognizethat it is the systems that need someoverhaul, the earlier we can walk the talk on
attaining a truly balanced workforce—thefaster we would get there.”
Apoorva Aggarwal (she/her)Managing Principal of ZS’s Delhi (India) officeSponsor of ZS’s Path to Principal program

Read more from Apoorva’s interview with
CXOtoday.com.

47

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Connecting with
top talent
The success of our people and firm is dependent on

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Mitigating bias in hiring

DEI partnerships

In 2022, we worked with an advisory firm to help us

We expanded our relationships with professional

ensure fairness and remove obstacles throughout

associations, student groups and other multicultural

our application and hiring processes. This included

programs to help connect us with new andevaluating job descriptions, branding, application steps,

passionate talent.

interviewing and post-interview actions.

Key partners include: Fairygodboss, Forte Foundation,teams with diverse perspectives and experiences. Our

We also created ZS-specific resources that build off our

Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, Thurgood

recruiters intentionally seek qualified candidates fromexisting Mitigating Unconscious Bias training (launched

Marshall College Fund, Reaching Out MBA, Sticks &various of backgrounds.

in 2018) to improve bias awareness. These resources

Stones, Black Young Professionals Network (EU), MBA

help ensure hiring decisions are merit-based, objective

Veterans Network and many more.

Whether it’s connecting with more women, veteransor students from Historically Black Colleges andand job-related and structured.

Universities, we continuously expand our partnerships

In 2022, these new resources included a Hiring Billto uncover qualified—yet historically excluded—talent inof Rights, interview guide and self-paced e-learning

the business world.

that equips recruiters, hiring managers and otherWe evaluate our progress toward key targets to see
what parts of our hiring process we should maintain or
modify. We know that, even as we make progress, there
is room for improvement.

interviewers to:• Identify personal biases and mitigate said biases in
the interview process• Protect the interests of all candidates

4,700 People joined ZS in 2022
Women globally
represented:

Racial and ethnic minorities
in the U.S. represented:

37%

57%

Of new hires

Of new hires• Be clear about roles and responsibilities in thehiring process• Eliminate inconsistencies, so we have an effective
hiring process that consistently identifies the mostqualified talent

Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees
Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are persons who identify as any of thefollowing: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander,
Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, Multiethnic

48

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Gaps in hiring

Hiring in 2022:

Despite our investments to recruit more historicallyBlack ZSers in the
U.S. represented:

excluded talent in our industry, we did not make5%

Our focus on healthOf new hires (compared
to 4% in 2021)

Our people

Our operations

Hispanic andLatino ZSers in the
U.S. represented:

4%

Appendix

Of new hires (compared
to 4% in 2021)

significant progress in 2022—specifically in attracting
and hiring Black, Hispanic and Latino ZSers. We must
fix this.

2022 new joiners by race and ethnicity(U.S.)We are working to further educate ZSers on ways
to mitigate bias in hiring while also finding new

Prefer not to disclose2%community groups for guidance as needed.

Other-not listed2%

We are holding ourselves accountable by tracking

Middle Eastern /North African2%

partnerships to connect with top talent in thesecommunities, leaning into our DEI Council andmetrics—such as year-over-year gains (or lack thereof)
in applicant, hire and headcount representation—to
create measurable targets that help us reach ourMultiethnic

3%

Hispanic/Latino

4%

representation goals. We are defining those near-termtargets now to give us strategic direction on how to
improve hiring efforts moving forward.

Black
White
Source: 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees in the U.S.
Percentages were rounded and may not sum to 100%
Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are persons who identify as any of thefollowing: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander,
Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian, Multiethnic

Asian

5%
39%
42%

49

ZS 2022 ESG Report

One key partnership that we invest in to help increase
representation at our firm is with Thurgood MarshallCollege Fund (TMCF). Through TMCF, we connect
with smart, collaborative and ambitious students at
Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Students first participate in the ZS Immersion portion of
ZS SEED in which they help a ZSer deliver on client needs.

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix“During the Immersion program, my
team leaders helped me think outside my
comfort zone while continuously guiding
and providing support throughout thewhole process. My favorite part of life at
ZS is the values and emphasis they put
on people.”

Students are then invited back the following year for a

Reagan Alvarez (she/her)four-week paid Apprenticeship or to participate in our

Alabama A&M University

10-week paid summer internship program.
They receive hands-on experience with various career
paths in their field as they cycle through three roles at
ZS, working with coaches and mentors along the way.

Read more about Reagan and ZS SEED.

50

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Working toward
inclusion andbelonging

Our focus on healththat increase belonging and celebrate individual
identities—is imperative.

Our 10 community groups—which include seven Inclusion

We conduct two employee engagement surveys annually& Diversity Groups—play a significant role in ZS’s people

to gauge ZSers’ feelings and experiences working atand culture strategy. They are a touchpoint for ZSers to

our firm. These surveys are key in helping us evaluate

connect with others and:our culture and ensure we meet the needs of our• Inspire each other to bring their unique, full self to work

people. Our goal is for each ZSer to feel a deep sense of
belonging and thrive in a workplace that supports theirpersonal and professional goals.

• Amplify ZSers’ voices, evoke change and feelsafe and fulfilled

We’re proud to say that, in our August 2022 survey—

All of our community groups receive an annual commission
budget to execute their mission and inform the processes,
programs and trainings that equip people to thrive in a
culture of belonging. As our community groups grow andstrengthen, so too do the opportunities for all ZSers towhich had a 76% participation rate and 72% overall
engagement rate—ZSers ranked culture and values at
the top of the ZS experience. We look to these and otheritems, including wellbeing, professional development
and recognition, to improve the retention of our people.

learn valuable skills for inclusion and allyship.

2022

impact by the
numbers

Appendix

Feelings of belonging

talk less and listen more. Making intentional efforts tounderstand how ZSers feel—and deploying solutions

Our operations

Finding community

each day

When it comes to the needs of our people, we must

Our people

94%

Of ZSers believe inour core values

Sources: August 2022 HealthCheck survey; 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees

82%

Of ZSers feel they canbe their authentic
selves at work

85%

Of ZSers would
recommend ZS as agreat place to work

81%

Of ZSers feel likethey belong at ZS

51

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Inconsistent experiences

We are deploying this solution, because we see somegroups for guidance, deploying learnings from themembers of our underrepresented communities feel

Women@ZS engagement and equity work and designing

It is our responsibility to ingrain equity and inclusion inless of a sense of belonging. According to our August

solutions that align with their experiences, motivations

our practices. In 2023, our DEI Council is deploying a Stay

2022 engagement survey, fewer women of color andand needs.

Taskforce to specifically help improve the retention ofBlack men feel like they belong or can be their authentic

underrepresented minorities in the Americas, Canada

selves compared to ZS averages.

and the United Kingdom.

The Stay Taskforce will involve interviewing all Black andOur hope is, through this intervention and otherinclusion and belonging efforts, we will improve feelingsof belonging of this vital talent in our firm.

Hispanic or Latino ZSers, leaning into our community

I can be my authentic self at work
Black
men

Hispanic
Black and/or Latino
women
women

61%

64%

68%

ZS Average

82%

I feel like I belong at ZS
Black
women

Hispanic
and/or Latino
women

ZS Average

60%

65%

81%

Source: August 2022 HealthCheck survey“My teenaged kids tell me this often: ‘Do
whatever you can to take care of youremployees. Help them address the challenges
thrown their way.’
Being chief human resources officer at ZS
for the past two years has been a humbling
experience, to say the least. We have done
so much to take care of our people—butmuch work is to be done, especially for our
underrepresented talent. We must take bettercare of them.

Concrete, tangible and deliberate change
requires leadership alignment of our beliefs,
values, intentions, promises and actions. ZS isaligned to improve the experience and senseof belonging for our Black, Hispanic and/or
Latino talent—now it is time to act on it.”Thiagi Suryanarayanan (he/him)
Chief Human Resources Officer in Raleigh-Durham,
North Carolina (U.S.)

52

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Inclusion and Diversity Groups
Innovation thrives, aspirations flourish and partnerships
become bonds when our workplace makes space forcollaborative individuality. Our Inclusion and Diversity
Groups are a subset of community groups that help givea voice to underrepresented ZSers across our firm.

“I am a Ph.D working at
a consulting firm, but I’malso queer and dyslexic. All
my identities contribute
to my unique perspective
and enhance my work.
Accessibility@ZS has been key to having
important conversations about disability andneurodiversity, providing a platform for sharing
ideas and resources and encouraging me to bring“I joined Asian@ZS to findcommunity, raise awarenessand share cultural experienceswith others. I’m grateful forthe connections I’ve madearound the world and theencouragement I’ve received to step outside
my comfort zone and take on leadership roles I
wouldn’t have before.”

my authentic self to work.”
Jeff Antsen (he/him)

Kate Louie (she/her)Associate Consultant in Philadelphia, PA (U.S.)

Senior Administrative Assistant in Los Angeles, CA (U.S.)

For more about Asian@ZS, read how Asian@ZS breaks thesilence and celebrates their culture.

53

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix“I felt instantly connectedto the Black and Hispanic
Alliance when I joined
ZS. Bringing awareness,enhancing diversity andcreating open spaces aligns
with what I care about. I’m from the Caribbean,“I’m most proud that the ZSers
involved in this group are frommany offices, functions androles across the organization.
Through Jewish@ZS, I meetother ZSers with sharedexperiences and traditions. It also provides me“This group has been an
integral part of my ZS
experience. Connecting withother veterans helped ease
my own transition fromthe military and now I getto support others making that transition. I’ve

and we have a unique culture that I share withthe group. I’m exposed to new opportunities,
supportive people and interesting ideas. It feels
like a second family at ZS.”

with a support system and an opportunity tolearn from others’ experiences.”

watched this community grow significantly since2015 and I’m proud of our progress.”

Khadjha Constantine (she/her)Jamie Jason (he/him)

Rob Bove (he/him)

Manager in D’Abadie (Trinidad & Tobago)

Associate in New York, NY (U.S.)

Manager in Princeton, NJ (U.S.)

For more about the Black and Hispanic Alliance, read how
ZSers empower change and celebrate Black History Month.

For more about Jewish@ZS, read how ZS raises
cultural awareness with Jewish@ZS.

For more about Veterans@ZS, read how we are
Drawing on the value of veterans at ZS.

54

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix“Listen to your people. Constantly. Share what
you are doing, and listen some more. You may“I saw the challenges the
LGBTQIA+ community faces
through the eyes of one myclose friends who was treatedunfairly after he revealed his
gender identity. It motivatedme to be part of the movement, bring awareness,address bias and embrace LGBTQIA+ ZSers. In
just three years, Pride@ZS in India has grownfrom 10 to 60 members, a testimony of the
support and compassion for this community.”“Women@ZS runs programs
that empower women at every
stage of their career journey—
whether they are new joiners
launching connections orleaders seeking targeted
developmental programs. I’ve personally felt
the support of our community as I’ve navigatedindividual life choices over my 11-year journey
at ZS. I have found that Women@ZS leaders arereadily available to coach and mentor throughany moments of challenge.”

Rishu Batra (he/him)

Lauren Fryc (she/her)Associate Principal in New Delhi (India)

Senior Program Manager in Boston, MA (U.S.)

For more about Pride@ZS, read how we are
Building community through Pride@ZS.

For more about Women@ZS, read how we#BreakTheBias for International Women’s Day.

not be able to respond to everything you hearor give a good answer to a good question—
that’s the real uncomfortable conversation—
but listen anyway. Internal engagement
surveys and exit interviews are rich with what
people want.
ERGs (we call them IDGs at ZS and we havesome great ones who push for the best) areripe with expectations and innovation.
Prioritize knowing what THEY say and areexperiencing. Acknowledge it. Be honest if you
cannot do something (yet) or if you don’t feel
comfortable or knowledgeable, and use that tohave a conversation on what is possible.”
Sabrina Matthews (she/they)
Director, Global Inclusion and Diversity inEvanston, IL (U.S.)

Read more from Sabrina in Fairygodboss.

55

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Other community groups
When people with common passions and community
goals gather, it sparks belonging, advocacy and positivechange. ZS encourages and sponsors our people toestablish and join groups that advance our culture
and help them connect with other ZSers with similar
experiences. Here are two groups sponsored by
the PACT.

“ZS’s approach to employee
mental health is refreshing.
I came from a surgical careerand have worked with amilitary charity. I know the
impact mental health can havein the workplace, especially if it is not prioritized.
I’m proud to be part of HealthyMindZS and raiseawareness, break the stigma and have a positive
impact on mental health.”“During Covid, we lost
informal networks andeasy, in-person touchpoints
to connect with people.
Life&Family@ZS offers
support, so people don’t feel
isolated at work during significant life events.
When we make space for people to bring theirwhole selves to work, we can hold onto talented
people regardless of life situations.”

Tom Clynes (he/him)

Sarah Jegasothy (she/her)Manager in London (U.K.)

Principal in Singapore

For more about Healthy Minds, read how we aresupporting the mental health of our people.

Read how one ZSer thrives as a working
professional and a mother at ZS.

56

ZS 2022 ESG Report

In 2016, a group of passionate and purpose-driven
ZSers founded ZS Cares. What started as a small, officelevel effort is now our global commitment to making
community impact.
Because of ZS Cares, we bond over the causes weOverview

Our focus on health

In 2022:~2,50088%~17,000~17,000

ZSers engaged in
ZS Cares efforts

care about, give back through volunteering, pro bono

Of ZSers agree that
ZS cares for thecommunity around it*

consulting and donation matching, and apply our skills
and knowledge in unique ways. We are scaling ZSers’
impact further and empowering them to find new ways
to improve the health of their communities.

Hours volunteered
across our local
communities

Hours spent on pro
bono consulting
overall

Our people

Our operations

Appendix“‘Do the Right Thing’ isn’t justa value ZS puts on a slide or
website that guides our day-today professional interactions
with our colleagues andclients. I believe that those of
us who have the means and ability to help ourcommunities are obligated to do so. Being a partof ZS Cares allows me to live my professional andpersonal values through my work at ZS, and do soin a truly meaningful way.”
Mina Labib (he/him)
Consultant in Toronto (CA)Every year, there is one special day in which thousandsof ZSers across the world come together to make apositive impact in their communities. In 2022, ZS set out
to scale our volunteer efforts and expand in areas withthe greatest impact on improving community health.
Several of our initiatives targeted SDOH.
Source: ZS Cares participation is derived from number of hours billed by ZSers
throughout calendar year 2022.
*2022 August HealthCheck survey

57

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

ZS Donation Match
In 2022, we launched our global Donation Match
Program. It matches ZSers’ monetary donations
dollar-for-dollar and volunteer time, up to an annual
maximum—allowing ZSers to double their impact tocauses that matter.

~$600,000

Total raised throughthe Donation Matching
Program within the first six
months (includes employee
donations and ZS matches)

530

Causes that ZSers
supported in the first six
months of the program

Our focus on health

Nonprofit Board Service
Playbook
Serving on the board of a nonprofit is a valuable way
for ZSers to advance their skills and knowledge while
uncovering challenges and embracing opportunities to

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

We created a Nonprofit Board Service Playbook to help
ZSers interested in serving on a nonprofit board or who
already serve and want additional support. The Playbook
provides clarity and insights into nonprofit board service
and equips ZSers to engage in ways that bring thehighest and best value to the organizations they serve.

support their communities.

$2,000Total amount that each
ZSer can match up toannually through monetary
donations or volunteer
time (includes local
equivalents)

54%

Of donations were madeto education, health,housing and shelter
and human services
nonprofits“ZS Cares is a classic ZS story of our peopleusing their passions and interests to drive
impact. It all started in 2016 when a handfulof ZSers raised their hands and said, ‘I wantto lend my knowledge and skills to help
nonprofits. I want to give back to causes I
care about.’ In a blink of an eye, that germ of
an idea transformed into our global ZS Cares
program that now encompasses all offices
around the world.

I always wanted ZS Cares to be a group thatmakes a real difference in our communities;
that actually gets our hands dirty and does thework. Serving as the principal sponsor of ZS
Cares for seven years now, I can confidently
say we have succeeded. I look forward to
helping the team measure progress, expand
on our success and scale impact in new ways.”
Jason Brown (he/him)
Principal in Boston, MA (U.S.) Principal Sponsor of ZS
Cares and member of the ESG Steering Committee

58

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Designing the roadmap for a better ZS

Overview

Our focus on health

We are currently developing goals to track progress
across our DEI commitments. We will set iterative
are grounded in data, support yearly progress, increaseknow we will make progress on this journey when

accountability and ultimately help clarify how and when

ZSers see themselves represented, experience fair

we will achieve them.

identities matter.

Appendix

impact and require accountability.

We are on a journey of reflection and action. And weknow the visible and invisible elements of their

Our operations

have developed to address those gaps must inspiretargets (representative, behavioral and tactical) that

opportunities for progression, feel like they belong andOur people

Where do we hope this road map will lead us? To a
global team that is significantly more diverse than weare today. To a team that better reflects the stakeholders

But we aren’t there yet. There are known gaps across

we serve and communities where we live. And to a teamdiversity, equity and inclusion, and the road map wethat feels a deeper, ingrained commitment to DEI and
actively pursues opportunities to drive belonging.

“We have made progress and mapped aclear path forward in our journey. But
we also have a lot of work to do, and
it is work our global team embraces
together. We are stumbling together,learning together, evolving together
and making incremental steps toadvance DEI together.
I’m confident our ongoing journey willlead us to even richer collaboration,individual growth and well-being,
greater client impact and a world where
we can transform healthcare
and beyond.”
Sandra Forero (she/her)
COO and DEI Council Chair in
Princeton, NJ (U.S.)

59

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Operating sustainably
and responsibly

60

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Improving health outcomes for all is a responsibility

To do that, we lead with ethics and integrity and we

we don’t take lightly. A commitment to improve human

expect everyone who works with us to do the same.

health is a commitment to ethical and sustainableAs with everything else, we center our approach topractices that put people first. For ZS, those people areenvironmental sustainability, information security, data

our employees, clients, suppliers

privacy, and ethics and transparency around our coreand communities.

values: get it right, do the right thing and treat people

As we innovate and work to improve the health andwell-being of individuals and entire populations, wemust monitor our firm’s imprint on the world and ensure

right. They have guided us in the right direction before
and will continue to do so as we grow and evolve
our operations.

our operations positively affect the planet’s health, ourWhat we hope to achieve in the next few years:

clients’ trust and our people’s passions. Deploying these• In 2024, we will require targeted suppliers to sign ourpractices strengthens our firm’s success and ability todeliver value for stakeholders.

Our people

Our operations• By 2025, we will set a science-based, net-zeroemissions target• By 2030, we will reduce* our absolute scope 1 and 2
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 46%, compared toour 2019 baseline• By 2030, we will reduce* our scope 3 GHG emissions
per FTE by 55%, compared to our 2019 baseline• By 2030, we will use 100% renewable energy across all
ZS offices• Engage with key suppliers in emission reduction

Supplier Code of Conduct and integrate it into

strategies

key contracts

In this section
61 2022 highlights
62 Teams leading the way
63 Reducing our climate impact
69 Evolving information security and data privacy
72 Maintaining professional integrity*Targets are subject to change based on feedback from the SBTi

Appendix

61

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix2022 highlights
ZS received a C rating in the 2022 CDP
In 2022, we established a core ESG team which
includes experts responsible for formalizing our
climate reduction efforts.
Under their leadership, we submitted a near-termscience-based target with the SBTi that aligns with
the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming
below 1.5°C. We are currently awaiting approval ofthis target.

While our employee base grew 94% from 2019
(our baseline year) to 2022, we reduced our scope 1
and 2 emissions and saw a meaningful decrease in

Climate Disclosure, indicating we are

our scope 3 emissions.

score to inform our strategy, define ourknowledgeable about the impact ZS has
on climate change. We are using thiscommitments and guide us in taking

2030 target*:

Progress in 2022:

46%

29%

expect to improve this score inscope 1 and 2 emissions

scope 1 and 2 emissions

ZS received a Bronze EcoVadis rating on(compared to 2019 baseline)(compared to 2019 baseline)

our environmental, labor and human

55%

49%

rights, ethics and sustainable procurement

Reduction in scope 3

Reduction in scope 3

to inform our strategy and disclose targets

emissions per FTE

emissions per FTE

and progress across material issues. We(compared to 2019 baseline)(compared to 2019 baseline)

have defined a near- and far-term blueprint

Absolute reduction in

Absolute reduction insystemic action on climate issues. We
coming years.

impacts. As with CDP, we are using this tool

to improve this rating.

28

100%

Last year, we hired our first chief information security

Our work contributes to four U.N. Sustainable

Offices certificatedwith ISO 27001, 27701,
and 27017

Of ZSers are
required to complete
cybersecurity training

officer, André Elder, to oversee our information

Development Goals

security strategy, security infrastructure, governance,*Targets are subject to change based on feedback from the SBTi

risk management, and compliance. We also continue
to embed compliance and risk into our culture while
ensuring our systems abide by global standards.

62

ZS 2022 ESG ReportTeams leading
the way
Improving health outcomes requires passion,
innovation, cross-industry partnerships andintegrity—something we go above and beyond topractice. We know:• Earning the trust of our stakeholders is how wetreat people right

Overview

Our focus on health

Our operations

Appendix

Legal and Risk Management team

They are committed to establishing a risk-awareThis team of lawyers and legal professionals around theand compliant culture by helping ZSers embed risk

world protect our firm from legal and reputational risks.

consciousness into all their business decision-making.

They support ZS’s entry into contractual agreements,
ensure compliance with client services agreements,
support vendor and employment contracts and more.
They are at the forefront of identifying and mitigating
situations that put our firm, people and clients at risk.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Information Security team
Our information security team enforces strong data
security practices that protect ZS against cyberattacks,
data breaches and misuse. Under the leadership of our• Upholding the highest professional standards is
how we get it rightchief information officer and new chief information• Operating in a sustainable and responsible way
is how we do the right thing

infrastructure, governance, risk management

Several teams across the firm hold us accountablein bringing this to life.

Our people

security officer, ZS is equipped to better enact a
corporate information security strategy and security
and compliance.
Several teams within information security, including
Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and theInformation Security Working Group (ISWG) will play arole in this process. GRC helps shape the future of the
ZS’s internal risk management, compliance and internal
audit best practices. They identify and address risks
while ensuring our processes meet legal andregulatory requirements.

Meanwhile, ISWG consists of representatives from ZS’s
technology offerings. They review existing and emerging
threats and risks related to information security, privacy
and compliance and identify practices and processes tomitigate said concerns.
ESG Steering Committee and ESG Core TeamOur emissions work started as a grassroots movement
by people with a passion for environmental
sustainability. Now, those efforts are part of a formal
strategy driven by emissions experts within ZS’s
Steering Committee and ESG Core Team who follow theGreenhouse Gas Protocol. They measure, manage andreport our emissions while setting goals that will enable
ZS to become a leader in sustainable climate solutions.
ZS CaresOur drive for greater environmental sustainability isdriven by ZSer passion. Over the past several years, a
subset of our ZS Cares team have implemented ecofriendly practices within their offices. As ZS puts strategic
direction around its climate impact strategy, local
hands-on efforts will continue to play a critical role in
reducing our emissions.

63

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Reducing our
climate impact
ZS is committed to making sustainable, genuine changethat reduces our firm’s impact on the environment andstill supports our business and people growth.
We have taken conscientious steps to get our approachright and are positioned to enact a formal strategy
that has defined science-based targets, an updated
supplier management model, road map to invest in more
renewable energy and supports to help our people makegreen decisions wherever possible.

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Our submitted nearterm targets*:
2030 target:

46%

Absolute reductionin scope 1 and 2 GHG
emissions, compared toour 2019 baseline

55%

Reduction in scope
3 emissions per FTE,

In 2022, we submitted a near-term science-based target

compared to ourwith the SBTi for approval. This target is aligned with the2019 baseline

most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement: to keep
global warming below 1.5°C.

“There are so many intricate links between human health and planet health. One of ZS’s goals is tofurther improve how we measure our climate impact, share these measurements for transparency andwork to reduce our carbon footprint. Eventually, we’d like to help our clients meet their environmental
goals as well.”Jennifer Gold, ESG lead in London (U.K.)*Targets are subject to change based on feedback from SBTi

64

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Road to net zero
2019

2022

2025

Set our baseline

Submitted a 2030 science-based target and achieved measurable

Get approval on our overall net-zero target

reductions across all scopes in 2022 (compared to our 2019 baseline)
Scope 1 and 2
emissions
Direct emissions, suchas office heat, coolingand power

Absolute scope 1
and 2 emissions

Absolute scope 1
and 2 emissions

tCO2e

tCO2e

4,137

2,955

29%

We need to get this right.
We are taking meaningful steps to reduce
our emissions, considering our travel-

Absolute reduction in scope 1 andintensive business model, headcount growth

2 emissions in 2022, compared torate and supplier management model.

2019 baseline

Currently, we are conducting scenario
analyses to assess our carbon removal

Scope 3 emissions
Indirect emissions,such as businesstravel and employee
commuting

Scope 3 emissions
per FTE

8.50
tCO2e

Scope 3 emissions
per FTE

4.35
tCO2e

49%

Reduction in scope 3 in 2022
per FTE, compared to2019 baseline

projects and value chain abatement.

65

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Measuring our 2022 carbon
footprint
Our 2019-2022 GHG emissions have been calculated byan independent third party to align with the Greenhouse
Gas Protocol. This ensures we have the most accurate
calculation available to implement our climate strategy

Our focus on healthfrom 2019 to 2022, we still reduced our scope 1, 2 andservices driven by bigger spend in market research,

3 emissions. Last year, our absolute scope 1 and 2

professional fees and software licenses—we saw yet

emissions decreased by 29% (1,182 tCO2e) relative to ouranother decrease in emissions from business travel and2019 base year—a decrease that was driven by switching

employee commuting emissions. Like previous years,

our largest ZS office to 100% renewable energy andthis reduction is due to business-related changes andpurchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

working conditions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

emissions profile.

FTE relative to our 2019 base year. While we saw a

Total ZS GHG Emissions By ScopeZS GHG Emissions By Scope Per FTE

Data in metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e)

Data in metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e)

Scope 1 emissions
Direct emissions from ZS’s owned andcontrolled assets and operations. This
includes the generation of electricity inoffices and any leaked refrigerant fromrefrigerators and air conditioners.

9.13

30,97555,789TCO2E / FTE

TCO2E

58,74530,075

8.50

4.59
3.88
2.99
4.35

26,64027,712

3,814
324

3,111
324

2,980
283

2,564
391

0.58
0.05

0.40
0.04

0.29
0.03

0.20
0.03

2019

2020

2021

2022

2019

2020

2021

2022

Scope 1

Scope 2Absolute emissions may not add up due to rounding.

Scope 3

Appendix

31% increase in emissions from purchased goods andOur scope 3 emissions in 2022 decreased by 49% per56,177

Our operations

Even though we grew our employee base by 94%

and make long-term, positive changes to our GHG

60,315

Our people

3.43

Scope 1

2.68

Scope 2

Scope 3

Scope 2 emissions
Indirect emissions associated with ZS’spurchase of electricity, steam, heating
and cooling.
Scope 3 emissions
Indirect emissions that come from othersources in ZS’s value chain. This includes
business travel, employee commuting andpurchased goods and services.

66

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Efforts to reduce scope
1 and 2 emissions
To reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions 46% by 2030, we
commit to achieve the following:

100%

Renewable energy
by 2030

100%
Building

electrification
by 2040

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

water conservation efforts. We also do not measure

Additionally, we purchased RECs through Schneider

waste consumption currently, though our local offices

Electric’s Energize Program to support the production ofeliminate waste and divert waste from landfills throughrenewable energy sources over the long term. This REC

local recycling and composting initiatives.

purchase contributed to our reduction in 2022 scope 1
and 2 emissions.

Investing in renewable energy
In 2022, we switched our largest ZS office in terms

Sustainable building operations

100%of square footage and employee headcount to 100%

Currently, all ZS offices in the U.S. are in LEED certified

renewable energy. Our Pune (India) site joined fouror Energy Star-certified buildings. As part of ourof our other largest offices in this feat: two in the U.S.

commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2030, we areby 2040(Evanston and New York) and two in Europe (Frankfurt

working to ensure all offices operate in these types ofand London).

buildings. We continue to upgrade electrical systems andRefrigerant phaseout

Continue to support green
energy development
through Energy AttributeCertificates (EACs) andincreasing our own
production ofrenewable energy.

Waste and water reduction
Given the nature of our operations, our water
consumption is limited to kitchens and washrooms.
Therefore, we do not measure nor have targets in place
to reduce our water usage. We do understand thatavailability of water and sanitation is a global priority
and continue to explore ways to educate ZSers about

invest in renewable energy globally.

2019 Share of Renewable Energy

2022 Share of Renewable Energy

16%2019 total energy
consumption

ZS used 37% more
renewable energy in
2022 (compared to 2019)

7,945

Renewable Energy

MWh

84%

47%

Non-Renewable Energy

2022 total energy
consumption

7,627
MWh

53%

67

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Efforts to reduce
scope 3 emissions
In 2022, our scope 3 emissions were 4.35 tCO2e per
FTE—a 49% reduction from our 2019 baseline—and
accounted for 93% of ZS’s total emissions. Efforts tofurther reduce scope 3 emissions will be largely driven

Overview

Our focus on health

Our travel team is finding solutions with current

unavoidable emissions, including remaining emissions

suppliers to minimize ZS’s carbon footprint, includingfrom purchased goods and services, to help us achieve

negotiating contracts with airlines to include Sustainablecarbon neutrality and, ultimately, net-zero.

Aviation Fuel options. We also built BlueHalo tech into
our travel booking tool to educate ZSers on the emission
impact of flights booked and aid travel decisions.

offsetting, and engagement with ZSers as they consider

relationships and partner with suppliers that have low

commuting options to the office.

emissions profiles. This will include calculating ourto employees and encourage the use of green
transportation, such as public transportation and bike.
Our travel team is also partnering with major ridesharecompanies to auto-populate low-emission options for
ZSers. This will encourage ZSers to choose hybrid or
fully electric vehicles when traveling to an office or clientsite. Partners include Uber Green in the U.S. and Bolt
and FREE NOW in the U.K. Additionally, we are piloting
the use of electric and hybrid vehicles with ZS-preferred
rental car suppliers in locations that offer taxi services
to employees.

Appendix

We will offset our emissions as a last-resort option for

We are taking new steps in 2023 to manage our supplier

ZS locations offer office-specific commuting benefits

Our operations

Sustainable supplier management

by supplier responsibility, business travel strategy and

Employee commuting

Our people

suppliers’ greenhouse gas emissions and engaging
with them in emission reduction strategies. These
requirements are defined in our Supplier Codeof Conduct.
Purchasing carbon offsets, as a last resort
We are carefully selecting new projects across theworld—such as purchasing RECs—to offset our carbon
footprint and reduce emissions globally. We will only
pursue high-quality carbon credits that are validated andverified, go beyond what is required by the law to reduce“Travel represents more than just a means of
doing business. It’s a way for people to learn
new cultures, meet face-to-face with teams orclients and push the boundaries of comfort.
However, travel’s impact on the environmentis undeniable. I take that seriously.
We’re consistently looking for new ways tomove the travel industry into a healthier space,
while maintaining the thrill of explorationand human connection. This is an industry I
love, and I’m confident we’ll be able to travel
responsibly in the near future.”or remove emissions and have adequate safeguards in

Suzanne Boyan (she/her)place to ensure the projects have a permanent, positive

Travel & Meetings Manager in Evanston, IL (U.S.)

impact on the environment.
Read how ZSers unite to mitigate climate impact.

68

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Snapshot: Climate health in India
Reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions in Pune
Coal continues to power much of India’s electricity—and contribute to air pollution that may harm healthoutcomes. To reduce our climate impact in this heavily
populated region of the world, our Pune office procured
renewable energy through green tariffs from the office’s
power provider in 2022.
As ZS’s largest office, Pune was responsible for up to
25% of ZS’s electricity consumption and 40% of its
worldwide carbon emissions from electricity. The switch
to renewable energy in the Pune office ensures anestimated annual saving of 1,170 metric tons of carbon
dioxide emissions.
ZSers in the office also participate in a variety ofenvironmental initiatives. Pune was the first ZS office toachieve a completely plastic-free office, they moved tomore sustainable paper products and they have been

Reducing scope 3 emissions across our India offices
To accelerate the adoption of low-emissions travel in
India, our Pune office commenced an electric vehicle
pilot program in January 2022. ZSers are given the option
and encouraged to use electric vehicles to fulfill ad hoc
travel needs, including traveling to and from the airport,
between offices and more.
Since the start of the pilot, ZSers have traveled 127,130
miles with electric vehicles, curtailing 45.85 MTCO2 in theatmosphere—or the equivalent of 8.9 homes’ electricity
use for one year.*
The pilot is expanding to other ZS offices in India,
with the goal of offices using 100% electric vehicles by
December 2030.

13%

100%

planting trees to combat air pollution and improve air

Expected percent ofquality in their community. Finally, the office is piloting

electric vehicles used inelectric vehicles used in

the use of electric vehicles with onsite charging stations

Pune and Delhi offices

Pune and Delhi offices

to transport ZSers to and from the office.

by December 2023

by December 2030

*Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency GHG equivalencies calculator

Expected percent of“With the majority of ZSers working inIndia, it’s imperative that we lead thefront in ESG and operate our offices
sustainably. Being a part of the ESG
Steering Committee allows me to connect
the global ESG mission to the many typesof actionable activities on the ground in
India while channeling the passion thatpeople have for climate impact. While
there is much to be done, I’m excited by
the progress we’ve made and look forward
to partnering with ZSers to transform
our sustainability practices in new andprofound ways.”
Rohit Bhagwat (he/him)
Principal in Pune, Maharashtra (India)

69

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Evolving
information
security anddata privacy

Working closely with our customers, industry regulators

Protecting the information of our partners is a key

security strategy, security infrastructure, governance,component of doing the right thing. That is why werisk management and compliance.

maintain robust protocols and employ the highest
standards for our people, products, policies, processes,
procedures and systems.

Our people

Our operations

Appendixand security researchers, we’re bringing moreconsistency, transparency and structure to how wedevelop and maintain our technology.
We adhere to industry best practices, comply withapplicable market and geographic regulations, anddemonstrate compliance through accreditations.
In 2022, we hired our first chief information security
officer (CISO) to lead ZS’s overall corporate information

With support from the Governance, Risk & Complianceteam, ZS’s information security and privacy strategy
supports our growth and addresses the advanced risks
and complex compliance needs of an evolving global
business and economic.

Information security roundtable

In 2022, CISO André Elder met with fellow CISOs

ZS is building a strong community to improvefrom several pharmaceutical companies toindustry-wide cybersecurity and resilience. Data anddiscuss the importance of information security

information are vital for healthcare, health equity

in the healthcare industry. This meeting set

and positive outcomes. Collaborating with leaders in

the precedent for ongoing discussions about

the healthcare industry on matters of information

exceeding the cybersecurity expectations of our

security is a new necessity.

clients and our collective goals for the future of
information security.

“One of our top priorities as acybersecurity professional is to protect
the integrity of the data that sustains
and enables human life. When you
start having data loss or the misuse ofcommon and available information,
you’re putting a human being at risk.
You’re putting our companies at risk
and our clients at risk.
ZS is fortunate to have the right people
in place across business functions, andwe’re working to establish the righttechnologies that can automate andcreate this function in a more
efficient manner.”
André Elder (he/him)
Chief Information Security Officer in
Princeton, NJ (U.S.)

Read how André furthers ZS’s commitment todata security.

70

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Information security
We maintain the safety, security and privacy of ourassets and personal information. We ensure security
excellence through:• Ongoing and required training for ZSers• Systems designed to meet the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) andInternational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
standards• Our Information Asset Protection Policy (IAPP), whichapplies to all confidential client, employee and thirdparty data
Reviewed annually, this IAPP describes the technicaland administrative safeguards that ZS uses to protect
confidential information. The policy requires that:• Information assets are protected against
unauthorized use, loss, destruction and release• ZS systems are secure from unauthorized access• ZS meets all applicable laws, regulations andindustry standards

Overview

28

Our focus on health

Offices certified with ISO 27001,
27701 and 27017

Our people

Our operations

100%

Appendix

Of ZSers are required to complete
cybersecurity training

Data privacy

Training

We have several policies governing the use andWe commit to fostering a compliant and risk-aware

protection of personal information. This includes ourculture by regularly training ZSers about new

global data retention policy, data security incident

frameworks, standards and other requirements.

response policy, privacy policy, risk assessment policy
and information asset protection policy.
These guidelines align with the National Institute ofStandards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. and otherassociated benchmarks, frameworks and standards.
ZS has a standard operating procedure for assessing
privacy, security and business continuity risks for thirdparty vendors and the business continuity practices
in place to adequately protect ZS and its clients’ data
hosted within this environment. Learn more about our
privacy policy.

Our Be Safe Be Sure training which ZSers complete every
year—educates our firm on annual information security,
confidentiality and data protection practices.

71

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Securing the future
Leveraging data, science and technology in our solutions is key to improving healthoutcomes for all–which is why we treat that data with the utmost care.
Information security is essential for the success of our business and sustainability ofour partnerships. We have set in motion an information security strategy that equips
enterprise teams to elevate risk management expertise as a competitive advantage.
In the next two years, we will:• Establish a proactive and comprehensive risk management process, leveraging RSA®
Archer® to eliminate inefficiencies and help enterprise teams assess risk and deploy
resources more effectively• Deploy new and ongoing training and development for risk assessment andregulation adherence• Ensure policy and procedure compliance from all employees and direct partners• Advance and optimize our information protection functions through automation andbehavior analytics• Increase client-facing engagements to better achieve strategic goals, enabling ZS toprovide optimized services and products to clients• Embed ZS’s Application Security Governance Framework which enhances existing
application development, maintenance and support services at ZS across all
development teams, to bring about uniform best practices in both ZS
and client environments“I am dedicated to establishing a culture of compliance anddigital trust through my work with the IT Governance, Risk andCompliance team. I strongly believe that with the right approachand understanding, organizations can embed a culture of change
and easily promote digital trust with their clients.
Safeguarding data security is critical to maintaining trust andprotecting the privacy of customers and stakeholders. When
we combine these values with a passion for our work and acommitment to employee well-being, we create a culture thatbrings out the best in every individual and brings their best selves
to work every day.
By aligning our efforts with the company’s core values and goals,
we can create a culture of excellence that drives innovation,
growth and success for everyone.”Ali Khan (he/him)
Manager of Governance, Risk, Compliance &Audit in Pune, Maharashtra (India)

72

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Maintaining
professional
integrity

Overview

Our focus on healththrough, and have several existing policies in place tolaws. We do not tolerate harassment, violence or
discrimination in the workplace at any time. We are an
equal opportunity employer and committed to providing
equal employment and advancement opportunities
without regard to any class protected by applicable
Employment Opportunity policies.

ensure we operate our business responsibly.
Code of conduct

have equal access to physical and mental health

ZS’s Code of Conduct defines expectations for

programs, distribute twice-annual HealthCheck surveys

conducting business in accordance with ZS values,

to measure employees’ feelings of safety, support

ethics, standards of integrity and professionalism. It

and belonging, and give ZSers access to training andprovides guidance on topics including anti-corruption,

development programs that can support their careerdata-hyphening, conflicts of interest, trade sanctions,learning and growth.

responsibility. It applies to our directors, officers andother colleagues and requires the company’s agents,
subcontractors and suppliers to comply with relevant
aspects of our compliance policies.

Appendix

ZS complies with all applicable employment practice

ZS protects the health and safety of our workforce

anti-money laundering and environmental and social

Our operations

Labor and human rights

law as stated in our Hiring Bill of Rights and Equal
We are committed to ethics and integrity, through andOur people

through other HR-funded programs. We ensure ZSers

We have zero tolerance for threats or acts of harm or
violence involving or affecting employees, contractors
or customers in the course of their employment orbusiness relationship with ZS or which occur on property
owned or controlled by ZS. We expect all suppliers tocomply with the UK Modern Slavery Act Statement.
Should we suspect a violation of any kind, we will act
immediately and address accordingly.

Achieving ISO 45001 and 45003
We take employee safety seriously and arecommitted to reducing workplace risks andpoor working conditions of any kind. As partof that commitment, we conduct periodic
physical and environmental security reviews
across our offices.
Last year, we sought ISO 45001 (Occupational
Health and Safety Management Systems)
and ISO 45003 (Psychological Health And
Safety At Work) for our India offices. Aftera rigorous audit process, we achieved bothcertifications in January 2023, making ZS thefirst organization in the India subcontinent toearn the certifications.
ISO 45001 and 45003 emphasize the business
imperative for promoting and protecting
physical and psychological health in theworkplace—a priority for us as we work tocreate a culture of belonging and safety at ZS.

73

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Ethics and compliance
Our Risk, Compliance and Professionalism Committee
escalates discussions of risk and recommended actions
to the Shareholders’ Council to help ZS operate with thehighest standards of ethics and legal compliance.

Overview

Our focus on health

Maintaining ethical relationships with suppliers
Our standard supplier agreement requires suppliers tocomply with applicable laws and ZS policies, including
the Modern Slavery Act of 2015 and any other applicable

and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) policy applies to every ZSer

about ZS’s UK Modern Slavery Act Statement.
We examine supplier relationships and partner with
suppliers who share our values and commitments to

Any breach of these policies or standards carries

sustainable environmental practices, diversity, equity

serious consequences and is subject to comprehensive

and inclusion, transparency, health equity and data

investigation and subsequent appropriate action.

security and privacy.

Whistleblower

We are setting goals for ourselves and partners andWe encourage ZSers to report any ethical issue or

being transparent about our plans—holding ourselves

misconduct in the workplace. Our Whistleblower Policy

and our vendors accountable for making meaningful

insures that retaliation for raising a concern, seeking

change and sustainable practices. Included in thoseadvice or reporting misconduct is strictly prohibited.

goals are existing and soon-to-be published policies to

To complement this policy, we launched a Speaking
Up email inbox in 2022. This gives ZSers a direct line
to confidentially report workplace concerns to our

Appendix

thoroughly investigated and handled with care.

anti-slavery and human trafficking laws. Learn more

personal investments, gambling and insider trading.

Our operations

Employee Relations team, knowing that it will be

We condemn any act of corruption. Our Anti-Bribery
and provides guidance on anti-corruption and bribery,

Our people

guide relationships and processes that do not harm theplanet or people.

“As we establish programs and policies
in ZS, we focus on ZS values to leadthe way – get it right, do it right, treat
people right. This means that at ZS,
we focus on the spirit and intent of acompliance program.
ZS’s values-based culture provides afoundation for responsible decisionmaking, helps us mitigate risk, builds
trust with our clients and partners anddemonstrates a commitment to ethicalbusiness practices.”
Sarah Schwartz (she/her)
General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer in
Chicago, Illinois (U.S.)

74

ZS 2022
ESG Report
Report2021 ESG

Overview

Our focus on health

About this report

Forward-looking statement

ZS’s 2022 ESG report details our progress, performance

focus on events from the 2022 calendar year and are

and commitments across ZS’s ESG priorities. Information

subject to change without notice. This report includes

in this report reflects ZS’s global operations during

forward-looking statements and all statements othercalendar year 2022 (Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2022), unless

than statements of historical or current facts, including

otherwise noted.

statements regarding ZS’s plans, initiatives, expectations,

We structured the report around our three ESG goals–advance health equity, empower our people to makean impact and operate sustainably and responsibly.
We track progress across these goals by referencing
the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability
Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and U.N. Sustainable
Development Goals.

The information and opinions contained in this reportforecasts, projections, goals, commitments, or prospects
are forward-looking. Future and actual results could
be materially different due to a variety of factors. The
forward-looking statements in this report are based on
certain assumptions ZS makes in light of its experienceand perception of historical trends, current conditions,
expected future developments and other factors.
Forward-looking statements in this report are notguarantees or promises that goals or targets will be met.
ZS undertakes no obligation to revise or update any
forward-looking statements in this report.

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

75

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Data collection and methodology​
Stakeholder

Who they are

Employee engagement data

ZS measures employee experience using a Pulse Survey (distributed every March) and measures engagement in a longer-form HealthCheck Survey (distributed every August or September). Permanent
ZSers complete this voluntary survey to rate their overall engagement at ZS and views on culture, well-being, manager and professional development coach support, recognition, professional
development and diversity, equity and inclusion. ZSers respond using a 5-point scale from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree and can leave open-response feedback. Percentages shared in this report
derive from the August 2022 HealthCheck Survey and reflect Strongly Agree and Agree responses.

Emissions allocation

Each year, ZS allocates emissions to our clients to inform their scope 3 emissions inventories. Although standard convention has been to allocate emissions using a percentage of revenue, ZS
anticipates companies will seek to increase the accuracy of scope 3 inventories. In turn, many companies will shift from a spend-based method of emissions allocation to a service-level methodology.
In light of the evolving nature of carbon inventory and allocation, ZS has developed a more accurate methodology to allocate emissions to our clients. We allocate emissions to clients by using servicelevel metrics including billable hours by office location and granular travel data to ensure accurate scope 3 inventories for our clients. This methodology allows ZS and our clients to more accurately
understand where emissions are linked to services and ultimately, how those emissions can be reduced over time.

Employee data

Employee data shared in this report reflects 2022 year-end WorkLife data for ZS permanent employees. Demographic data shared by employees is voluntary and may not reflect our actual workforce.
Percentages were rounded and may not sum to 100%. ​ZS defines racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. as persons who identify as any of the following: Asian, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian,
Multiethnic.​
The term ‘underrepresented’ is defined by actual evaluation of the firm’s population and the population of its external market. At ZS, underrepresented employees refer to U.S. persons who identify as
any of the following: Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native or Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian. (Excludes those who identify as Asian, Two or More Races or Mixed/Multiethnic).

Emissions data

Our 2019-2022 GHG emissions have been calculated by an independent third party to align with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This ensures we have the most accurate calculation available toimplement our climate strategy and make long-term, positive changes to our GHG emissions profile.

Potential lives affected byour patient health and equity
accelerator partnerships

This is an estimate derived by five health equity projects in 2022 driven by our patient health and equity accelerator. It considers the number of people in a particular region diagnosed and/or livingwith a specific health condition and the scale of ZS’s project to address the condition. We estimate that millions of more lives are affected through our other client-facing work and efforts to supportclients’ health equity efforts.

ZS CaresZS Cares participation is derived by timesheet data and the number of hours ZSers bill to volunteering or pro bono work.

76

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder

Who they are

ZS leadership

We engage with various leadership bodies—including ourShareholders’ Council, Operating Leadership Team, Strategic
Advisory Team and other groups of ZS principals—to set strategic
direction, sustainability priorities and risk management andcompliance best practices for our firm.

ZSers

We engage with ZSers constantly and draw on their insights to
inform and sustain a culture of impact, collaboration, growth,
empathy, equity and empowerment.

Ways we engage

Key ESG topics raised in 2022

• Monthly or quarterly• ESG strategy• Business performanceleadership calls• Annual Global Principals

and risk mitigation

Meeting• DEI Center of Expertise• People and Culture Team• ZS community groups• Engagement surveys• Corporate governance• Climate reduction targets

We help our clients solve complex problems by understanding
their industries, customers, challenges and evolving demands.
Through these deep partnerships, we evolve our services andofferings to best suit their needs and deliver high-quality,
expertise-driven outcomes.

• Formal engagement

through request for
proposals, request for
information, etc.

• Client relationshipmanagement

priorities and progress• Ethical business practices
and operations• Data security andprivacy assurance• Quarterly town hall

• Diversity, equity and inclusion• Firmwide intranet• Speaking Up email inbox for• ZS’s impact on the environment• ZS’s stance on social issues• Compensation and benefits• ZS-led Impact Summits and• Climate impact and reduction• Data security and• Reporting disclosures,• Responsible business practices• Diversity, equity and inclusion• Diversity, equity and inclusion• Recognition​• Health, well-being and safety ​• Career and talent development ​• Hybrid working model

meetings

and newsletter

employee concerns

Clients• Diversity, equity and inclusion

conferences

including EcoVadis
and CDPpriorities and progresstargetsand sustainable supply chain• Recognition• Health, well-being and safety• Career development• Hybrid working model
expectationsprivacy assurance
priorities and progress• Client-specific emissions
accounting

Future ZSers

We seek a powerful collective of thinkers and idea makers driving
toward life-changing solutions and technology innovations that
affect patients, caregivers and consumers globally. We evolve ourrecruiting strategies to create seamless, equitable experiences for
all candidates and set them up for success on their ZS journey.

• Recruiting conferences​• Job fairs ​• Digital marketing• Referrals and ‘Boomerang’
programcommitments and actions​• Climate impact and reduction
targets ​• Compensation and benefits

expectations

77

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder

Who they areWays we engage

Civil society ​We partner with industry experts and global initiatives, such as theWorld Economic Forum (WEF), to address the most complex healthchallenges disrupting our world today. We share knowledge andalign on new practices and solutions together.​• Industry forums ​• Roundtable discussions ​• Co-authored thought• Industry association• Third-party risk

• Supplier onboarding​• Standardized contract

Suppliers​

Local
communities

We engage with our suppliers to bring cutting-edge technology,
innovative programs and best-in-class services and products toour clients and people. Starting in 2023, we will systematicallyengage with our suppliers to integrate ESG metrics andsustainable procurement across the entire value chain.

We partner with nonprofit organizations to improve the health of
our local communities.

Key ESG topics raised in 2022

memberships

leadershipmanagement
engagement process​• Formal annual
assessments• Pro bono consulting ​• Volunteering​• ZS Donation Match
Program• Patient centricity ​• Consumer centricity ​• Ethical and sustainablebusinessrequirements ​• Completion of required and• Supplier diversity ​• Ethical supplier relationships ​• Environmental sustainability

applicable training• ZS Cares Day• Access to healthcare services ​• Economic stability ​• Transportation access• Food security ​• Environmental health andstewardship78

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

GRI Content Index and SASB Standards
ZS referenced the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and Sustainability Accounting Standard Board (SASB) when developing this report. Visit https://www.globalreporting.org/ andhttps://www.sasb.org/standards/ for more information about these standards.
Disclosure number

Description

ZS response

GRI 2: General Disclosures 2021

Disclosure number

Description

ZS response

2-3c

Publication date

April 28, 2023

2-3d

Point of contact

ESG@ZS.com

2-7

Number of employees andbreakdown by gender and region

2022 highlights

2-8

Number of workers who are not
employees

In 2022, we hired 1,426 people
on contract.

2-23

Describe policy commitments forresponsible business conduct andhuman rights

Maintaining professional integrity

2-27

Number of instances of noncompliance with laws andregulations during the reporting
period. Include instances of whenfines and non-monetary sanctions
were incurred.

In calendar year 2022, there were
no non-compliances that materiallyaffected our employee population, thequality of our services or our ability toserve our clients.

Disclosure 2-1: Organizational details
2-1aLegal name

ZS

2-1a

Nature of ownership and legal form

Private company

2-1c

Headquarters

Evanston, IL

2-1d

Countries of operation

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China,
Denmark, France, Germany, India,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Singapore, Spain,
Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago,
United Kingdom, UnitedStates of America

Disclosure 2-3: Reporting period, frequency and contact point
2-3aReporting period

January 1-December 31, 2022 (unlessotherwise noted)

2-3bReporting period for financial
reporting

As a private firm, we do not reportfinancial information.

79

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Disclosure number

Overview

Description

ZS response

GRI 205: Anti-corruption 2016
205-2

Percentage of employees, including
governance body members, whohave received communication andtraining about the organization’s
anti-corruption policies
and procedures---Total number and percentage
of business partners that theorganization’s anti-corruption
policies and procedures have beencommunicated to, broken down by
type of business partnerand region

302-4

302-5

Disclosure number

Our people

Our operations

Appendix

Description

ZS response

305-1:

Direct (scope 1) GHG emissions

Reducing our climate impact

305-2

Energy indirect (scope 2)
GHG emissions

Reducing our climate impact

305-3

Other indirect (scope 3)
GHG emissions

Reducing our climate impact

305-4

GHG emissions intensity

Reducing our climate impact

305-5

Reduction of GHG emissions

Reducing our climate impact

GRI 305: Emissions 2016
Evolving information security anddata privacy​

Not applicable at this time. Will be
addressed in Supplier Codeof Conduct.

GRI 401: Employment 2016

GRI 302: Energy 2016
302-1

Our focus on health

401-1

New employee hires andemployee turnoverConnecting with top talent

Energy consumption within theorganization

Efforts to reduce scope 1 and 2
emissions401-2

Benefits provided to full-time
employees

Helping our people succeed

Reduction of energy consumption

Efforts to reduce scope 1 and 2
emissions

401-4

Employees entitled to parental leave,
employees who took parental leaveand employees who returned towork after parental leave

Helping our people succeed

Reduction in energy requirements ofproducts and services

Efforts to reduce scope 1 and 2
emissions80

ZS 2022 ESG Report

Overview

Our focus on health

Disclosure number

Description

ZS response

Disclosure number

404-1

Average hours of training
per employee

Helping our people succeed

SASB: Data Security

404-2

Programs for upgrading
employee skills and transition assistance programs

Helping our people succeed

404-3

Percentage of employees receiving
regular performance and careerdevelopment reviews

Helping our people succeed

Percent of employees overall and ingovernance bodies acrossdiversity categories

Our operations

Appendix

Description

ZS response

SV-PS-230a.1

Description of approach toidentifying and addressing data
security risks

Evolving information security and data
privacy

SV-PS-230a.2

Description of policies and practices
relating to collection, usage andretention of customer information

Evolving information security and data
privacy

SASB: Professional Integrity

GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity 2016405-1

Our people

Path to leadership

SV-PS-510a.1

Description of approach to ensuring
professional integrity

Maintaining professional integrity

SASB: Workforce Diversity & Engagement
330a.1

Percentage of gender and racial/ethnic group representation for
executive management and all other
employees

Path to leadership

330a.3

Employee engagement as apercentage

Working toward inclusion andbelongingAbout ZS
ZS is a management consulting and technology firm that partners
with companies to improve life and how we live it. We transform
ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology andhuman ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Founded in 1983,
ZS has more than 13,000 employees in over 35 offices worldwide. To
learn more, visit www.zs.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Learn more: zs.com/about/environmental-social-and-governanceFor permission to reprint, please complete our contact form.
ZS Associates Inc. 2023. All rights reserved.

www.zs.com | © 2023 ZS

050323