Our Responsibility
At Mersana, we all share a singular vision: To create a world where all patients triumph over cancer. We know that the actions of each and every one of us matter and that our team’s success depends on our ability to work together. We are also committed to making a positive impact as it relates to the environment and the communities in which we live and work. We believe that we have a duty to patients and other stakeholders to be good corporate citizens, and we are committed to embracing diversity while operating our business in an environmentally friendly manner, with high integrity and transparency.
In line with this commitment, we have developed an internal ESG team to identify and make recommendations about potential areas in which we can improve, implement new practices and track our execution across initiatives. This team is composed of a cross-functional group of employees that includes members of senior management.
Who We Are
As we advance our pipeline, we are also heavily focused on advancing our people. We believe that people who learn, grow and thrive together are better equipped to elevate our science. Promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and sustainability is key to fostering our collaborative work environment in which employees are motivated by the common goal of discovering, developing and delivering potential new therapies for people with cancer.
“Our passion for sustainability led to the grass-roots creation of our Green Team in 2017. Since its inception, the Green Team has helped us reduce office waste, clean local water sources, save energy, and promote environmental awareness and sustainability in the office.”
Casey Coons, Associate Director, Lab Operations and Facilities
Our Organization
Our organization is composed of individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, providing us with a spectrum of perspectives that we can draw upon as Mersana continues to evolve.
Employees
56%
Identify as Female
39%
Belong to at Least One Racially or Ethnically Diverse Group
100%
of Employees are Required to Complete DEI Training
Based on employees who chose to self-identify
Executive Team
14%
Identify as Female
43%
Belong to at Least One Racially or Ethnically Diverse Group
100%
Have Completed Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Training
14%
Identify as LGBTQ+
Board Members
38%
Identify as Female
25%
Belong to at Least One Racially or Ethnically Diverse Group
More information about our corporate governance can be found here and in our SEC filings.
Employee Development
18%
of Employees Were Promoted in 2023
>75%
of Employees Participated in One or More Company-Sponsored Elective Learning and Development Programs
61%
of Our Employees Hold M.D., PH.D. or Other Advanced Degrees
Patient Access
At Mersana, we have a passion for advancing therapies to make a significant impact in the lives of people living with cancer. We believe that all patients deserve equal access to new potential therapies, regardless of race, age, socio-economic status or geography.
“One of the things that attracted me most to Mersana was its focus on patients. They are truly at the heart of everything we do. The phrase ‘because patients are waiting’ isn’t just a tagline we use; it’s our motivation to put in the hard work every day.”
Jen Tate, Manager, Executive Administration
Our Community
We believe it is our responsibility to be good corporate neighbors. We encourage employees to take an active role in caring for the surrounding communities in which we live and work. We regularly sponsor events, lead fundraising drives and promote opportunities to get involved with local and national charitable organizations. As part of our focus on community impact, Mersana has been partnering with Sharebite, an organization dedicated to improving food stability. In 2022 alone, 3,256 meals were donated on behalf of Mersana to people in need.
The Mersana team gives back to the community in many ways. For instance:
- Mersana has been partnering with Sharebite, an organization dedicated to improving food stability. In 2023 alone, 6,923 meals were donated on behalf of Mersana to people in need.
- In November 2023, our team helped prepare and distribute food baskets to local residents in need as part of the East End House’s annual effort to help hundreds of people enjoy a healthy, fulfilling Thanksgiving meal.
- Mersana continued its 16-year-long tradition of helping local families provide gifts to their children over the holidays. For the second year in a row, the company supported Adopt-a-Family at the East End House in 2023, a program that allows families to submit a wish list of gift items to be fulfilled and delivered in time for the holidays.
- More than 30% of our team members who received “On the Spot” monetary recognition awards from fellow employees in 2023 donated their proceeds to charity. These charities included Action Against Hunger, American Cancer Society, Clean Air Task Force, MSPCA St. Jude and The Nature Conservancy.
- In 2023, Mersana became a corporate sponsor of the Science Club For Girls, Inc., a local non-profit organization focused on fostering excitement, confidence and literacy in STEM for girls and gender-expansive youth from underrepresented communities by providing free experiential and mentor-based programing from grades K-12. Mersana is proud to support an organization making strides in diversifying our future STEM community.
Our Planet
We are committed to implementing eco-friendly and sustainability programs to minimize our environmental footprint. Although our current physical footprint is limited to approximately 45,000 square feet of leased office and laboratory space at our Cambridge, MA headquarters, we believe it is our duty to be mindful of the impact we are having on our environment.
Our environmentally-conscious products and programs include the use/provision of:
- LED lighting
- Public transportation reimbursement
- Composting
- Battery recycling receptacles
- Dedicated recycling streams for pipette tip boxes
- Reusable kitchen products
- Recycled paper products
- Water machines that have helped eliminate the use of >25,000 plastic bottles since installation in 2023 alone
Mersana’s Green Team
In 2017, a group of Mersana employees established the “Green Team,” a cross-functional group of employees dedicated to limiting the impact that our daily office routines have on the planet. Since its inception, the Green Team has spearheaded initiatives to reduce office waste, clean local water sources, save energy, and promote environmental awareness and sustainability in the office.
In an effort to help beautify the outdoor space adjacent to our Cambridge headquarters, Mersana’s Green Team organizes river cleanups to collect debris along the Charles River. Activities such as these embody one of Mersana’s values: We each make an impact and together make a difference.
Our Governance
Our Board of Directors and our Senior Officers are committed to setting a tone of integrity from the top. Mersana’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requires all Mersana directors, officers and employees to adhere to the highest standards of honest and ethical conduct. This Code covers a variety of topics, including complying with laws, rules, regulations and ethics; bribery and corruption; and conflicts of interest. In addition to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, our other policies are clearly defined and include guidance on topics including, but not limited to, corporate governance and avoiding insider trading. We provide all of our employees with initial training and reference materials and periodic refresh materials to reinforce their commitment to integrity and ethics in our business.
Our Board of Directors, along with the Audit, Compensation and Nomination and Corporate Governance Committees, conducts an annual governance review, which includes review, benchmarking and revision of our significant corporate policies discussed above. Our Compensation Committee also conducts an annual review of our compensation practices. Additionally, each standing committee of the Board of Directors periodically performs, or participates in, under the oversight of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, an evaluation of such committee against the requirements of the committee’s charter, the results of which are presented to the Board of Directors.
Further information about Mersana’s governance can be found here.
Note: All metrics above are as of December 31, 2023.