We at Sangamo believe success comes when we align our core values with our mission to deliver genomic medicines that replace today’s symptomatic treatments and transform patients’ lives. We strive to:
• Succeed through teamwork
• Innovate through smart decisions
• Foster belonging
Our mission is noble; the business practices we use to achieve it are as important as the mission itself. Sangamo strives to mitigate the environmental impact of our operations, be a positive force in society by promoting diversity & inclusion, and govern our company responsibly and transparently.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We encourage and embrace diversity and believe it enhances our work toward goal to transform the lives of the patients we aim to serve.
We strive to create a workplace where all Sangamo employees can thrive in an inclusive environment free from discrimination, harassment, bias and prejudice. We aim to treat all individuals with respect and dignity and to provide all Sangamo employees with equal opportunity and fair treatment based on merit. We cultivate a culture and environment where different backgrounds and perspectives are not only respected and heard, but embraced and celebrated. Our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture fosters an engaged and committed workplace which, in turn, helps us understand and meet the needs of the patients we seek to help with our medicines.
In 2020, our Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer convened a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, working group tasked with finding ways to ensure our company attracts and retains diverse talent who feel valued, safe and secure to make their unique contribution to our mission.
Composed of a diverse group of Sangamo employees, the working group is designing and implementing specific initiatives including potential amendments to our company values to reflect our commitment to these ideals and the launch of a corporate social responsibility scorecard tracking our DEI initiatives. In 2021, we focused on implementing these measures, instituting new DEI tracking and benchmarking and increasing our focus on DEI in recruitment and retention initiatives.
Governance
Sangamo’s Board believes that a strong, annually elected and independent board provides effective oversight of the company. Each of the Board’s Executive Officer. Under our Bylaws, the Board is not required to appoint our Chief Executive Officer as the Chair of the Board, and the Board does not have a policy on whether the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board should be separate. There are no family relationships between any of our directors and any of our executive officers.
The Board strongly believes that diversity enhances the Board’s effectiveness in fulfilling its oversight role. Below we highlight certain attributes of our current directors:
Sangamo Code of Conduct
The reputation and integrity of Sangamo Therapeutics are valuable assets that are vital to our success. Everyone at Sangamo is responsible for conducting our business in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. To provide guidance to Sangamo workers in upholding this commitment, the Sangamo Board of Directors has approved a Sangamo Code of Conduct. The Code helps Sangamo workers recognize and deal with ethical issues; provides mechanisms to report unethical conduct; and fosters a culture of honesty, integrity, and accountability.
On December 1, 2022, Sangamo Therapeutics adopted an updated Code of Conduct approved by its Board of Directors. Besides making technical, administrative and other non-substantive amendments to the Code, the updated Code maintains the essential principles and standards contained in the prior Code and adds clarification on topics previously addressed in the prior Code and other policies of the company, as well as new topics, including responsibilities of leaders and managers, seeking advice and reporting potential misconduct, misconduct investigations, zero tolerance for retaliation, consequences for misconduct, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, global trade laws and regulations, compliance with healthcare laws and regulations, interactions with healthcare providers, interactions with the government, ethical and compliant research and development, data privacy and personal information, working with third parties, intellectual property, confidentiality and proprietary information, conflicts of interest, corporate opportunities, company records, protection and use of company assets, accuracy of financial reports, conducts and responding to audits, and the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The foregoing summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Code, which can be found here. Adoption of the new Code does not result in any waiver to any officer, director, or employee of the Company, explicit or implicit, from any provision of the prior Code.