IQVIA Holdings - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

IQVIA Holdings is Medium Risk.

IQVIA is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

IQVIA integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Supplier Code of Conduct: “Suppliers are expected to minimize the amount of carbon in their operations and in their supply chain” (1). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

IQVIA does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The company’s charitable giving focus area is in medical research (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

IQVIA offers “allyship, unconscious bias, and inclusive conversations” training to its employees (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Corporate Governance Guideline: “Accordingly, in recruiting and evaluating new director candidates, the Nominating and Governance Committee should seek to achieve a mix of Board members that enhances the diversity of background, skills and experience on the Board, including with respect to professional skills, relevant industry experience, specialized expertise, international experience, gender, race and ethnicity…” (2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment. From its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report: “we are driving diverse recruitment through diversity informed site selection.” The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain: “Our Supply Chain Diversity Program encourages the selection of diverse suppliers, for example through setting policies and raising awareness of diverse suppliers.” The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its mentorship program: “In 2023, we joined [National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC’s)] mentorship program to engage with and support under-represented business enterprises” (3). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

IQVIA is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Our [diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIB)] statement also forms the basis of our enhanced global DIB plan, which was launched across the organization in 2023. The plan details how we will integrate DIB into our daily practices and processes, and centers on four pillars: [Talent pipeline, Capability building, Brand recognition, Compliance collaboration]” (2). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Our ESG Working Group implements sustainability plans, policies, and processes through our operations, and assesses climate-related risks — reporting issues to the ESG Executive Steering Committee at least every quarter” (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

IQVIA is a partner with National Diversity Council (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

IQVIA does not operate a PAC at this time and has not lobbied for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).