At Haelon, the belief that health should be more human shapes not just products, but people practices. As a global brand serving diverse consumers, the company sees inclusion as central to its purpose—and embedded in its everyday actions. With 37.5% women in leadership, the journey sounds inspiring, but as leaders shared, it has been anything but easy.
The SWIFT (Sales Workforce Integration and Future Talent) Program, a case study was presented by Priyanka Kalra, Head Talent Acquisition, Haleon, and Priyanka, Head Talent, Learning, OD & I&B, Haleon, at the Best of Best Conference & Awards 2025.
Carved out from GSK to form a new organization, Haelon undertook two waves of transformation, expanding market presence and deepening consumer reach. One challenge stood out: a lack of women in sales. The issue wasn’t capability; it was perception. Sales roles have long been seen as unsuitable for women, creating invisible barriers to entry.
To change this, Haelon launched SWIFT – Sales Workforce Integrated Talent, a program rooted in a simple belief: “If you change the starting point, you change the destination.” SWIFT became a movement to build the future of the sales workforce while building confidence in women stepping into field roles.
As the company rebuilt its go-to-market teams and expanded into Tier 1, 2, 3, and rural markets, they re-evaluated campus hiring strategies. The result was transformative: Haelon recruited 77% women from identified colleges and integrated them through a structured six-month curated program with stints, evaluation, and seamless business immersion. Today, hiring managers actively seek women trainees, and trainees feel like valued members of the organization from Day 1—not just classroom learners, but contributors to real business impact.
