Our Mission and Values

At the beginning of 2014, we launched our Mission and Values, as shown below:

The Stryker leadership team developed the company’s mission and values over the course of 2013 as we felt the need to clearly state our purpose and to align and inspire our people. The process of developing these statements was collaborative and involved multiple sessions of open discussion, including at our annual global business forum, with approximately 100 leaders. At that meeting, we received great, diverse input, which helped shape the final version.  We wanted to be sure that Stryker employees across our many businesses and regions could all see themselves in the mission and values. We also did not want it to be aspirational but rather reflect who we are, our purpose, and the standards of behavior we have always embraced. After the roll-out, we knew we got it right based on the reaction of employees across the company as well as past leaders like our Chairman Emeritus, John Brown, who universally said, “this feels like us.” The simplicity of the document was intentional and has proven powerful, as employees can easily recount the mission and values, and use it regularly in company presentations.

Since the launch, we have not changed any words and have no plans to do so. Our employees are inspired by these words, and they guide our actions. While our strategy has evolved, the mission and values have stood the test of time despite significant growth of the company since then. It has been especially helpful as we have integrated new acquisitions and has resonated globally – although the word “driven” was a little tricky in a few languages, which I personally experienced as a French speaker.  Stryker has always been a mission-driven, highly ethical company, but the power of putting these words on paper has exceeded my expectations and it has become a unifying force in our organization.