AstraZeneca's continued success depends on the skills of its people, and we are committed to developing the wide range of capabilities that our global workforce offers.

We aim to build and maintain a culture which values, recognises and rewards outstanding performance, where people share a commitment to AstraZeneca's objectives and to delivering their personal best. To help them achieve this, we encourage and support our people in developing their potential to the fullest. All our managers are responsible for working with each member of their team to agree to a personal development plan for that person, aligned to business needs and tailored to the individual's skills and aspirations.

We recognise the importance of continuous dialogue and feedback. Regular meetings between managers and individuals - as well as an annual performance review - provide not only the opportunity to discuss work objectives and progress towards these, but also to plan any further personal development that may be required to achieve the objectives, and to consider longer-term career goals.

We like to think laterally about career paths. Cross-functional moves and global mobility are actively encouraged and supported, and we are looking at ways of using the intranet to communicate job opportunities more effectively within the company worldwide.

In addition, an on-line global centre for learning and development provides information and ideas on personal development planning.

We encourage people to form support networks and use our mentoring schemes to share knowledge and experience, to the benefit of their personal development and to enhance individual and team contribution to business success.

As well as local and functional development initiatives, global leadership development programmes ensure that a pool of future leaders is available to support the long-term success of the company.