Raul Suarez-Rodriguez is the Director, Global Economic Inclusion and Supplier Diversity at Merck. Under his leadership, Supplier Diversity is strengthened as a key business imperative for global and economic inclusion. He launched the first Advanced Leadership Program for Diverse Suppliers in collaboration with Drexel University and Diversity Alliance for Science. He partners with internal business leaders and external advocacy groups to grow mutual value and create economic value for the business and communities. Among many awards earned, he was recently recognized as the Supplier Diversity Program Leader of the Year by Diversity Alliance for Science where he serves as a member of its Board of Directors.
As a champion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Raul educates, equips, and empowers colleagues to effectively include and utilize qualified diverse suppliers in Merck’s global procurement activities at a competitive price, while driving growth and innovation. He believes regular and effective communication with internal teams is critical to ensuring internal teams are prepared with the right resources and information to drive supplier inclusion.