Quita Beeler Highsmith is the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Genentech. In 2017, she co-founded the Advancing Inclusive Research initiative to recruit and retain patients of color in clinical research studies. It is now an enterprise-wide initiative to address barriers to clinical participation for racial and ethnic underrepresented groups. Spearheaded by Quita and her team, Genentech launched the Advancing Inclusive Research Site Alliance in 2021, a first-of-its-kind coalition of collaborating clinical research sites advancing the representation of diverse patient populations in clinical trials.
Quita oversaw the development of Genentech’s diversity and inclusion strategy centered on three strategic pillars: fostering belonging, advancing inclusive research and health equity, and transforming society. This holistic strategy has since been embedded into nearly every aspect of Genentech’s core business - from investing in diverse supplier partnerships, to reshaping clinical research practices to building pathways for the next generation of STEM talent. As a leader, Quita is a bold changemaker driven by the notion that “Of those to whom much is given, much is expected.” She has delivered consistent results and continues to dedicate her career to putting these values into action.