Smita Pillai, SVP of Talent Development, Inclusion, & Innovation Culture for Regeneron has had a career spanning five countries and multiple industries. During this time, she has leveraged her deep background in human & market research to help companies launch highly successful products and iniatives that are patient and customer centric around the world. At Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Smita established a global DEI strategy and framework that has helped the company for continued long term success in this work. As her professional journey evolved, her deep experience in data, marketing, and research helped her uncover cultural insights and the power of human connections, to bring light to the business and human case for DEI.
The leader-led DEI governance model is essential to Smita’s efforts in this space. Smita and her team collaborate with the Executive DEI Council, a DEI Leadership Council that operationalizes the DEI strategy, Local Councils supporting DEI initiatives at the grassroots level, and Employee Resource Groups that are crucial to retaining and developing diverse talent and advancing the leadership pipeline. All of her DEI work is grounded in The Better Science vision, tying DEI initiatives to Regeneron’s mission to advance medicine for all.