Quita Highsmith is Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.
At Genentech Highsmith was selected as the first Chief Diversity Officer in the 46- year history of the company and reports to the CEO. She is responsible for enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that drive business impact by: investing in commercial efforts, stakeholder engagement, research innovation and community relations.
Outside of D&I knowledge, Highsmith brings brand marketing, business development and a global leadership perspective. In 2021, Highsmith was named the Inspire Award Winner by San Francisco Business Times, honored as the inaugural Visionary Award winner by Women of Color in Pharma (WOCIP) and named PharmaVOICE Magazine Top 100 Most Inspiring.
Highsmith is committed to community service by working with non-profit boards such as, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Delta San Francisco-Peninsula Scholarship Foundation, Leadership Council San Mateo County and The Genentech Patient Foundation.
Highsmith received both a MBA and an Advanced Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, as well as her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky.
