Quita Highsmith

VP & Chief Diversity Officer
Genentech

Quita Highsmith joined Genentech in 2010 and was selected in 2020, following a number of leadership roles in sales and advocacy relations, as the first chief diversity officer in the company’s 46-year history. She now reports to the CEO and is responsible for enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that drive impact by investing in commercial efforts, stakeholder engagement, research innovation and community relations. Prior to taking on this role, Highsmith pioneered and co-founded Advancing Inclusive Research, Genentech’s initiative to reduce disparities in clinical research participation for underrepresented groups. Since announcing Genentech’s 2025 D&I Commitments last year, she has shepherded notable progress across each of Genentech’s D&I pillars: fostering belonging, advancing inclusive research and health equity, and transforming society. In an effort to create lasting change for employees and patients even beyond 2025, she has challenged teams across Genentech to look inward, examine existing processes and practices, and make equity-centered systemic improvements.