Dr. Debra Joy Pérez, chief equity officer & senior advisor to CEO at United States Pharmacopeia, sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITworks: 2024 Sustainability & Social Responsibility Conference, held in McClean, Virginia from Sept. 10-12.
Pérez discussed the critical role of integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into organizational operations. Her keynote speech at REITworks, titled Outcomes over Acronyms, emphasized the importance of measuring DEIB efforts through tangible, positive outcomes rather than just focusing on terminology. She advocates for moving beyond acronyms and ensuring that DEIB strategies are meaningful and measurable to achieve real impact.
She highlighted that companies must integrate DEIB practices not only within HR but across all functions of the organization. By embedding these strategies vertically and horizontally, businesses can enhance decision-making, productivity, and performance. Diverse teams bring different perspectives that drive innovation, improve outcomes, and contribute to organizational success.