Dr. Debra Joy Perez, PhD, MPA, serves as the Chief Equity Officer (CEqO) and Senior Advisor to the CEO at the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Joining USP in 2021, Dr. Perez launched the Office of Equity, Organizational Culture, and Inclusive Excellence, guiding a global organization of 1,200 staff and 1,500 volunteers in implementing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategies. Dr. Perez oversees cultural and developmental DEIB initiatives across USP, embedding equity into existing and new operational strategies. Her role includes ensuring that DEIB principles are integrated into business goals, performance metrics, external relationships, and inclusive people management. Additionally, she contributes to USP’s five-year strategic plans by developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that drive diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence throughout the organization.

With over 25 years of experience leading equity and inclusion initiatives, Dr. Perez’s philosophy, “equity equals excellence,” emphasizes integrating equity into every aspect of an organization. This approach shifts the organizational culture to support business goals, building a high-performing, mission-driven team. The Office of Equity, Organizational Culture, and Inclusive Excellence engages in 22 countries, offering training on difficult conversations, deep listening, and cultivating collective awareness, ensuring all staff feel respected and engaged. Dr. Perez employs data analysis and accountability mechanisms to monitor DEI progress, establishing herself as a thought leader and agent of change.

Prior to USP, Dr. Perez served as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor and Independent Executive Consultant, collaborating with national foundations and federal grant-making entities. At the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), she developed equity and inclusion principles and created a “DEI Use Statement” to operationalize these principles. In philanthropy, Dr. Perez led research, evaluation, and learning units across three national and global foundations, designing programs to support marginalized academics and researchers. She also founded Public Health Systems Research and contributed to leadership development programs for emerging health services leaders.

Dr. Perez has brought inclusive management practices, leadership development, and diverse perspectives to research and policy decision-making, creating initiatives to foster multidisciplinary research and expand equity, inclusion, and diversity. Dr. Perez’s enduring commitment to advancing DEIB strategies has profoundly impacted various organizations, making her a leader in driving equitable change.

Career Highlights:

• Chief Equity Officer at USP: Established DEIB support mechanisms for all staff and launched a pilot program to hire scientists from underrepresented groups.
• Senior Vice President at Simmons University: Implemented inclusive hiring practices, increasing hires from historically underrepresented groups from 27% to 42% in 18 months.
• Chief Measurement/Monitoring Officer at the Gordon Betty Moore Foundation: Created a unit specializing in measurement, evaluation, and learning, integrating these processes into program design and continuous learning.
• Vice President at Annie E. Casey Foundation: Collaborated with senior leaders to establish performance and accountability measures, co-creating over 300 performance measures across 33 portfolios.

Education:

• PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University
• Master’s in Public Administration from City University of New York
• Master’s in Social Science/Women’s Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury
• BA in Communication from Rutgers University