Celeste Warren is a visionary leader who had an impressive 28-year tenure at Merck, where she rose to the esteemed position of Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. After her retirement, Celeste founded Celeste Warren Consulting, LLC, where she passionately continues her mission to reshape the landscape of diversity and inclusion. In addition to her consulting work, Celeste, alongside her two children, established Destination STEM, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing vital resources and support to students of color and those in need pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Recognized internationally for her pivotal contributions, Celeste has been recognized for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion including: • Black Enterprise’s “Top Executives in Global Diversity and Inclusion” • Diversity Global Magazine’s “Influential Women in Global Diversity” • National Minority Supplier Development Council’s 2024 Chief Diversity Officer of the Year. Celeste is a published author and her new book is entitled “The Truth About Equity, What It Really Is, What It Isn’t and Why Everyone Wins When We Get It Right”. Her articles on diversity, equity and inclusion have been featured in numerous national and global publications and she has had the opportunity to speak at various events across the world. She is the wife of John Warren and the mother of two children, Christina-Celeste and John Steven, Jr.