Asian American and Pacific Islander Colleagues Being Honored

Pacific Islander Colleagues – Diversity is important at Merck in order to foster an inclusive atmosphere where everyone may contribute their most inventive ideas. We celebrate and take inspiration from our global workforce throughout Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and beyond, while also embracing and encouraging allyship. 
 
We endeavour to address the needs of AAPI community members around the world through the work of our Asia Pacific Association (APA), Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG), which helps elevate our work and propels our organization forward. EBRGs link colleagues and give opportunity for business insights, talent development, and social action, going beyond standard employee affinity organizations. 
 
“We feel that cross-cultural knowledge is beneficial not only to individuals but also to businesses,” said Moushmi Culver, vice president and head of manufacturing strategy and business development at APA EBRG. “That’s why our APA group is so involved in community outreach and support, talent development, social responsibility, and business integration, where we can effectively harness diversity and deliver insights to improve our company’s competitive advantage in the marketplace,” says the CEO.

Pacific Islander Colleagues

Some APA members explain why they value the EBRG community in their own words:

APA EBRG executive sponsor Moushmi Culver, vice president, head of manufacturing strategy and commercial development 
 
The epidemic, societal inequities, and catastrophic events of the last two years have shown us the beneficial impact that our community can have on each of us. APA has aided us in a variety of ways, including educating us on social concerns, offering professional development assistance, providing business insights, and, most importantly, connecting us with one another. These ties are extremely vital now, especially in a group with so much geographic and cultural variety. 
 
Radhika Balasubramani, global science, engineering, and commercialization organization director and APA EBRG global co-lead 
 
I was born and raised in India and became the first in my family to reach major milestones as a woman of colour in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) profession. This involved relocating to the United States. 
 
Richard Huang, supply chain management associate director and worldwide co-lead, APA EBRG, Shanghai, China 
 
As a second-generation Chinese-American, I had only “knew” the culture through my family and had never personally experienced it. So I was nervous when I chose to pursue an assignment in our Shanghai office. But, as I learned early in my career, do what scares you the most. 
 
I had culture shock when I initially came in Shanghai, but it quickly turned into an enlightening and gratifying experience. I’ve learnt more about my background as well as how to apply my unique experiences and skills to make a positive difference in the world.