Global Head of Diversity for McCormick & Company, Inc.
Nereida “Neddy” Perez joined McCormick & Company, Inc. as global head of diversity in 2019. In that capacity, Perez is responsible for developing and executing the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy and working with talent management and human resources to embed business strategies that lead to a more inclusive and innovative culture where people can thrive.
Perez’s background includes more than 20 years of experience in human resources, diversity management, corporate social responsibility, and STEM workforce pathway development.
Prior to McCormick & Company, she led employment brand, early talent, and diversity recruiting at TIAA. In that capacity, she revamped the company’s external recruiting brand and instituted new hiring practices to attract diverse talent.
She has served as chief diversity officer at Ingersoll Rand, National Grid, and KPMG. While at Ingersoll Rand, she developed a women’s leadership program that generated more than $27 million in revenue and savings in under three years. At KPMG, she worked on strategies to increase the diversity hiring mix and improve the partner pipeline. She also established the company’s supplier diversity initiative, saving the company several million in government contracts. At National Grid, she worked with the corporate foundation to create and launch STEMConnector.org, a central information clearinghouse on STEM corporate, government, and education initiatives.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Perez realized at an early age the power of education to break through the glass ceiling and overcome prejudice. As a result, she has worked with various nonprofit organizations to support education and leadership development initiatives that empower people and remove organizational career barriers.
Perez has served on a variety of national and international nonprofit and foundation boards, including those for the Society of Human Resources Management Foundation, the National Association of Manufacturing Institute, the Ingersoll Rand Foundation, the National Hispanic MBAs Association, the Howard University Center for Accounting Excellence, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Central Piedmont Community College. Perez currently serves on the Asia Society Talent Advisory Council and the boards for Diversity MBA and Diversity in Higher Education. She has advised the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Army on diversity initiatives.
In 2017 and 2015, she was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Corporate Women in STEM. In 2015, Perez was named one of the 10 most influential global diversity leaders by Global Diversity Magazine, and in 2014 she was named the top Hispanic Corporate Executive in the U.S. by the National Hispanic Business Council.
Perez’s work has been recognized by the United Nations Committee on Sustainability, The Prince William Foundation, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Congress, and many others.
