Cristina Santos

Head of Inclusion & Diversity, Total Well-Being and EEO, North America, Sanofi

Cristina Santos is a seasoned professional in the pharmaceutical industry and is currently the Head of Inclusion & Diversity (I&D), Total Well-Being and EEO for North America at Sanofi. In this role, she leads the human healthcare company’s regional efforts to maximize the strength of difference within, enabling a culture where employees are engaged, empowered and included.
Santos has worked in several key commercial roles in the areas of Global Oncology Commercial Excellence, U.S. Sales Leadership, Multicultural Marketing, and Training & Development.  Her passion for I&D sprung from years of devoted energy to global and local council work and leadership of several employee resource groups. She holds a strong belief that in order to achieve significant impact, we must invite the majority to the conversation alongside those traditionally underrepresented…in essence everyone should be included! This is a strong focus, along with efforts to enhance diversity and amplify inclusion at Sanofi.  Her mantras: “See a need, fill a need” and “be the reason for the exception” have been driving forces for many of the opportunities she’s earned personally and professionally. In 2018 she received the Trailblazer Award from the Women of Color in Pharma and her leadership has garnered several recognitions for Sanofi’s Inclusion & Diversity efforts.

When not at work, Santos volunteers her time on the New Jersey State Board for Junior Achievement, is a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund NJ Advisory Council and is also an active member of Impact100 Jersey Coast, a women’s collective giving organization. She is a Cornell Certified Diversity Professional (CCDP) earning her certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations, where she is a member of the facilitating faculty at the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution. She has an undergraduate degree in International Business from Florida International University in Miami. A proud wife and mother of four children that always keep life fun and interesting; she was recognized in 2012 as a “Working Mother of the Year” in Working Mother Magazine.