Employee Ambassador Spotlight: Kleber Santos

Background

I am the Social Business Innovation (SBI) Associate Director for Latin America (LATAM) and am based in São Paulo, Brazil. I am proud to share that I have happily been with Merck for five and a half years. In my current role, I serve as the connection between the global team and all of the local teams in LATAM as the regional representative for SBI. The challenges throughout LATAM are very different, even within Brazil, my home country, compared with the challenges faced by other countries across the world. Also, we have very innovative initiatives in the region that serve as best practices to our headquarters and to other markets. I work to ensure we have a tailored approach when it comes to programs led by SBI in LATAM, recognizing and considering the uniqueness, particularities and priorities of each market.

2. Where do you find inspiration?

Answer: Since attending university I have wanted to give back and create more equitable opportunities for others. Many of my extended family members did not have the resources to receive formal education or attend university. As I reflect upon where I am today, I am very aware of my privileges which I have in part from being able to attend university and graduate with a degree. I am extremely grateful, not only for my education but for the opportunities it has provided.

When I was at university, I knew I wanted to do something that served a purpose. I had my “ah-ha” moment when I first started working in the health care sector. This is where I realized that I could do something with purpose, not only for myself, but for better public health and the underserved communities around me. I knew that through working with Merck, I could gain both professional and personal achievement - that I would feel motivated every day that I could serve those in more vulnerable and inequitable positions. Throughout my career at Merck, I’ve been fortunate to work directly with the patients we serve and their organized groups, also including mothers and NGOs, and I’ve found inspiration by knowing that, through my work, I am contributing to have an impact on public health for underserved communities.

4. What is your advice for those that are interested in becoming involved with Merck for Mothers?

Answer: I think a great way to get involved with Merck for Mothers is to familiarize yourself with our Global Grants Program and review the types of projects that we’ve been able to support over the years. Learning about this work also comes with understanding the challenges of maternal health in your country and community and finding ways that Merck could support efforts to stymie these challenges. While I am not a woman and cannot understand the challenges and joys of being a mother firsthand, I do believe the support we provide is of critical importance.

Something that has always been important to me, especially since the start of my career at Merck and my work with Merck for Mothers, is the realization that everything starts with a mother. Each of our birth stories started with a mother, and some of us still have the privilege of having a mother in our lives. The more that we can make the experience of motherhood a healthy and enjoyable one, the better, because then the mother, the baby and the family are more likely to thrive and be able to live their lives to their full potential. A healthy society is a society where every mother or pregnant person can have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.