Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck, the pharmaceutical giant with sizable operations in West Point, shared best practices on how to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within a workplace during a recent morning panel at the B.PHL Innovation Fest, writes Kennedy Rose for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The key part of the work to make internal changes according to Frazier is to “focus on data and numbers” to track which people are hired as well as which employees are provided the best opportunities to succeed.

“I always say people have agendas,” he said. “Numbers don’t have agendas.”

Another important element in shepherding diversity and equity initiatives is making sure that managers are held accountable, noted Frazier.

Executives need to be transparent about their commitments and expectations regarding their diversity and equity goals to managers.

Upper Gwynedd-based Frazier joined a group of fellow CEOs last year to launch the OneTen nonprofit that focuses on the betterment of Black American lives.

The main goal of the nonprofit is to remove barriers to getting family-sustaining wage jobs, primarily achieving the requirement to get a four-year degree which is set by many companies.

Read more about the initiative and best practices in the Philadelphia Business Journal.