5 Minutes With … Kevin Chedda

AbbVie is made up of 30,000 employees across the world, contributing in diverse ways to one collective purpose. In this series, we take a closer look at some of the incredible people who embody our company's Principles.

In our second in the series, a conversation with Kevin Chedda, associate director, category management.
 

As a procurement lead for our Global Human Resources organization, I help build relationships with our partners to ensure that we that we attract, hire and retain the most talented group of individuals in the world. I truly believe that having the best mix of talent allows AbbVie to bring the best therapies to our patients. It is an honor knowing that I play an important role in that process.
 

Serving the Community. The AbbVie culture is very impressive, but what stands out the most to me is the realization that a strong community is key to making a remarkable impact. Through the company’s various philanthropic activities, I have been given many amazing opportunities to partner with elementary schools and local community organizations to positively influence children in our areas.

As a young child growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I remember traveling on field trips to large corporations to experience real-time workplaces, or having professionals visit my classrooms to talk about their careers. Those amazing interactions helped to shape the man I am today and continue to remind me that it’s about more than just my own home or my own job. Success is measured by paying it forward to others; lending a hand to those less fortunate by sharing just a little bit of yourself whenever possible. I am proud that AbbVie has the same values.
 

Growing up, my family always had an open-door policy for Sunday dinners. My mother taught me early on how to prepare some of my favorite Jamaican dishes and loved watching people enjoy a home-cooked meal. Nothing fancy or formal, but Sunday dinner was a time when we would all gather and enjoy good food and fun conversations. What made it especially memorable was that my close friends knew that our door was always open, and we would always make sure there was enough to share. These special moments would eventually come to define my current love of food and cooking for others.

My Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity brothers and I are proud to mentor children from the ages of elementary school through high school. Our chapter has adopted several elementary schools throughout Lake County, Illinois, where we regularly tutor students on STEM-related topics (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). We also have a Sigma Beta Club where we mentor young men between the ages of 8 and 18. It is quite rewarding when parents share stories of how their children have matured or are doing better in school since joining the Sigma Beta Club.

My family and I also regularly volunteer at the Feed My Starving Children charity alliance. It is a small gesture, but I think it’s very important for my daughters to understand that there are so many people in the world that have less than we do. And that’s why it’s critical to find ways to give back wherever and whenever we can.
 

Our Employee Resource Groups are particularly important to me as they provide our employees with the opportunity to build networks outside of their functional areas of responsibility. These groups also give employees a safe venue to identify, refine and showcase skills that we may not be able to showcase in their daily roles. Throughout my time with the company, I have had the honor of tackling various leadership roles in the Black Business Network (BBN) and have grown so much through those experiences. The connections I have made as a part of this amazing group have not only broadened my professional horizons but continue to serve as an informal education on how to truly become more effective in my daily role.
 

I enjoy working with external and internal partners to identify solutions to our must challenging problems. In my role, I get to work with our functional groups to build a strategy, select from a diverse group of partners to help us identify innovative solutions and then implement those unique solutions. It is a most rewarding experience when you negotiate a deal that not only addresses the immediate need, but also leads to a long-term partnership where both parties continuously improve. Working with some of the most intelligent people in the world always motivates me to bring my best to the table.
 

I have two beautiful daughters who are my world! My 10-year old Nyomi would say I work for a company that makes health care products and that I go to meetings all day long. My 4-month old Rylee would just smile at me with that adorable little grin!