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Merck CIO is Keynoter for BDPA Conference

Merck CIO is Keynoter for BDPA Conference

Published 08-04-03

Submitted by Black Data Processing Associates

GREENBELT, MD - BDPA is pleased to announce that Chris Scalet, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Merck & Company, will be keynote speaker for its 25th Annual National Conference Opening Ceremonies. The event will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2003, at the Philadelphia Marriott. Mr. Scalet will address the conference theme, Information Technology: From the Classroom to the Boardroom.

Mr. Scalet is responsible for all areas of information technology and services at Merck, including strategy and planning, application development, technical support, voice and data communications, and computer operations worldwide for all segments of the company. Prior to joining Merck in March 2003, Mr. Scalet served as CIO at International Paper, the world's largest paper and forest products company. He is also a graduate of the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business executive development program at Northwestern University.

Merck Has Strong Commitment to Diversity

Mr. Scalet's participation in the National BDPA Conference underscores the commitment to diversity that is a part of the culture at Merck. Merck is one of the most influential conference partners in BDPA history and one of only three corporations making a Gold Level Conference Partner commitment to BDPA. Merck's confidence in BDPA demonstrates that the company is thinking beyond the current industry contraction towards future opportunities. The unprecedented commitment by Merck will guarantee them a prime location at the career expo that is a part of the agenda for this conference.

"At Merck, we believe diversity sparks innovation," Mr. Scalet said. "To fully understand global issues, future Merck employees must be exposed today to diverse ideas, cultures and perspectives. That is why it's so important for Merck to partner with organizations like BDPA, a pioneer in identifying and securing career opportunities for African-Americans in the IT sector."

BDPA Values Partnership with Merck

"We are pleased to have this strong commitment from Merck & Co. BDPA and Merck have partnered on several initiatives such as the funding for high school computer competition teams from four cities in the northeast region of the country as well as well as underwriting over 50 memberships in chapters spread from Boston to Philadelphia. BDPA values its partnership with Merck and we are glad that they also value our relationship," said Wayne Hicks, national BDPA president-elect.

About BDPA

BDPA is the premier organization for African-American professionals in the Information Technology industry. For more than 25 years, BPDA has fulfilled its mission and worked to "bridge the digital divide" by providing career growth opportunities for its members. BDPA national headquarters is located in Greenbelt, Maryland. Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly founded the organization in 1975. BDPA has over 3500 members in more than 40 chapters in the US.

Black Data Processing Associates

Black Data Processing Associates

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