With a background of over 19 years in the space, Ellen Kaplan understands the contingent workforce sphere and its challenges. As director of procurement at Gilead Sciences, Kaplan leads the human capital categories of HR, professional services and contingent workforce. In January, Kaplan became global head of the contingent workforce program, overseeing the overall strategy and operations for the company’s contingent labor program.

Gilead is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need.

Gilead’s contingent workforce program launched in late 2016 as a first-generation MSP.  The program sources for a diverse range of enterprise roles, including research and development, manufacturing, scientific and IT. Kaplan has championed supplier diversity, targeting new suppliers and providing them with coaching and training to nurture their success while aligning with Gilead’s overall inclusion and diversity objectives.

Kaplan’s mission is to continue to evolve the contingent workforce program while focusing on customer experience and partnering with her HR colleagues while collaborating with suppliers to grow, share and educate each other.

And right now, there is nowhere she would rather be. “I personally am proud to work for Gilead and expand our contingent workforce program to support our vision to create a better, healthier world for all people,” she says. Kaplan began her career on the supplier side with MSPs and moved into consulting before coming to Gilead.