Diana Oliva

Associate Director Community Engagement, Gilead Sciences

Diana Feliz Oliva has worked in the field of social services and public health for over 25 years. Her work began in 1994 with the County of Fresno – Department of Social Services to her position as HIV Community Liaison at Gilead Sciences in 2017, making her the first openly Transgender person hired by Gilead. Because of her unique and valuable expertise on Transgender and HIV issues, Diana was promoted to Senior Manager in Public Affairs in 2019, in which, she has been developing a national Transgender Community Engagement Strategy by any biopharmaceutical company in history. She serves as the Associate Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement in Public Affairs at Gilead and will launch the first-ever global Transgender Community Engagement Strategy for Latin American countries. A graduate of Columbia University with a master’s degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the HIV + positive communities, but making her the first openly Transgender person hired by Gilead. Because of her unique and valuable expertise on Transgender and HIV issues, Diana was promoted to Senior Manager in Public Affairs in 2019, in which, she has been developing a national Transgender Community Engagement Strategy by any biopharmaceutical company in history. As of January 2021, she has become the Associate Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement in Public Affairs and will launch the first-ever global Transgender Community Engagement Strategy for Latin American countries. A graduate of Columbia University with a master’s degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the HIV + positive communities, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched.