Kimberly R. Marcus

Director, Supplier Diversity, AARP

Mrs. Kimberly Marcus is the Director of Supplier Diversity for AARP. Mrs. Marcus is responsible for redefining diversity, equity and inclusion within the supply chain at AARP. The AARP supplier diversity program resides at the intersection of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. AARP’s supplier diversity program is directly linked to our mission and why we exist. AARP not only seeks to work with diverse suppliers, we also serve them by helping them grow their businesses and promoting them in the marketplace.

Mrs. Marcus comes to AARP with over 20 years of combined experience in both the corporate and non-profit worlds. Prior to AARP, Mrs. Marcus was a presidential appointee for the Department of Commerce. Mrs. Kimberly Marcus was appointed in July 2012 to serve as Associate Director for the Office of Legislative, Education & Intergovernmental Affairs (OLEIA) at the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). In this capacity, she led all Agency efforts in the areas of communications, public affairs, external relationships, outreach, research, and policy development. She also oversaw the Agency’s relationships with elected officials, as well as its advocacy and outreach strategies. Mrs. Marcus focused primarily on stakeholder outreach, with an emphasis on global business development. Fortune 500 stakeholders, both domestic and international, were key to her outreach methodology.

One of her career highpoints before her appointment was when she was the National African American Outreach Director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In this high-profile role, Mrs. Marcus worked closely with the African American community to emphasize the importance of the African American vote.

Mrs. Marcus also worked for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, serving as Executive Director of its Public Policy Institute’s Government Relations office. Mrs. Marcus advocated on behalf of urban communities and minorities by interacting with members of Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). She was responsible for the creation of public forums and the development of influential coalitions, as well as the publication of relevant policy analysis and research studies.

Mrs. Marcus considered her position as Director of Economic Development for the NAACP to be an exciting turning point in her career, as it gave her the chance to tackle issues of immediate relevance to equal opportunity for people of color. Mrs. Marcus is no stranger to the world of minority-owned business, as she owned and ran her own diversity consulting firm, KC Consulting. As the Principal Consultant for her firm, Mrs. Marcus expanded on the type of work she had done for the NAACP. She continued to advise client firms on diversity initiatives, and recommended implementation strategies.

At the outset of her career, Mrs. Marcus worked as a Senior Sales Executive at the Strategic Research Institute (SRI), where she spearheaded the organization’s successful launch of African American/Multicultural conferences and seminars. At Bank of America, she established a Living and Learning Center—a cutting-edge facility designed to help employees enhance skills related to both business and personal issues.

A native of Oakland, California, Mrs. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Mrs. Marcus is a recipient of the Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity Award, Top 30 Champion of Diversity Award, 2020 Best of the Best Champions of Diversity Award and 2021 Top 25 Diversity Change Leader by DiversityPlus Magazine, Women of Leadership and Power Award by MEA Magazine, Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year by Disability: IN and serves on the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC) Board, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Board, the WBEC Metro NY and WBEC Greater DMV (WBECNY/DMV) Board and is the Vice Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee for WBENC, Board Chair-Elect for WBECNY/DMV, Chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee for WBECNY/DMV, Board First Vice Chair for CRMSDC and Chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee for CRMSDC . Mrs. Marcus is happily married, with a twin son and daughter.