It is always such a pleasure each year to introduce DiversityPlus Magazine’s Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity. They are exceptional women in the diversity arena who are recognized for their ongoing efforts and successes in supplier diversity. One of the important aspects of their work is that they focus on diverse suppliers, but in doing so, are also having a positive influence on diversity and inclusion in the workplace and communities. In 2020, the Top 25 Women once again elevated supplier diversity by working to make it the responsibility of everyone in their entire organization and not just sourcing and procurement or category managers. They strive to make everyone aware and knowledgeable of the importance of diverse suppliers to organizational innovation and long-term strategic success.
It took years of relentless communication, but one thing that has become very obvious is the champions of supplier diversity have been successful in garnering the support of senior leaders. The support of the CEO and executive leaders is the backbone of their success. With that support, the Women in Power gained the ability to reach out across their respective organizations to work with decision-makers at all levels in advancing supplier diversity. They work across geographies and across functions, making their approach ideal for a time when organizations are flattening and people network instead of working in siloes.
Each professional named as one of the 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity completed a questionnaire that asked three questions about their biggest accomplishments, the plan they followed to drive supplier diversity program success, and the strategy for getting senior leadership support. From those three questions flowed a wealth of information that made it clear the Women in Power have developed unique approaches that perfectly fit her organization’s needs. One woman chose a strategic focus on category specific outreach events. Another has strived to align the supplier diversity strategy with the business strategies. Many of them developed methods for holding decision-makers accountable and to increase program visibility within the organization and among community members.
The women developed corporate-wide advocates or champions, attended diversity events in the community, created information sharing portals, and designed best-in-class supplier diversity programs. They brought an incredibly powerful set of leadership skills, experience, and knowledge to their positions. The Women in Power apply marketing skills, communication skills, coaching and mentoring skills, technology skills, and business experience to each position. They talk about “strategy, process, accountability” and “people, process, technology.” They build networks of internal and external resources.
Also of importance is the fact they do not see their role as just maximizing spend with diverse suppliers. They sincerely want to bring diverse suppliers on and help them grow their competencies and thus their businesses. Sometimes, they leverage current suppliers for assistance. In one case, a supplier diversity development program helps suppliers grow their businesses through innovation. The women talk about things like economic empowerment and job creation because each one has a vision that is much larger than simply organizational success.
A large variety of industries, diversity advocacy organizations, and a government agency are represented. Industries include energy, business consulting, technology, food, banking, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, business services, staffing, delivery services, and entertainment content production. There are Women in Power who lead organizations that focus on advocacy and networking for business opportunities, including Minority Supplier Development Council affiliates, the Women’s Business Council, the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, and the Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce. Also represented is the Small Business Administration.
As the Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity continue to grow diverse supply chains, they stand out as true role models of what it means to be change agents. They are transforming their organizations one step at a time with a passion and vigor that never subsides. They truly care about people and take great pleasure in helping others.
The staff at DiversityPlus Magazine are always thrilled to share the accomplishments of the Women in Power Impacting Diversity. We hope everyone will read the short bios because there is no doubt they will promote an innovative idea or strategy. There is much work still to do in the supplier diversity arena, and everyone is encouraged to become a change agent in their own organization. The Women in Power welcome readers to contact them if they would like to ask questions or get more information.