As the sourcing manager for Electricity & Regulatory Affairs for ArcelorMittal, a leading steel and mining company, Paul Ciesielski developed and expanded a mentoring program for women and minority business enterprises (WMBEs). Under his leadership, team members used their expertise to analyze and improve supplier operations to better serve the energy market. Working in an industry in need of diverse suppliers with the right capabilities, Paul organized meetings between upstream suppliers and WMBEs, leading to better relationships and increased Tier 1 purchasing volumes with diverse suppliers. This in turn expanded the capacity of WMBEs.

The success of the liaisoning effort was emulated by members of purchasing teams in other material groups. Paul’s efforts have been instrumental in demonstrating that an investment in time and sharing of market knowledge can attract and develop diverse suppliers. The success of the mentoring program is evident in the improved ability of WMBEs to analyze and improve their operation. Paul was honored as the Outstanding Buyer of 2014 by the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council.

Favorite Quote:

“If you give a person a fish, they can eat for one day, if you teach them to fish, they can eat for the rest of their life and have a successful career doing it..” - Anonymous

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