Dwan H. Armstrong, ESG Sourcing & Supplier Diversity Lead for Clorox Company, believes the best practice for developing a successful supplier diversity program is creating a Diversity Council of advocates and champions throughout the supply chain and the company. She employs a variety of other practices that include securing a company-wide commitment beginning with the CEO, creating end-to-end supply chain visibility, establishing policies and procedures aligned with company goals that foster mandatory participation in the supplier diversity program, offering robust training, and partnering with third-party certifying organizations.
As a change agent, Dwan recognizes that it is human nature for people to resist change. To minimize that resistance, she does contingency planning, identifies the ROI of change, and sees change as creating new opportunities in the supply chain. Post-pandemic, she has embraced the rapid tech and social changes as opportunities to support the corporate culture of a community of change. Dwan has evolved the supply chain to become a faster process, with more agile suppliers to meet customers’ changing needs.