Helen Cooper is the VP, Procurement Excellence & Corporate Services at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Her work is deeply embedded in Journey to Tomorrow, IHG’s ten-year responsible business plan, which champions a diverse culture where everyone can thrive.
Aiming to create an inclusive culture in IHG’s supply chain and unlock the capabilities of Underrepresented Groups (URGs), Helen led the development of a supplier diversity program which she branded EPIC (Engaging Partnerships through Inclusion and Collaboration). The strong and transparent top-down support for an inclusive culture within IHG has underpinned the success of the program.
In addition, Helen leads the Procurement Technology team, where she uses a digitally enhanced lens to raise the visibility of existing diverse suppliers. She and her team ensure their networking across the industry includes a wide variety of diversity advocacy groups to gain insight into what products and services are already available on the market as well as understanding first-hand who the latest pioneers, entrepreneurs, and disruptors are in each supplier community.