Jessica Gemmell is the Supplier Diversity Program Lead for Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). As a part of the BD Supplier Diversity Program, she implemented BD’s first Diverse Supplier Mentorship Program in 2018-2019. The program currently has two mentees who have different perspectives and backgrounds, and come from different industries. Jessica believes supplier mentorship offers advantages in a two-way direction. The suppliers gain development opportunities, while category manager mentors become champions of small diverse suppliers after seeing the potential benefits they bring to the company. These joint programs help BD benefit local communities since small, diverse businesses are engaged, developed and utilized on both a local and national level.
Each manager has a unique leadership style, and Jessica's is best described as "personalized." She has developed a reputation as an expert in assisting suppliers with things like making successful pitches to corporate representatives and in assisting new managers with establishing a supplier diversity program within their respective companies. Jessica is always willing to share her expertise and experience with others, enjoys face-to-face discussions, and has successfully built a network of productive contacts over time. She is a go-to person in the life sciences industry.