Kris Oswold is the Vice President of Global Supplier Diversity at UPS and views her primary role as driving engagement to achieve results. She sees success when others amplify the seeds she had sown. After encouraging a UPS marketing VP to take a Board seat at a WBENC affiliate, for example, that marketing VP developed a new Diverse Customer Segment team at UPS. After talking with an UPS Treasury about using black-owned investment firms, the Assistant Treasurer came back later with an even bigger idea to use UPS cash to strengthen and empower Black communities. Kris is a thought leader, who is happy to share her perspective and challenge the status quo. She inserts herself into conversations when change is needed, and she builds bridges and effectively drives collaboration.
The most important change that Kris implemented is maintaining alignment to UPS’s corporate strategy. People need to understand the business value of a diverse supply chain and she adds the transparency and increasing engagement required to bring that message to life. This is what is necessary to drive organizational change and get support for the Supplier Diversity staff, processes and tools. She looks beyond just meeting numeric goals and focuses authentically on developing credibility and making a real impacts, both at UPS and beyond.