Accenture’s award-winning Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability (SI&S) Program guides the way the company works with suppliers to promote environmental sustainability, human rights and supplier inclusion & diversity. The program was developed to promote the inclusion of companies owned by people who have been historically excluded from the labor market. The program scope includes minority-, ethnic- and women-owned businesses; the LGBTIQ+ community; persons with disabilities; veterans; refugees; and people living away from economic centers. This program is delivered by a dedicated team of subject matter experts in sustainability, human rights and supplier inclusion & diversity.
As the North America Supplier Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Sesley Brown manages the workstream for the Global Diverse Supplier Development Program (DSDP) in seven geographies. The program offers a formal 12–18-month training and mentoring program to develop and expand relationships with diverse suppliers. It includes one-on-one mentoring partnerships between Accenture mentors and diverse suppliers as well as quarterly symposiums on many topics such as marketing and social media. DSDP mentees demonstrate their progress by completing business health assessments and quarterly progress reports throughout the duration of the program. Sesley recommends three things for developing a successful supplier diversity program, namely, clear goals and objectives, strong commitment from senior leadership, and established metrics to track progress.