TOP Corporations Awards
Event Details
Greater Women’s Business Council’s GWBC TOP Corporations of the Year Awards are a living testimonial to the work of our constituency and the organization. These awards honor leading corporations who have demonstrated a solid commitment and passion for engaging and empowering women business enterprises (WBE). Corporate honorees represent “best in class innovators” in supplier diversity and procurement.
TOP Corporations of the Year Awards are unique, because each Honoree’s story is presented through the voice and experience of the WBE whose business the Awardee has impacted.
2019 TOP Honorees
Accenture
Accenture’s company-wide policy is that diverse suppliers should have equal opportunity to participate in the procurement sourcing process. Accenture places a high value on diversity as evident in their objectives to: Expand the presence of diverse suppliers in our supplier base, as well as encourage our large suppliers to leverage an inclusive list of suppliers on Accenture’s behalf; increase the number of suppliers in our contracting relationships on behalf of our clients; create an infrastructure for shared relationships to jointly market; and promote economic growth for a multitude of businesses.
Accenture’s Diverse Supplier Development Program is a formal mentoring program partnering diverse businesses with Accenture executives. The program provides 1-on-1 mentoring and quarterly training and development symposia.
To date Accenture has mentored 70+ businesses via DSDP, 29 of which are WBEs. GWBC WBE DSDP graduates include: ASAP Solutions Group, Avion Systems, GRMI, MDI, MSA Global, Primus Software Corporation, and SunTechnologies.
AT&T
Diverse businesses add value to our company through their innovation and technology. By identifying and integrating diverse businesses in our supply chain; we’re able to deliver world-class products and services that meet our customers’ needs.
At AT&T, we look for diverse suppliers in emerging areas of our business that can help take us to the next level. To get there, we seek companies that react quickly to change, can sustain exceptional performance, and have the abilities to interface with Fortune 500 companies. We identify and collaborate with the next wave of diverse suppliers who will contribute to our business priorities and support our network transformation.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company strives to build a supplier base that is representative of its diverse customers and consumers. As a part of this commitment, The Coca-Cola Company proactively seeks, builds relationships with and buys from many women-owned businesses. This contributes to strengthening the communities in which Coca -Cola operates, as well as creating long-term growth and competitive advantage for its business around the world.
The women-owned businesses that belong to GWBC not only embrace supplier diversity as a key operating principle, but they also drive significant value to their businesses and local communities. The Coca-Cola Company is proud to partner with the GWBC, and works diligently to develop its members’ capabilities. GWBC WBEs currently working with The Coca-Cola Company include: Addone Marketing Solutions, Exhibits South, Leapley Construction, and Prosys Information Systems.
Georgia Power
Georgia Power recognizes women business enterprises (WBEs) as a powerful economic force vital to the state’s future. Georgia Power continues to commit resources to open doors of opportunity for GWBC WBEs. Georgia Power’s women-owned business supplier development efforts focus on mentoring and education, providing women-owned businesses with the tools and accessibility to not only compete for Southern Company contracts, but more importantly, to cultivate and sustain their business as it grows.
More than 24 WBEs have found success in Georgia Power’s mentoring initiative including, Cornerstone Demolition & Grading, CTMI Gears, Crescent Construction Services, My Supplies, Parkline South, and Willis Mechanical. Exposure to the internal structure and workings of Georgia Power equips the WBE with a competitive advantage that can be used to build long-term partnerships.
Georgia Power also provides a multitude of educational and scholarship opportunities for WBEs to attend several of the nation’s leading executive training programs. Recent WBEs who have benefitted from these scholarships include, Billingsley Post & Graphics, Innovative Marketing, Schafer Enterprises, and Total Packing & Design. Georgia Power currently utilizes more than 67 GWBC® WBE Suppliers in its procurement process.
Randstad US
Randstad US combines the passion of its HR professionals with the power of today’s intelligent technology to create an experience that’s inherently more human. More human equates to investing in people, investing in the GWBC and investing in women-owned businesses.
It partners with GWBC WBEs including Sushumna Roy, Softpath Systems and many others in Georgia and across the U.S. who share the same passion and drive to build a high-performance workplace that values insights and experiences representative of the market. Randstad works with WBEs in its supply chain and on client engagements with a particular focus on strategic and national account levels.
As Randstad continues a more than 10-year affiliation with the GWBC, it plays an active role in the economic growth and development of WBEs. Randstad is dedicated to supporting efforts about women and for women to empower women in alignment with the mission of the GWBC.
SunTrust
SunTrust believes leading institutions achieve optimal performance by establishing diversity in its business practices—including developing relationships with high-quality diverse suppliers within its supply chain. These relationships have positive effects on the U.S. economy and are good for the bank’s overall business growth. SunTrust actively seeks to partner with qualified diverse businesses as suppliers and service providers that will enhance our corporate competitiveness and increase the economic advancement of our community.
“SunTrust Banks, Inc. is a purpose-driven company dedicated to Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being for the people, businesses, and communities it serves. For us, Supplier diversity is more than an idea. It’s a way of doing business.
We’re looking for certified diverse suppliers who can help our clients move forward with confidence, and can help us:
- Satisfy our business needs and requirements
- Leverage our buying power
- Attain the best quality products and services
- Minimize the risk to our clients
Together we can make the road to financial well-being a little brighter.”
UPS
UPS provides access and equal opportunity to women business enterprises (WBEs) suppliers and promotes and develops these suppliers within and outside the organization. UPS is committed to ensuring that the Supplier Diversity Process strengthens, woman-owned and other diverse businesses that drive economic development in the communities where they serve. UPS believes in mentoring and relationship building by providing formal as well as informal mentoring.
In addition, the UPS Women’s Leadership Development (WLD) program fosters an environment of authenticity, while creating development opportunities that allow women to prosper inside and outside of UPS. The program has three interconnected components, UPS Networking, Business Networking and Community Networking.
Finding quality vendors is a key priority for UPS and they have committed to specific goals that will enable WBE suppliers to develop, enhance, and grow their business and increase their spend. UPS also incorporates strong language in their contracts, which promotes 2nd Tier Spend with WBEs. UPS is currently conducting business with several GWBC WBEs.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo’s five core values include diversity and inclusion. A key part of our focus on diversity and inclusion is supplier diversity and the development and engagement of certified minority, women, LGBT, veteran, disabled, and small businesses.
Wells Fargo is committed to ensuring supplier diversity is integrated into our strategic sourcing and procurement processes to generate efficiency, innovation, and increased opportunities for diverse suppliers. We’re committed to accomplishing this mission by establishing and supporting partnerships with the diverse business community, developing these businesses for growth, and engaging with community organizations that share our commitment. Our goal is to spend 15 percent of procurement dollars with diverse suppliers by 2020.
We’re further committed to monitoring our practices for effectiveness through performance goals and ensuring our commitment is emphasized by all levels of management and communicated to all team members and stakeholders. Together with our diverse suppliers, we can contribute to the long-term economic sustainability of our communities.
WestRock
WestRock’s supplier diversity initiative strategy focuses on three areas – our customers, community and the company. We help our customers to meet their own supplier diversity spend goals while also affording WestRock the opportunity to act as a subject matter expert when sourcing fully vetted, diverse suppliers. Our supplier diversity initiative also drives economic development in places where we have operations, extending procurement opportunities to diverse businesses that provide jobs in local communities.
Diversity among employees, business partners and our customers makes good business sense, serves as a great way to stimulate economic development, and is intrinsically one of the best examples of WestRock values of Integrity, Respect, Excellence and Accountability at work.
Beyond supplying us with a network of minority alliance suppliers, diverse suppliers bring their own level of innovation, creativity and agility along with new perspectives and ensures that our supply chain accurately reflects the diversity of our clients and our workforce by engaging in dynamic and inclusive subcontractor partnerships with Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs)
Sponsorships
The commitment and support from our valued sponsors allows us to continue to grow our programming, enhance our event experiences, and provide relevant resources to develop women entrepreneurs and their supporters.
2019 Recap
Event Date
Monday, April 30, 2019
Event Location
The St. Regis Atlanta
Eighty-Eight, West Paces Ferry Rd NW | Atlanta, GA
2019 TOP Corporations of the Year Awards Honorees and Corporation Representatives. (Standing Left to Right) Eyvon C. Austin, Global Director, Supplier Diversity, The Coca-Cola Company; Floss Aggrey, Director of Compliance and Diversity and Inclusion, Randstad; Norma Marquez-Barahona, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Randstad; Dan McNally, Chief Procurement Officer, WestRock; Kris Oswold, Director of Supplier Diversity, UPS; Stephanie Pulliam, Director Sourcing Operations, Wireless Devices & Wearables, Entertainment Group-Global Supply Chain, AT&T; Nedra Dickson, Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Lead, Accenture; Lissa Miller, FVP Supplier Diversity, SunTrust; Adam Moore, Strategic Supplier Diversity Manager, SunTrust; Tai Roberson, VP, Senior Community Development Office, Wells Fargo.
2018 Recap
Event Date
Monday, April 30, 2018
Event Location
The St. Regis Atlanta
Eighty-Eight, West Paces Ferry Rd NW | Atlanta, GA
2018 TOP Corporations of the Year Awards Honorees and Corporation Representatives. (Standing Left to Right) Roz Lewis, President & Ceo – GWBC ; Stephanie Pulliam, Director, Consumer Wireless Devices – AT&T; Deborah Mackins, Supplier Diversity and Development – Georgia Power; Tracey Mackey, Global Head of Marketing & Digital Procurement – The Coca Cola Company; Marc Ensign, Director of Global Category Management – Sonoco; Audra Jenkins, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer – Randstad USA; Dan McNally, Chief Procurement Officer – WestRock; Dr. Rhonda Scott, Cheif Operating Office – Grady Health System; Leonard Nickel, General Manager, Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas – BMW Manufacturing Co.; Sesley Brown, Supplier Inclusion & Diversity Manager – Accenture; Lissa Miller, FVP Supplier Diversity – SunTrust