Page 16 - BEQ Magazine Vol 4, Iss 4 (01032020 Final)_Active

events, but I think what’s more im- will tell you, we’ve had some great
BEQ PRIDE: Let’s talk about portant than talking to the same responses internally and we’re on a
your vision for supplier diversity people is broadening the conversa- journey like everybody else. We’re
in the future, the supplier tion to new people both internally not at the end of our journey but
ecosystem, not necessarily at and externally. It’s got to get beyond the reactions I’ve had internally,
UPS but looking at the broader the CEO,, and the procurement recently, I’ve been really pleased
space. What does supplier department; it’s got to penetrate with and those reactions help me
diversity need to be in five or that middle of the organization so see even more opportunities and
ten years? What trends are you that all stakeholders understand the even more that we can do.
seeing and saying “This is where business value and the changes that It’s also about broadening exter-
we need to be in 2025 or 2030”? are needed. We also have to pene- nally. It’s growing this network -- the
trate a broader and wider audience network of suppliers, the network
OSWOLD: While I wish I could of suppliers and look at industries of corporations. There are some re-
see the future, I do think there are and events differently so we’re en- ally impressive companies that have
some significant areas we need gaging new people every time we been the bedrock for supplier diver-
to get on top of to drive supplier reach out. sity, and they are fantastic. We need
diversity, areas where I think we The big question for me is, how them and I have learned from them.
can be more effective and make do we do that? How do we bring The challenge is that there’s a whole
bigger changes. I’ll start with in groups of people who are not suite of corporations that aren’t at
the big thing: broadening the already a part of this network? It’s the table yet. How do we identify
conversation. great to have supplier diversity as them? How do we help them un-
I think if I were to point to one it exists today, it helps us build re- derstand how important it is? How
thing, it’s that we need to broaden lationships and develop our sup- do we bring them in? One way is
the group of people we talk to, the pliers. I value it tremendously, but I through more robust Tier Two pro-
group of people that we engage and think to achieve a faster pace, we’ve grams, but I think it will take more
the group of people that under- got to widen the audience. than that tobroaden the network.
stand the value the diverse business- Thirdly, it’s broadening the
es bring to our organizations. BEQ PRIDE: So are you saying group of suppliers. When it comes
You know, one of the things I in five years’ time, we need to certified diverse suppliers, there
recognized very early on in com- to see supplier diversity be are many more businesses out there
ing into this role is that I’d come more prevalent throughout the that we don’t have visibility to yet
to events and see the same people enterprise? through our network and we have
everywhere. We’re all committed to be thinking about how to grow
to this, that’s why we go to these OSWOLD: Oh, without a doubt! I that network as well.
Kris Oswold celebrates
International Women’s
Day by representing
UPS and WEConnect
International at the
NYSE . / courtesy photo

16 | Winter 2019/2020 businessequalitymagazine.com