Supplier diversity and procurement professionals from leading Fortune 1000 Corporations, government agencies, and national nonprofits, will come together at the Supplier Diversity Managers and Buyers Caucus to candidly discuss synergy, best practices, and innovative solutions to serve both buyers and sellers in the changing marketplace, among other key topics.
The Caucus, which is open only to corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, will be held from 8:00 am – 10:00 am on June 5, 2019 at the Hilton Americas-Houston in Texas.
Caucus Co-Chairs are Jackie LaJoie, Manager, Supplier Diversity, Ingersoll Rand; Chi Pak, Supplier Diversity Manager, T-Mobile; and John Weithman, Senior Consultant Strategic Sourcing, Nationwide.
“Supplier diversity has evolved from a corporate social responsibility initiative to being part of a strategic solution,” said LaJoie. “Companies realize the competitive potential and greater value of supplier diversity programs: it drives innovation, provides unprecedented access to sales opportunities and supplier options, and ensures that procurement from the best suppliers are made available to them.”
“The good news is that diversity spend keeps on rising every year and is now firmly on the corporate agenda,” noted Pak. “Big businesses also realize that they need to pivot away from the narrow focus on cost over value, restrictive criteria for suppliers, and the propensity to work with similarly-sized businesses. This is where diversity-driven culture and leadership become imperative for success.”
“Strong and strategic partnerships with diverse suppliers will give businesses the competitive advantage especially amidst changing customer demographics,” added Weithman. “The strongest business relationships are often made with smaller and more diverse suppliers, and as the customer base becomes increasingly diverse, the business must adapt and also become diverse in order to thrive.”
This session is part of CelebrASIAN 2019 Procurement + Business Conference – the country’s largest and most established flagship B2B conference convened by the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) on June 5 – 7 in Houston, Texas.
Conference Chair is Angie Klett, Senior Vice President IT CFO and Chief Procurement Officer at Nationwide. Conference Co-Chairs are Ampcus, Bank of America, Pyramid Consulting, T-Mobile, and Wells Fargo.
Conference theme “Be Unique, Ignite Leadership, Deliver Exceptional ResultS: BUILDERS of the American Dream,” aims to help Pan Asian American entrepreneurs to create a brighter and more prosperous future through procurement and business growth.
Business growth and innovation programs include the CPO Forum, CTO & CIO Forum, Prescheduled 1-on-1 Business Matchmaking Meetings, Guanxi* Business Fair, Industry Builders (i-Builders) Marketplace, “What’s Your Pitch: Innovation Meets the Market” Competition, Doing Business with Corporations in Energy and Cybersecurity Sectors, Doing Business with Government, C-Suite Executives Academy: War on Talents; Lessons Learned: Reflections of Corporate Executives, Managed Service Providers (MSP) Panel Discussion, How to Grow Your Business Program, and more. (*Guanxi is a business term meaning “connections” or “relationship”).
High-level networking events with Fortune 1000 CPOs, CTOs, CIOs, Directors, Managers, Small and Medium Enterprise CEOs, Presidents and VPs, seasoned entrepreneurs, community leaders, industry disruptors, venture capitalists, etc., will be held for the duration of the Conference.
More than 500 pre-scheduled 1-on-1 Business Matchmaking Meetings will be held between top-caliber suppliers and serious buyers from Fortune 1000 corporations, government agencies and large nonprofits.
For more information on CelebrASIAN 2019, visit celebrasianconference.com.
Founded in 1984 in the nation’s Capital, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) is the most established and effective national nonprofit nonpartisan organization representing all Asian American and Asian American-related groups in business, sciences, the arts, sports, education, public and community services. Our mission is to promote and propel economic growth and job creation by opening doors to business and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and their partners in corporations, government at the federal, state and local levels, and the small, minority and diverse business communities. For 35 years, USPAACC has served and will continue to serve as the unified voice for equal opportunity in business for Asian Americans, as the gateway to corporate and government contracts, to Asian American suppliers, and information about Asian Americans and the Asia-Pacific and Indian Subcontinent markets.
Our signature annual thought-leadership programs include: College Hallmark Scholarship Program that began in 1989, One-on-One Prescheduled Business Matchmaking Meetings in 1998, Supplier Diversity & Procurement Leadership Caucus in 2004, Federal Contracting Town Hall Meetings in 2005, Fast 100 Asian American Businesses in 2008, Business Executive Coaching: ReadySetGrow in 2011, Chief Procurement Officers Forum in 2011, What’s Your Pitch Innovation Competitions in 2015, Chief Technology & Information Officers Forum in 2017, and Corporate Employee Business Resource Group Leadership Caucus in 2017.
Headquartered in Washington DC, USPAACC reaches Asian American businesses nationwide through regional chapters in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Illinois and the Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia National Capital Area.
Susan Au Allen, the National President and CEO of US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC), has been named by DiversityPlus Magazine as one of the Top Change Leaders of 2024.According to a statement released by the publication, the annual Top 25 Diversity Change Leaders roster recognizes “exceptional leaders who have made significant contributions to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their organizations and communities.”
WASHINGTON (May 30, 2024)—Today the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) awarded 15 corporations with its second annual Supplier Diversity Champions Award.
The US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) presents CelebrASIAN 2024 Procurement + Business Conference, the largest and longest-running business development conference for Pan Asian Americans.
