Supplier Diversity Taskforce

The Supplier Diversity Taskforce provides an academic forum for top-level management at various companies to collaborate and share knowledge for driving the economic growth of diverse suppliers. The Taskforce will address common issues, opportunities, and strategies for establishing and growing supplier diversity programs within their respective organizations.

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Program Information

Dates:
Wednesday, July 26
Wednesday, October 25

Time: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST
(Happy Hour networking event to follow)

Program Structure:
Meetings are held quarterly and have both a virtual and in-person attendance option.

Overview

The inaugural year of the Supplier Diversity Taskforce initiative was 2022, and that enabled us to pull together some of the best minds in Supplier Diversity to formulate our strategy.

If you are interested in getting involved, consider becoming a sponsor, joining one of our tactical planning teams, or both.

Mission

To help diverse suppliers thrive and grow by fostering supplier diversity excellence: establishing best practices, sharing knowledge, and providing thoughtful leadership across key Atlanta companies and groups committed to diversity and inclusion.

Join a Tactical Team

During the off-quarter months (when the larger quarterly Taskforce meetings aren’t in session), smaller groups meet for tactical sessions — working toward achieving the two-goal objectives:

  • Goal 1: Assembling supplier diversity best practices, tools and methodology
  • Goal 2: Generating economic benefits for Black-owned businesses

Goal 1 team leader Margaret Beckley, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and Goal 2 team leader Cloe Guidry-Reed, Hire Ground, are the primary contacts for these small groups and coordinate these working sessions. Click here to request more information or sign up for one of the two groups.

Past Notable Speakers

Q1 2023

  • Nedra Dickson: Global Supplier Diversity and Sustainability Managing Director, Accenture
  • Meredith Leapley: Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO, Leapley Construction

Q4 2022

  • Nedra Dickson: Global Supplier Diversity and Sustainability Managing Director, Accenture
  • Fran Dillard: Vice President and Chief Diversity Inclusion Officer, Micron
  • Fernando Hernandez: Senior Director, Supplier Diversity, Global Procurement, The Coca-Cola Company

Q3 2022

  • Jay Bailey: President and CEO, Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship (RICE)
  • David Hartnett: Chief Economic Development Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber
  • Darryl Lesure: Senior Principal Lead, Chick-fil-A Corporate

Q2 2022

  • Kris Oswold: Vice President, Global Supplier Diversity, UPS
  • Vidya Vishal: Commercial Product Leader, Equifax
  • Margaret Beckley: Project Coordinator, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber
  • Cloe Guidry-Reed: Founder and CEO, Hire Ground
  • Deirdra Glove: Chief Experience Officer, Conserte Consulting

Q1 2022

  • Stacey J. Key: President and CEO, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Neeraj Shah: CEO, supplier.io
  • Marty Parker: Lecturer, Department of Management, University of Georgia Terry College of Business

Taskforce Planning Committee

Equifax

  • Tom Latimer: Vice President, Procurement and Travel, Equifax
  • Pat Adams: Global Head of Supplier Diversity, Equifax

Metro Atlanta Chamber

  • David Hartnett: Chief Economic Development Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber
  • Margaret Beckley: Project Coordinator, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber

Hire Ground

  • Cloe Guidry-Reed: Founder and CEO, Hire Ground

State Farm

  • Rich Fatzynytz: Director, Administrative Services

University of Georgia

  • Linda Read: Director of Executive Programs
  • Carmen Taylor: Program Manager

2023 Taskforce Agenda

Q1

  • Strategic Planning
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting
  • Select TaskForce Teams

Q2

  • Technology Solution Architecture
  • Building Our Solution
  • SDXchange Preview

Q3

  • Solution Activation
  • Update SDXchange Pilot and Proof of Concept

Q4

  • Drive Adoption of SDXchange at TaskForce companies
  • Year End Celebration

Participating Organizations

  • Accenture
  • Assurant
  • Atlanta Action for Racial Equity
  • Briteris
  • Chick-Fil-A
  • Cox
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Equifax
  • Ernst & Young, Global Consulting
  • Fiserv
  • GE Digital
  • Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Global Payments
  • H.J. Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs
  • Hire Ground
  • Holland & Knight
  • Inclusion Score
  • Live Oak Bank
  • Mastercard
  • Metro Atlanta Chamber
  • Micron
  • Microsoft
  • Nike
  • Office Depot
  • ParkMobile
  • Porsche
  • Reed Elsevier (RELX / LexisNexis)
  • Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs
  • State Farm
  • Stellar Consulting Solutions
  • STONE Resource Group
  • Supplier Diversity, NCR
  • Supplier Diversity, Workday
  • Synovus
  • TAG
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • The Connection Bureau
  • The Home Depot
  • Truist
  • UGA Terry College of Business
  • UPS
  • Willis Towers Watson
  • Women In Technology

Newsletters

Planning Committee

The Supplier Diversity Taskforce is sponsored by

The venue host and academic sponsor is the University of Georgia Terry College of Business Executive Education.