leveraging spend analytics intelligently; and distilling the most compelling value proposition for using diverse suppliers.   "Diverse suppliers are integrated at several points in the supply chain which, since we are a payments company, is a pretty short chain," says Nicole.  "While we do include diverse suppliers in our RFX events, we also make sure to include them in sole-source activities.  One of our major goals going forward is to bring the program more aggressively into our business units, and keep supplier diversity top of mind for our internal customers."

  Working with diverse suppliers has given American Express a competitive advantage in two ways:

First, American Express is a company that prefers high-value relationships with its Card Members, corporate clients, and suppliers; its diverse supplier base reflects this position. The company maintains a small, high-quality diverse supplier base with significant repeat business and strong internal "word of mouth."  Those high-value relationships foster a deep level of trust and engagement that directly translates into innovation, better servicing and reliable partnerships to the benefit of its B2B and B2C customers.

Second, working with a diverse supplier base on the buy-side gives the company some solid insights into what it means to do business on the sell-side.  For example, American Express just completed its 6th Small Business Saturday campaign - the most successful to date. This is clearly an initiative that is being embraced by small businesses as well as the local communities being served.  It inspires the team members to make Supplier Diversity part of the corporate community, and to share their own learning with their colleagues in Small Business Services. 

Nicole brings great enthusiasm to her role at American Express and is always eager to share best practices and thought leadership through active participation in ISM-NY.