|
Each year, DiversityPlus Magazine proudly recognizes outstanding diversity leaders who are innovative in advancing organizational diversity, equity, inclusion, and social and economic inclusion. They are disrupters of the status quo who bravely ask internal and external leaders to rethink their perspectives limiting understanding of the value generated through supplier diversity and leadership diversity and how DEI supports environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. However, the strategies of the 2024 Top Diversity Change Leaders involve much more than “talk.” They are people of action who relentlessly pursue measurable results.
Despite years of proving the value of DEI and supplier diversity, there is still a lot of pushback. It takes people like the Diversity Change Leaders to ensure dialogue and strategies stay on track. As one change leader wrote, she rejects the mantra “We can’t find any,” referring to finding qualified small and diverse suppliers. Many wrote about their steadfast efforts to hold purposeful conversations coupled with building an inclusion infrastructure supporting stakeholders' needs and requirements. Adding diverse suppliers to a supply chain or increasing workforce and leadership diversity are only sustainable changes when organizations have the right resources in place. This is why so many of the diversity leaders have developed a deep bench of technical assistance for suppliers, utilize data and data analytics to assess and monitor the progress of their strategies, employ benchmarking, establish goals, and develop and implement a host of supportive activities that include procurement and diverse supplier digital platforms and supplier training and development workshops.
A diversity change leader said it well by stating the goal is to develop a holistic ecosystem that transcends financial transactions. It is not just the data collected on diversity that matters. Data and data analytics must be used to develop new strategies and approaches. Ultimately, the Top 25 Diversity Change Leaders pursue excellence in everything they do, which includes being hands-on leaders doing “in-the-trenches work.” They lead workshops, directly advise leadership teams of global companies, and meet individually with small and diverse suppliers. They mentor suppliers to ensure they have access to the tools, resources, and information needed for success. Some leaders develop workforce support by implementing training opportunities to help organizational members better understand the broader importance of DEI to the success of people, communities, small and diverse businesses, and their organizations.
| 
