Magnifying Economic Impact With Global Perspective
Ford’s SD&I team emphasizes comprehensive programming outlook.
For more than 50 years, Ford Motor Company’s Supplier Diversity and Inclusion programs have charted an impeccable course with the mission of driving economic prosperity for people, communities and businesses by developing an inclusive supply chain. Now, with a new team steering the way 2020 and beyond, their SD&I strategies are accelerating the company’s vision globally.
Helmed by Travis Spencer, Head of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, the team delivers on Ford’s vision of Creating a Better Tomorrow by driving diversity and inclusion among strategic partners and throughout the supply chain, connecting minority, women, veteran, disabled, LGBTQ and small business enterprises to Ford and its Tier 1 suppliers. Bringing his strong professional business management acumen to the SD&I initiatives here, Spencer works with the clear belief that economic empowerment for diverse suppliers and their corresponding communities is the epitome for what it means to drive human progress.
“Our aspiration at Ford Motor Company is to become the world’s most trusted company—with emphasis on the term “world”. To accomplish this objective, we must develop a global view of Diversity and Inclusion. Our operations are global, and I am a firm believer that we have a fiduciary duty to create opportunities for not only diverse businesses in North America, but for all underrepresented communities in regions where we operate. This is an opportunity for our program and where our focus will lie over the next several years,” says Spencer.
Expertly supported in Ford’s SD&I efforts by his four colleagues, the team packs a punch with 55 cumulative years of experience between them. Spencer is joined by SD&I Manager Marisa Pappalardo and Business Analyst Candice Sparkes, the former with a background in purchasing and the latter in human resources, who collaborate well as team members with complementary work styles and professional backgrounds.
In her daily role, Pappalardo engages in corporate-wide Supplier Diversity and Women in Purchasing based initiatives to facilitate the improvement of the Ford corporate culture and assist with more enterprise-wide business decisions. Meanwhile, Sparkes, a dynamic People First professional, is responsible for supporting all diverse suppliers in indirect purchasing, internal and external diversity training, data management and communications. A strategic thinker who advocates for diversity and inclusion, community involvement and professional development, Sparkes also supports supplier development programs and initiatives such as MentorMe and MentorWE.
“I am excited for the journey ahead with our new team,” Sparkes shares. “We have a young team in regard to tenor with the company. However, we are bringing fresh ideas that will assist in continuing our legacy in the SD&I space.” For 2020, she will focus on the relaunching of Supplier Skills for Life in the fourth quarter, which is an online program where industry experts discuss hot topics and share tools to help diverse businesses grow and develop.
The new entrant to the team albeit not the world of SD&I is Business Analyst Sanaa Saad, who is responsible for managing all diverse suppliers throughout production purchasing, managing all minority advocacy groups, as well as facilitating events and advertisements. “As a new member, I look forward to advocating for diverse businesses as well as advancing Ford’s economic impact,” says Saad. She brings her expertise in communications and innovation, having served on the Global Purchasing Diversity Council for five years with a People First approach.
Through these unprecedented times, the team has maintained their focus on SD&I across the board. “Some organizations redeployed supplier diversity to other initiatives but not at Ford, we are very driven and dedicated to supplier diversity and communication,” Pappalardo says. “Our virtual transition made possible during this time with company-provided tools for our teams has helped us take a step back to look at what we want our programs to accomplish in the next few months and years. In the long term, our global program is priority, and we are taking advantage of virtual technology and tools to engage our global counterparts.”
Brian Lloyd, Sanaa Saad»
Brian Lloyd, also an SD&I Manager on the team, contributes his strengths in data analysis, strategic planning, and diverse thinking. He leads internal and external diversity training, supplier risk management, data analytics, and is the team’s Tier 2 lead and supplier engagement specialist. Lloyd is also heading a new supplier development program this year: Widening the Inclusion Network (WIN). This is a four-phase, 18-month exercise, with a focus on increasing the diverse spend of Ford’s Tier 1 suppliers while also ensuring robust supplier diversity programs and creating an opportunity for strategic suppliers to be held accountable for their supplier diversity initiatives.
“WIN is designed to look beyond using only diverse spend as a measure of success for diversity programs. In addition to spend, it measures growth in other key areas such as advocacy group involvement, workforce diversity, and community outreach. We feel that all of these categories are truly required to widen our impact regarding supplier diversity,” says Lloyd.
Spencer truly brings together where his team’s efforts are centered when sharing, “WIN is the name of our Tier 2 high focus program, but more importantly, also represents the campaign of our SD&I business office. Ultimately, we are playing to win by WINning. Developing a global presence along with holding our supply chain accountable for diversity and inclusion initiatives, allows us to magnify our economic impact.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
FORD SUPPLIER DIVERSITY TEAM
(Left to right)
Candice Sparkes
Business Analyst,
Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Travis Spencer
Senior Manager,
Head of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Marisa Pappalardo
Program Manager,
Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Brian Lloyd
Program Manager,
Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Sanaa Saad
Business Analyst,
Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
