NATIONAL MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HONORS LEADERS IN SUPPLY CHAIN DIVERSITY ON MAY 17th

New York, NY, May 17, 2017 -- On Wednesday, May 17^th, the 2017 National Minority Supplier Development Council Leadership Awards will recognize the dynamic corporate executives, minority business owners and NMSDC affiliate council presidents for outstanding leadership that has a positive impact on their companies and resonates throughout the NMSDC network. Richard Lui, anchor at MSNBC, will be Master of Ceremonies. The black-tie gala event at the New York Hilton will begin at 6:30pm, will include dinner and a ceremony to present the honorees, with the festivities wrapping up at 10pm.

The NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified MBEs and connects them to corporate members. To meet the growing need for supplier diversity, NMSDC matches its more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to our network of more than 1,750 corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC, a unique and specialized player in the field of minority business enterprise, is proud of its unwavering commitment to advance Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American suppliers in a globalized corporate supply chain.

According to President Joset Wright-Lacy of NMSDC, “As we head into our 45^th year of developing business opportunities for minority companies, we are very focused on finding new and meaningful ways to engage our members in our overall mission. Doing business with minority-owned companies is good for America, as these MBEs contribute over 1 billion dollars to the US economy per day. We’re honored to be part of this substantial progress for minority business leaders.”

This year, the Supplier Diversity Professional of the Year Award winner is Ms. Jackie LaJoie, Supplier Diversity Manager, Ingersoll Rand. Ingersoll Rand advances the quality of life by creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments. The award honors a national corporate member with at least 2 years of experience in a corporate supplier diversity role. The seasoned recipient demonstrates exceptional action, engagement and leadership in supplier diversity and in support of NMSDC’s mission.

The MBE of the Year Award is presented to Ms. Anjali Ramakumaran, Chief Executive Officer, Ampcus Inc. The award goes to the owner of a NMSDC-certified MBE who has been actively engaged within the NMSDC network for a minimum of 2 years. The recipient is a change agent who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in guiding their company to success, and shared their knowledge and wisdom with peers as a mentor.

CPO of the Year Award is presented to Mr. Peter Kiriacoulacos, Chief Procurement Officer, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. The award goes to an outstanding leader whose vision, passion and integrity have proven impactful within the CPO’s corporation as well as the larger supplier diversity community. Mr. Kiriacoulacos’ 20-plus-year career in procurement includes positions with Liberty Global, United Global Communications Europe and United Pan-Europe Communications.

The Leaders for the Future Award is presented to Gene Waddy, CEO, Diversant, and Gary Kallenbach, Chief Procurement Office, UPS. These individuals believe in the power of collaboration or co-creation to drive success.  They commit their time, energy and financial resources to ensure the inclusion of MBEs in corporate business opportunities. 

The Robert M. Stuart Leadership Award, named for Robert M. Stuart, the founding chairman of the Board of the Directors NMSDC, is presented to a leader who has invested their time, energy and passion to advancing opportunities for MBEs in Corporate America.  This individual is recognized for their overwhelming support and generosity that elevates the entire NMSDC network. This year’s honoree is Dr. Leonard Greenhalgh, Director of Programs for Minorities and Women-Owned Businesses and Director of Native American Business Programs, Dartmouth.

In addition to the above awards, the Vanguard Award is presented to an NMSDC affiliate council president who has exhibited leadership in driving the value proposition for minority supplier development among corporate and MBE constituents throughout the NMSDC network. The recipient is announced publicly for the first time at the Leadership Awards ceremony.

The Corporate Co-Chairs for the 2017 Leadership Awards are Toyota and MetLife, the Corporate Plus Co-Chair is World Wide Technology and the MBE Co-Chair is Technology Concepts Group International. Northrup Grumman is the VIP reception sponsor. Black Enterprise is the media partner for the event.

About NMSDC

The NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members. One of the country's leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The NMSDC Network includes a National Office in New York and 23 affiliate regional councils across the country. The network also includes five international partner organizations located in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and South Africa.

To meet the growing need for supplier diversity, NMSDC matches its more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to our network of more than 1,750 corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC, a unique and specialized player in the field of minority business enterprise, is proud of its unwavering commitment to advance Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American suppliers in a globalized corporate supply chain. For more information, visit www.NMSDC.org.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f7801dd0-daaf-46b5-bc69-99a8d85e5955

Teena Touch
National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.
212-944-2430 x127
[email protected]