Driving economic recovery through Supplier Diversity

Supplier Diversity
Anheuser-Busch

Dana Schwarz, Director of Management Systems & Supplier DEI, Sustainability & Procurement at Anheuser-Busch

Why is so important to your company to have a program to advance and grow the supplier diversity? 

DS: Anheuser-Busch is committed to driving economic recovery by investing in our people, our operations, and our communities.  A key tenant of that is rapidly growing our Supplier Diversity Program to align with our diverse consumer base, and we are committed to increasing our direct spend with diverse suppliers.   

What are the most relevant benefits that you get from running the program? 

DS: Beyond economic empowerment in our communities, expanding our supply base with diverse suppliers supports Anheuser-Busch’s vision of creating ‘A Future With More Cheers’ because it is proven that diverse suppliers are innovative, resilient, and agile – traits that are core to the success of any company.

What are the challenges have you faced with your program and how did you overcome them? 

DS: It is essential that we have the insights in place to ensure both the integrity of our program and that it includes under-represented communities. We have worked diligently to establish our systems, and we are confident in our approach. One thing that stands out over the last year has been the buy in we’ve had across the company.  From global recognition to sponsorship from senior leadership to engagement from our procurement colleagues, and even cross-functionally including our Employee Resource Groups, people at A-B recognize the value and importance of this program, and that is exciting.

Where do you see the program going into the future?  

DS: We’re excited to share more about the program soon. We also know we can make an even bigger impact if we work together with our entire supply chain, so we are encouraging our suppliers to invest in their own Supplier Diversity Programs. 

Anheuser-Busch has a long history of Supplier partnerships in the Sustainability space, and we support sharing best practices so that everyone is working towards the same universal mission.  We see ourselves doing the same in the Supplier Diversity space. 

As part of a corporation with a SDP, what advice would you give to Hispanic Business Entrepreneurs who would like to become suppliers?  

DS: Reach out! If you’ve looked to do business with A-B in the past but we haven’t had a chance to connect, every day is a new day.  Our Business and our Supply Chain are constantly evolving, and it’s possible that something could be a great fit or connection.  If you want to explore business opportunities with Anheuser-Busch, send an email outlining your capabilities to SupplierDiversity@Anheuser-Busch.com.

Has your company’s Supply Chain been affected by the C-19 pandemic, Ukraine war, China restriction or any other current issues? If yes, how so and how have you worked around them? 

DS: As a global company, for us and for many of our peers, Supply Security has been an ongoing priority more so than ever before.  This is another reason why our Suppler Diversity Program is so incredibly valuable – we must continue to strengthen a broad, resilient and agile Supply Chain, and we know that we can deliver that with more diverse suppliers.

+++

Photo credit: courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Editor’s pick: As a global company, for us and for many of our peers, Supply Security has been an ongoing priority more so than ever before.