Rosemary Jones was kicking sand out of her shoes and weariness out of her heart. She had just climbed back aboard the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage aboard the Royal Caribbean ocean liner from the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Her excursion on one of the most coveted cruise experiences in the country comes as a result of her efforts as the supplier diversity director for Turner Broadcasting Systems and their partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation.
“One of Turner’s major focus[es] from a philanthropic standpoint [is] to [sponsor] more than 17 HBCUs. … Over the past 25 years [we have donated] $1 million or more annually. It’s one of the biggest [programs], ensuring minorities get the best education they possibly can. We are proud sponsors of this program,” she says.
Many of those graduates are going to become entrepreneurs, with some becoming suppliers to major multinational corporations. To increase your chances of becoming a successful, long-term supplier, Jones says you should adhere to the following tips: “Enter a business partnership with the mind-set of bringing a cost-reduction solution to the customer. Develop your staff through mentoring and executive training. Look at alternate ways to expand the business even if it means partnering with a competitor for the bigger deals, and when a customer relationship is damaged — repair it quickly,” she says.
“A major component of Turner’s program is creating and implementing strategies and initiatives through the Strategic Sourcing department,” says Jones. “Providing more direct information to diverse suppliers regarding specific opportunities at Turner strengthens our capabilities and gives us a real competitive edge. Diversity is a core business strategy for us, which means working with diverse business partners on every level and finding ways to create opportunities for qualified minority- and women-owned businesses.”
Things have progressed steadily in recent years for TBS in the area of inclusiveness. “We are very proud of our progress, but realize we still have a ways to go. You need insight from all people to find the infinite path,” Jones exlplains. The TBS executive credits the strong support of the company’s chairman and CEO and other senior executives for the program’s gains. “Our goal is to be ranked number one among our competitors, who run a world-class supplier diversity program.”
–terry shropshire
Caption: Rosemary Jones is on the left.
