Welcome to the first episode of the #WeAreNMSDC Podcast feature. Last week I sat down with Express Scripts and spoke with Kendra Burris-Austin and Bianca Hester to learn more about their Supplier Diversity Program. For those unaware Express Scripts is an American Fortune 22 corporation located in St. Louis, MO. They are the largest pharmacy benefit management organization in the United States, with annual revenues in excess of $100 billion.
After talking with Kendra Burris-Austin (Director of Supplier Diversity) and Bianca Hester (Manager of Supplier Diversity), I left the conversation impressed with the company’s past 6 month growth. Express Scripts has done wonders with its program both internally and externally, with help from upper-management buy-in, program goal setting, and organizations like the NMSDC. The future looks bright for the young program, but with the leadership of Burris-Austin and Hester, I can only expect great things.
To learn more about their program, simply listen to the podcast!!!! For a brief summary of our conversation, check out the 5 Fast Facts section below.
Express Scripts Podcast Highlights
0:23 – Podcast Starts
1:15 – Let’s talk Express Scripts
4:30 – Supplier Diversity program overview
9:30 – Express Scripts supplier diversity requirements
13:28 – What is the Business Case for supplier diversity
18:00 – The perfect supplier diversity program
19:50 – WHEN WE WIN
21:12 – Developing diverse suppliers
27:00 – What is the overall goal of the supplier diversity program
WeAreNMSDC 5 Facts About Express Script’s Supplier Diversity & Small Business Program
- Express Scripts has had their Supplier Diversity program since 2004, but went through a huge reassessment and overhaul in 2014. Thanks to Kendra and Bianca, the company has expanding its diverse spend goal from 4.7% to 7.7% for 2017.
- Express Scripts utilizes the Rule of One, an initiative that insures a diverse supplier is represented on every competitive bid
- The Express Scripts team loves to report diverse Tier II spend to their customers, and actually wants to report to more…no seriously, they really support it. Why? It can be tied to the bottom line….directly to the bottom line.
- When developing diverse suppliers, Express Scripts will help you with…almost everything (as long as you offer something they NEED): Help includes financing, equipment, RFP scope of work walk through, and more
- A few business commodities Express Scripts may be looking to purchase in the future include HVAC, landscaping, and niche drug and pharmaceutical products / services
Supplierty News in conjunction with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) have teamed up to connect with NMSDC corporate and MBE members for podcast interviews. These conversations will highlight the benefits of supplier diversity programs from the personal experiences of both corporate and minority-owned businesses. If you’re interested in supporting the effort, Follow both Supplierty News and the NMSDC on Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook, and visit their websites for more information. Also don’t forget to mention #WeAreNMSDC on all social media platforms.