Nancy Swartout is the Global Sustainable Procurement Manager for ExxonMobil. She is one of seven industry leaders sharing advice in Gastech Insight's Diversity & Inclusion in Energy eBook. Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords in the evolving energy sector; they are imperative for its sustainable future.
Whenever you find yourself in a position to influence which vendors to work with, I would always encourage you to seek out diverse or local suppliers. Engaging with historically disadvantaged or local suppliers brings with it benefits of reliability and the building of community support for your company’s activities. This type of economic engagement helps build relationships and supports economic development for the long term.
At ExxonMobil, diversity is essential to our competitiveness. For decades, we have worked to enhance diversity throughout our global value chain. In doing so, we create efficiencies, strengthen global operations, and innovate to meet the evolving needs of customers.
In countries where oil and gas development is new, we work with host governments and communities to identify opportunities for local suppliers. And, we go one step further by ensuring opportunities for women in our workforce as well as in our supply chain.
In the U.S., we work with the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the National Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the National Veteran Owned Business Association and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Outside the U.S., we work with WEConnect International to partner with best-in-class women-owned businesses around the world.
Supporting diverse and small businesses inevitably benefits our communities. Research shows us that diverse businesses hire a more diverse workforce. Since women invest in education and health care, this helps drive critical economic growth and development. This multiplier effect of prosperity has real implications for the future of our workforce, global operations, and growth strategy. It's one case where everyone wins.
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