The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), along with the Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG), is holding its seventh annual Minority-, Women- and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises event at SUPERCOMM 2002, June 3.
The event will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
This annual seminar, renamed the Supplier Diversity Summit in 2002, is part of the free industry programs at SUPERCOMM. This year's Supplier Diversity Summit provides an opportunity for attendees to learn how agility and competitiveness can positively impact revenues and customer satisfaction. The event and the Supplier Diversity Challenge are aimed at raising the profile of supplier diversity in the communications industry and educating attendees on the initiatives by key original equipment manufacturers and service providers.
The summit will feature a panel discussing necessary tools for assessment of diversity qualifications and winning business strategies. Experts from the supplier diversity field on this panel are: Gary Kunath, president, The Summit Group; Jim Webb, president, St. Louis Minority Council; Leonard Greenhalgh, faculty director, Minority Executive Program, Tuck School of Business; Ken Bryan, director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Department of Justice.
A second panel will examine the complex issues facing carriers and suppliers today. Speakers will share their views on where the industry is heading and explore the hottest trends and technologies in broadband and wireless.
The panel will further provide attendees with real-world information to address the diversity supply chain in a global marketplace. Leon Harris, anchor and reporter, CNN, will moderate a panel of the industry leaders including JoAnne Anderson, president, Systems Integration Division, ADC; John Schofield, president and CEO, Advanced Fibre Communications; Jose Mejia, president, Supply Chain Networks, Lucent Technologies; John Kohler, senior vice president, Global Operations, Tellabs; Keiko Harvey, senior vice president, Advanced Services, Verizon Advanced Services; Ron Frieson, vice president, chief diversity officer, BellSouth; and Steve Welch, president, Procurement/Corporate Real Estate, SBC.
To demonstrate their commitment to the goals of the Supplier Diversity Summit, telecommunications companies are signing the Supplier Diversity Challenge. To date, more than 70 companies are signatories committing to at least 10% and increased diversity spending to at least $10 billion across the industry. Additional companies are expected to join in this pursuit. Results of the 2001 Supplier Diversity Challenge will be announced at the summit in Atlanta.
For more information, contact Maryann Lesso at 703-907-7713.
