MBN USA

October 04, 2021

UnFollow View Profile Send Message Copy Link

UnFollow View Profile Send Message Copy Link

Pepsico aims to get faster, stronger, better

David Sanchez is a 31-year PepsiCo Inc. veteran currently serving as senior director in global procurement. His three decades at the beverage and snack giant have included stints in engineering, contract manufacturing, finance and global procurement.

Sanchez is also serving in his 12th year representing PepsiCo/Frito-Lay on the board of directors of Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council Inc.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your background?

A: I’m a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a proud alum of Southern Methodist University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. I also completed my MBA at the University of Texas at Dallas. I’ve been privileged to have spent over 30 years at PepsiCo, where I’ve led teams in various functions within our business.

Q: What is your current position at PepsiCo and what does your current position entail?

A: I am currently a global procurement senior director in our PepsiCo Beverages North America sector. I lead a team responsible for rigid packaging, which includes the procurement and supply of glass, cans, bottles, closures and resin. This role entails working cross-functionally to enable business growth, unlock capacity, drive innovation and deliver productivity for the business.

Q: How long have you been involved in the supplier-diversity arena?

A: For the past 12 years, I’ve served as a buying entity board member on the Dallas Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council.

In addition to serving on the executive committee and other committees within DFW MSDC, I recently began serving as treasurer as part of the executive committee. With these roles, I’ve had the benefit of engaging and learning from an outstanding board of directors over my tenure. Our buying entities and minority/women’s business enterprise or MWBE board members share best practices and insights that we’ve been able to share within our own organizations. Additionally, the ability to connect with and mentor MWBEs allows me the opportunity to share my own learnings from a diverse career at PepsiCo, which not only fulfills my obligation as a board member, but also fulfills my personal mission to support and uplift others in this field.

Q: What are the biggest challenges for the continued growth of supplier diversity inclusion?

A: As major corporations continue to expand capabilities required to meet rapidly changing consumer and customer requirements, it will require partners to work and invest together to build a more resilient supply chain in areas such as digitization and sustainability. It also will require transformational thinking, agility and flexibility to advance these agendas as they unfold. And of course, during this process, [it also will require] ensuring our suppliers retain and maintain an engaged workforce and can attract the best talent in an increasingly competitive market.

Q: What are you most proud of about PepsiCo’s role in supplier-diversity inclusion?

A: PepsiCo has a long and rich history of supporting minority- and women-owned businesses. In fact, our diverse supplier spend was more than $1.6 billion in 2020.

We continue to build on this history by developing and maintaining strong partnerships with industry and advocacy organizations, particularly as we focus on providing the support necessary for business growth.

Last year, PepsiCo launched a more than $570 million set of commitments to — among other areas — leverage our scale and influence across suppliers and strategic partners to increase diverse representation and elevate diverse voices. We’re working to drive sustainable change where we address and help dismantle barriers to economic opportunity, thus, opening the door for greater growth and development over the long term. We strongly believe it is our responsibility to not only operate in these communities but [also] continue to advance economic empowerment for the communities we serve.

Q: What advice do you have for diverse suppliers interested in doing business with a company like PepsiCo?

A: PepsiCo’s goal is to become an even faster, stronger and better company that enables us to serve our communities when they need us most while accelerating our growth. As consumer preferences change, we must ensure we have strong partnerships with growth-minded suppliers capable of enabling game-changing innovation and first-class service to our customers with unmatched products and services.

To learn more about PepsiCo’s supplier diversity program, visit pepsico.com/esg-topics-a-z/supplier-diversity.