MBN USA

October 25, 2022

UnFollow View Profile Send Message Copy Link

UnFollow View Profile Send Message Copy Link

Scott A. Vowels - 2022 Global Supply Chain Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Hall of Fame

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

A: As part of the Apple supplier-diversity team, we have elevated the company’s utilization of diverse suppliers year-after-year to achieve more than $7.1 billion in verifiable spend. 

Before Apple, I successfully led two [National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc.] regional affiliates — Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council in Northern California from 2009 to 2013 and Southern Region Minority Supplier Development Council in Alabama from 2004 to 2009 — to national prominence as president and CEO. While leading SRMSDC, I served as grant operator for a Business Center for the [U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency].

I am privileged to serve as co-founder/moderator of “The Bigger Discussion: Future of Supplier Diversity” video series, which collectively has amassed over 70,000 YouTube views, making it the most watched supplier-diversity series on record. 

Finally, I am most proud of my books which are both Amazon bestsellers: “Don’t Be Afraid To Call The Baby Ugly: How The Bigger Discussion Got An Industry Talking” and “Hacking Supplier Diversity: Cracking the Code for the Business Case: Revenue Generation, Economic Impact, ROI,” which helped to define the longstanding business case for supplier diversity. 

Q: What are the greatest challenges and opportunities for MBEs?

A: We have so many [minority business enterprises] in the contingent labor/staffing industry that going forward, MBEs in this area must have and be able to communicate their unique differentiators.

As we continue to take a holistic view of supplier diversity and the benefits associated with it, diverse suppliers with ability to articulate and quantify the impacts on their communities will be essential to continued growth and success for all. 

As companies continue to expand their global footprint, MBEs must also expand their existing service footprint. As an MBE, if your service area is local today, your future focus should be regional. If your service footprint is regional, your next goal should be national. And for those whose industry demands it, your next phase of evolution must be geared to global. 

Q: What would you like your legacy to be as a champion of supplier diversity?

A: The question of legacy takes on even greater importance as I get older, and my own evolution within the industry continues. My job at Apple is to grow the program within and outside of the company. However, when I take a step back and attempt to project what my legacy in supplier diversity will be, I hope to have been of service to others — MBEs and fellow supplier-diversity professionals — as my supplier-diversity heroes and sheroes have been to me.

I take immense pride in having introduced “economic Impact” to the world of supplier diversity — having done the largest minority business economic impact study to date for NMSDC — and expect to be a part of redefining what measuring impact of supplier development means as we move forward.

I have another book or two in me to write, and after that, I will leave it to others to determine what my legacy within supplier diversity will be. 

Lastly, I would like to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to the Hall of Fame Committee for this prestigious honor. 

To learn more about Apple, visit Apple.com.