Page 16 - BEQ Magazine Vol2 Iss4 V2

Sara Farooqi, AT&T Entertainment Group, San Ken McNeely, AT&T President, California, San Debra Hallum, Network Operations Center, Austin,
Ramon, CA (ALLY) . Francisco, CA . TX .

a great place to work. I knew individuals to keep it running ML: It seems that AT&T began suppliers. Diverse suppliers often
when I started working here 22 smoothly. When you watch your making major strides toward are small businesses so they don’t
years ago that it was a workplace favorite TV show and relax with recognizing the LGBTQ necessarily have the resources or
where I had unlimited potential. your family in the evening, we community as an important outreach capabilities to make a
It also became clear very early on are often sending that content to consumer group in the early connection with larger suppliers.
in my career that it was important your home—if you have AT&T 1990s with its first direct mail in We created the AT&T Prime
to find a champion or a mentor. Supplier Program 28 years ago to
My mentor was a great boss I had do just that.
by the name of Ray Wilkins. He Our 2016 supplier diversity
was African American and for total spend was $14.2 billion, up
me that was a revelation, to see from $13.7 billion in 2015. In
another black man in a position 2016, AT&T spent millions of
of authority and leadership. That dollars with LGBTQ suppliers. We
was a visible sign that I could are continuing to raise the bar on
go anywhere I wanted to in this supplier diversity.
company, if I really wanted to. It Another AT&T supplier
takes hard work and dedication but diversity milestone last year
there are no roadblocks to career was the graduation of 12
success at AT&T, regardless of a diverse business leaders from a
person’s race or gender or sexual mentorship program executed
orientation. by the John F. Kennedy Institute
Another reason AT&T is a great Justin Nelson, AT&T’s Scott Sapperstein, VP for Public Affairs, and Chance of Entrepreneurial Leadership.
place to work is that we provide Mitchell at the NGLCC National Dinner where AT&T was honored as Corporation In 2016, 17 minority businesses
services to people around the of the Year . / Photo credit: Robert Dodge Photography were chosen to attend these highly
globe. The services we provide— accredited programs, to help them
communications, entertainment, U-verse or DIRECTV – which I 1994. How important are strong develop a future growth strategy,
technology—people use them hope you do. relationships with the community share leading edge resources to
every day and depend on them. through philanthropy, supplier strengthen marketing efforts, and
When you have good news to share The point is the services we demonstrate current innovation
with your friends or family, what’s provide are important to consumers diversity and even your corporate practices to assist integrating
the first thing you do? Pick up and businesses because they are sustainability goals for AT&T? next generation services into their
your smartphone and call or text, part of the fabric of our lives and business.
send an email or a photo, or post commerce. That significance is not CA: Supplier diversity is absolutely AT&T also collaborated with
it on social media. Our network lost on our employees. They are a place where we lead. One of a disabled veteran-owned supplier
makes that possible. It’s a highly proud to give excellent service to the innovative approaches we to develop a tool called Virtual
sophisticated global network customers and they are proud to pioneered was to connect prime
and it takes many very smart represent the AT&T brand. suppliers with smaller diverse Continued on PAGE 56

16 | December 2017 BEQ PRIDE