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| Pennzoil-Quaker
State Company drives supplier diversity |
| Pennzoil-Quaker State Company emphasizes
supplier diversity as a part of its vision of becoming consumers' first choice for
automotive products and services that enhance the car and the driving experience. Since
Pennzoil Products Company merged with Quaker State Corporation in 1998, Pennzoil-Quaker
State Company has transformed itself from a traditional oil company by divesting itself of
all its refinery assets and emerged as a leading consumer products company in the
automotive aftermarket. Today the company holds the number one and number two passenger motor oil brands respectively. It also owns the world's largest fast oil change franchise, Jiffy Lube International. Pennzoil-Quaker State Company's product lines include Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, Fix-a-Flat®, Snap® Gumout®, Blue Coral®, Rain-X®, Slick 50®, Medo® air fresheners, and Axius® sunshades and auto accessories. The vision behind this transformation comes directly from the company's President and Chief Executive Officer, James (Jim) Postl. Postl, has assembled a dynamic Senior Leadership Team with vast consumer products related experience. Rob Falivene, senior vice president of Global Supply Chain Development was charged with creating a new business segment, which would coordinate Pennzoil-Quaker State Company's Strategic Sourcing department with its Customer Service, Operations and Product Supply groups. As part of this new business segment, Falivene hired Ingrid Robinson to head its newest department, Supplier Diversity. Robinson, no newcomer to the minority and women business development community in Houston, has set out to establish a world-class supplier diversity initiative. According to Robinson, "Pennzoil-Quaker State Company takes its commitment to minority and women business development very seriously." The company's corporate vision is to become a supplier diversity leader in the automotive aftermarket, their consumer markets, and in organizations that promote minority and women business development. "Starting a new initiative in a company as large as Pennzoil-Quaker State Company can be challenging, but the leadership of my boss, Julie Diehl, vice president of Strategic Sourcing, and support of top management have allowed us to make huge progress," said Robinson. Supplier diversity expenditure targets are part of the Annual Incentive Plan, or business structure for the entire Global Supply Chain Business segment. Diehl says, "Supplier Diversity is one of the most significant additions we've made in the last few years. We're so serious, we've put our money where our mouth is." Pennzoil-Quaker State Company began its supplier diversity initiative with total expenditures in 2000 of $2.2 million with minority and women-owned businesses. At the end of the year 2001, the company had already tripled its expenditures realizing a 195% increase in expenditures to $6.5 million. In addition to increasing expenditures with minority and women business enterprises (M/WBEs) and tying supplier diversity to employee incentives, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company has established the infrastructure to promote change and growth of the initiative. "Because I see the strategic advantage supplier diversity efforts have for our company, I agreed to serve as the chief advocate for supplier diversity internally, chairing our supplier diversity Executive Advisory Board," said Falivene. The Executive Advisory Board consists of the entire Senior Leadership Team of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, including CEO, Jim Postl. To ensure that Supplier Diversity efforts cascade even further throughout the organization, Diehl chairs the Supplier Diversity Council. The council is comprised of the direct reports of the senior management serving on the Executive Advisory Board. In 2002, the program will focus on four key areas: Increasing access to opportunities for M/WBEs; Establishing a second-tier initiative; Expanding and developing new capabilities of current M/WBE suppliers and Expanding its outreach efforts as a resource for buyers and decision-makers seeking certified M/WBEs. |
| May Archives |