Dear friends and colleagues:
Welcome to the 2016 Business Achievement Awards. This gala, in its 12th year, celebrates the leaders among Aboriginal and Minority-owned businesses, and corporations who are accelerating supplier diversity to new heights to benefit the economy.
As we congratulate and applaud our seven exceptional winners, we must also acknowledgethe fact that all CAMSC members are leaders. You all share our vision to ensure supplier diversity is an integral part of the core strategy and remains at the forefront in business. With increasing stakeholder engagement and continued growth in CAMSC membership, CAMSC is committed to developing key resources to facilitate and support our supplier diversity leaders as they learn, grow and connect.
Whether it be the introduction of a Supplier Boot Camp at the Diversity Procurement Fair or the provision supplier development scholarships for the Tuck School of Business,development and connection are linked to growth.
As a follow-up to the inaugural 2014 Inclusive Procurement Summit, we will debut the Inclusive Procurement Leadership Summit taking place the day after this gala. At the Summit, corporate leaders will debut detailed business cases regarding leading supplier diversity practices that have propelled their programs forward. We are excited about sharing these detailed case studies as a valuable learning tool for others.
CAMSC continued to focus on collaboration as part of our cross-Canada outreach efforts to advance supplier diversity in Canada. Many thanks to our corporate members, certified suppliers and many partners across the country for making this a success.
Our keynote speaker this year, embodies true leadership with its many triumphs andchallenges. David Chartrand is the longest serving President of the Manitoba MétisFederation (MMF). For over two decades, he has advanced the cause of the Métis Nation provincially and nationally, while improving opportunities for all Manitobans. Under his leadership, the MMF has experienced tremendous growth in self-government capacity, programs and services for the Métis Nation and the Manitoba Métis Community.
We thank David for sharing his time with us and helping us make this 12th gala a success. Of course, this gala would not be possible without our generous corporate sponsors and partners, our CAMSC team and all of you.
Have a great evening, congratulations to the nominees and winners and thank you all for being leaders in supplier diversity.
Cassandra Dorrington |
Peter Conrod |