Corporate Member Forum Trilogy: Building an inclusive and engaging supplier diversity program with CAMSC

Session 1: Enhancing diverse supplier inclusion in procurement processes 

We are pleased to introduce CMASC’s Corporate Member Forum Trilogy: Building an Inclusive and Engaging Supplier Diversity program with CAMSC. The topic of the first session is Enhancing Diverse Supplier Inclusion In Procurement Processes. The discussion focusses on how organizations interact with diverse suppliers, creating partnerships by providing education and promoting inclusion in the supply chain.

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Meet Our Speakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celso Afonseca, Manager, Sustainable Procurement at Metrolinx

Celso Afonseca is a leader for diverse suppliers who are just starting out or currently working with Metrolinx as innovative and trusted suppliers. In an industry where personal connections and networking are so vital, Celso is linked to leaders in various business sectors and dedicates a lot of his time and energy, growing relationships and connecting with new people. This has enabled several strategic discussions around the importance of supplier diversity across a variety of sectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liana Gitto, Senior Procurement Advisor at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Liana Gitto is a Senior Procurement Advisor at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

She joined the bank in 2011 and has worked across various departments including Finance, Venture Capital and IT. Since joining the Finance department, she has built up over 9 years of experience in leading procurement processes for the bank, including helping to develop and launch the bank’s Supplier Diversity Program in 2019.

Liana is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and believes that inclusive procurement practices create long-term value for entrepreneurs, communities, and help organizations remain agile and innovative. She works to build relationships with diverse businesses owners including women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2+, Black entrepreneurs and others, to expand the pool of potential diverse suppliers that BDC strives to include as part of its supply chain.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Concordia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amitesh Patro, Business Development Executive at Staples Promotional Products-Canada

Amitesh has been with SPP Canada for the last 3 years and is part of their Business Development Team with accounts spanning Central and East Canada. In addition to his BD profile, he is an advocate for DEIB efforts within SPP and is a part of their core CSR Pyramid that brings to life the long-term vision of the company. DEI is a culture that works in tandem both internally and externally to drive professional and corporate growth leveraging the diverse talent pool, and engaging purposefully with Diverse Vendors from the BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, Women Owned ,Veteran and people specially abled owned businesses.

He is a Co-Chair of Employee Resource Groups both in the US and Canada at SPP driving awareness of Social Justice causes hosting guest speakers on talk shows for the Inclusion and Diversity team.  With over 10 years of experience in BD and marketing for shipping companies in Asia, he is an advocate for supplier diversity and works with teams across North America to drive engagement with diverse vendors and amplify their visibility and opportunities with their clients.

He has a B.Sc degree in Accounting and Business from Oxford Brookes University and an Advanced Diploma in Applied Accounting and Business from ACCA, UK; and strongly believes nurturing- diverse teams and vendors are what makes Canada so unique as a New Canadian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nadine Shah, Sr Strategic Sourcing Manager, CBRE

Nadine has been with CBRE Global Workplace Solutions for approximately 6 years and is currently the Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager for the IBM Canada Limited / Kyndryl Canada Limited accounts. Nadine Shah brings over 20 years of Supply Chain Management experience in various industries, including manufacturing, telecommunication, and facility management.

Nadine holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management from Ryerson University. She is a longstanding member of Supply Chain Canada, receiving her Certified Supply Chain Management Professional designation in 2001.

Nadine is part of CBRE’s Global Supplier Diversity group, representing Canada as a Supplier Diversity Champion. In this role, she works with diverse suppliers to drive positive economic growth and impact in underrepresented communities.

In 2021, Nadine was the recipient of CAMSC’s Procurement Business Advocate of the Year Award. She is also a member of the Indigenous Network EBRG and is responsible for the outreach program.

Nadine is a volunteer at many professional committees and is active in her community as well. All her activities involve diversity and inclusion in one way or the other and she is proud of talking about them to everyone.