The commitment to diversity at Johnson & Johnson extends beyond the company’s employees. For more than two decades, we have been actively building a community of suppliers that reflects the many backgrounds of our consumers, patients and customers.
Over the years, Johnson and Johnson has received numerous awards for the company’s commitment to supplier diversity and inclusion. We received further recognition with two awards this past November. The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) named Johnson & Johnson Corporation of the Year. We were also one of the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC)'s 2021 Top 50 Best-of-the-Best Corporations for Inclusion, an honor issued collectively by 10 supplier advocacy groups.
“These awards reflect the results of a focused strategy at Johnson & Johnson to grow our spend with LGBTQ+ suppliers. Strengthening our partnership with the NGLCC is a key pillar of that strategy,” said William Gunn, Chief Procurement Officer for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health.
Banking on diversity
Johnson & Johnson has a goal to spend $4.5 billion with small and diverse suppliers, including with LGBTQ+-owned businesses, by 2025.
We supported NGLCC’s Mentorship Protégé program, which pairs certified applicants with corporate partner employees to provide expert insight and guidance, and their Communities of Color matchmaking efforts, which are aimed at creating opportunities for suppliers owned by LGBTQ+ people of color.
We also held an internal event during Pride Month in May 2020 for our procurement division with the goal of increasing awareness about the NGLCC and spotlighting several LGBTQ+-owned businesses.
The NGLCC spearheads the NBIC, which advocates for the business interests of a diverse range of people, including businesses owned by LGBTQ+ people, people of color, women, veterans and people with disabilities.
“The NBIC represents a broad spectrum, and it encourages cross-segment diversity,” Gunn said.
Procuring a Perfect Match
Johnson & Johnson also hosted its own virtual matchmaking event in June 2021, collaborating with the NBIC and six advocacy organization partners including the NGLCC. We identified business needs from 15 procurement categories and shared those with the event partners. Of the 100 suppliers that attended, over half were selected for further engagement, ranging from inclusion in planned bid events to enlistment in one of our development programs.
“We now have a strong foundation in place to continue building our diverse relationships with LGBTQ+ suppliers,” Gunn said, adding that in 2020 the company became a founding member of the European LGBTIQ Chamber of Commerce.
Gunn noted that the progress recognized by the NGLCC and NBIC awards is driven by people across Johnson & Johnson.
“The thread that runs through everything is the passion and commitment of our teams,” Gunn said. “We will continue growing our LGTBQ+ supplier base to unlock the innovation and creativity that comes with diversity.”
