PROFILE

DIVERSITY WITHIN THE workplace is something that many businesses today strive for . They want teams made up of people from different backgrounds and different cultures because of the benefits that they bring in terms of ideas as well as more efficient ways of working .

The same is true of a company ’ s supply base with many recognising the benefits that a diverse supply base can bring . An inclusive approach to sourcing brings innovation , positive disruptive new products and services , mitigates risks within supply chain , drives competitive advantage and removes all biases making procurement transparent and sustainable . However , when sourcing teams are always under pressure to deliver cost savings , support a heightened risk agenda and drive consolidation , an inclusive approach becomes wishful thinking !

Minority Supplier Development UK ( MSDUK ) was established by Mayank Shah , Founder and CEO in 2006 as UK ’ s first corporate-led organisation that encouraged large private sector firms to drive inclusive procurement behaviour

12 April 2017

Mayank Shah is the founder and CEO of Minority Supplier Development UK Ltd ( MSDUK ), UK ’ s leading non-profit , corporate membership , supplier diversity advocacy organisation , driving inclusive procurement practices in corporate supply chains through introduction of ethnic minority owned businesses ( EMBs ) in the UK . Now in its 10th year of operation , Shah has led MSDUK to become one of the leading supplier diversity advocacy organisation outside of the USA and has worked with over 100 global corporations to help them set up supplier diversity programmes in the UK .

MSDUK ’ s extended business network reaches out to over 3000 ethnic minority businesses in the UK and has helped generate over £ 70m worth of business so far for EMBs from MSDUK network . Shah has presented and spoken about inclusive procurement as a business imperative at national and international conference in the USA ,

South Africa and across Europe .