Project Description

Joan Kerr, Director of Supplier Chain Responsibility, PG&E

Joan Kerr
Director of Supplier Chain Responsibility
PG&E

Session:
Hacking Our Way into Advanced Technology: A Micro-Hackathon
Monday, Oct. 15 2018
3:30 PM

Joan Namahana Kerr is PG&E’s Director of Supplier Chain Responsibility (Supplier Diversity, Sustainability and Ethics).

Under her leadership PG&E has more than tripled its annual spend with diverse business enterprises, exceeding $2B (>40%) of total procurement in each of the last 5 years.

During her tenure, PG&E has garnered many supplier diversity recognitions, including those given by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, PG&E was admitted to the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an elite group of corporations that annually spend $ 1 Billion or more with certified diverse suppliers.

PG&E has been recognized as an industry leader in supply chain sustainability as well, receiving the inaugural Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance Outstanding Achievement Award and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council’s Leadership Award for Purchasing Innovation.

Prior to joining PG&E, Joan served as Executive Director of AT&T’s Supplier Diversity Program where she led the creation of a best-in-class program. She has received multiple prestigious awards for her innovative work in Supplier Diversity, including the first ever NMSDC Trailblazer Award, the WBENC Applause Award and the MBDA Director’s Award. Joan was inducted into the WBE Hall of Fame for her tireless work advocating on behalf of women business owners.

Currently, she is on the board of directors of the National Utilities Diversity Council, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Supply Management’s Supplier Diversity Group.

She also co-founded WEConnect International and now serves as its Treasurer.