“CBS has a strong and deep commitment to diversity in every aspect of our company, and we strive to make Supplier Diversity a consideration in every purchasing decision.” – Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corporation.
As one of the leading mass media companies, CBS is also at the forefront of supplier diversity and supplier development initiatives. Over the years, it has remained a staunch advocate of diversity, inclusion and social responsibility, striving to make supplier diversity a priority in their ongoing business strategy and a cornerstone in their Company Procurement Policy. Last week, we had the honor of attending CBS’s Supplier Diversity Networking Event at their Studio Center, its eighth annual event in connecting diverse suppliers with key purchasing decision-makers within the CBS organization and other major corporations, such as Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company.
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
The event also recognized the impact and contributions of diverse suppliers, as well as CBS employee contributions. This year, the CBS Diverse Supplier of the Year went to Unique Catering for their outstanding customer service and competitive pricing. The Internal CBS Advocate of the Year Award was received by Tom Hogan, Chief Procurement Officer at CBS, for his exceptional work in advancing the CBS Supplier Diversity Initiative and providing opportunities to diverse suppliers. Josie Thomas, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of CBS, and Kevin Frazier, co-host of Entertainment Tonight and founder of the leading urban entertainment website HipHollywood.com, were also recognized for their work in promoting diversity and strengthening the inclusion dialogue.
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
In highlighting CBS’s commitment to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, Moonvez said, “Diversity is not a fleeting effort… With a viewership and customer base that is increasingly diverse, it is our belief that our supplier base should also be increasingly diverse.” He added that by using diverse suppliers, CBS has reduced its cost by 20%. The healthy competition between the suppliers not only promotes innovation and creativity, but also makes their pricing more competitive.
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
At the networking session, we had the opportunity to speak with representatives from over 20 suppliers and learn about the services and products they offer. One of them is The Cortez Brothers, Inc., a creative broadcast production company based in Los Angeles. With a roster of more than 40 broadcast directors, producers and creative writers, they create everything from promos, theatrical trailers, advertising and branded content, to TV series. They are also committed to helping their clients reach their US Hispanic audiences, having filmed in the US and all around the globe, including Argentina Colombia, Cuba, and Spain. In the past, they have done work for ABC, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and many other Fortune 100 companies.
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Another outstanding supplier is Blue Can Water, an innovative company that has created canned water with a 50-year shelf life – the only company to be able to do so thus far. By using a high-tech filtration system, sterilizing water completely and placing it in aluminum cans under pressure, they have developed a way to make water stay 100% pure and fresh. In addition, simply by shaking the can and mixing the water with the nitrogen gas that it is preserved with, users can enjoy cold water no matter where they are.