Corporate Spotlight – The ODP Corporation

Throughout this year’s Women’s History Month, we celebrate phenomenal women who are doing big things in the Supplier Diversity community, creating pathways to prosperity for diverse businesses and moving our society toward economic equity. One such trailblazer is Carmen Deale, the Senior Program Manager – Supplier Diversity at the ODP Corporation, the parent company of prominent brands like Office Depot and Office Max.  A supplier of office supplies, business services, products and technology solutions headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, ODP operates nearly 1,500 retail locations throughout North America and employs more than 25,000 people, with $8 billion in annual revenues. In addition to a strong position of leadership in its category, ODP is also home to a dynamic Supplier Diversity outreach that is rapidly becoming an industry leader in its own right.

The exponential growth of ODP’s Supplier Diversity Program is largely attributable to the establishment of a 4-year plan by Deale and her team in 2021, to reinvigorate ODP’s ESG efforts and put the program on a fresh new footing. A series of diverse spend goals were established and implemented across the company, with strong, visible support from the ODP C-Suite. The results have been nothing short of phenomenal, with total spend growth in excess of 26%. A Tier 2 reporting structure was created and brought online in 2021, followed by a systemwide communication of expectations in 2022, which led to a 79% increase in Tier 2 reporting. Overall, the net impact of the program relaunch is a 29% rise since the plan’s inception. Those are outstanding results by any measure, and powerful indicators of the trajectory of diverse supplier inclusion at the ODP Corporation.

Thanks to the all-important C-Suite support, and internal catalysts such as bonuses tied to ESG goal attainment and the establishment of a Diversity Council with representation from business units across the company, ODP is building a world-class Supplier Diversity program. In addition to her ongoing collaboration with the GMSDC, Deale also coordinates the ODP relationships with the Florida State and Houston Councils, as well as partnerships with other organizations working to create opportunities for diverse suppliers. ODP supports a long list of outreach and supplier development programming through their various channels, including pitch coaching, capability statement development, webinars on various business building topics, and certification efforts for emerging community businesses. Carmen and company were one of the organizations that responded to requests to sponsor minority business certifications after the pandemic, donating generously to help keep MBEs in the family.

Carmen and her team have been recognized broadly for their efforts to increase diverse spend and supplier engagement. She has been nominated for Advocate of the Year multiple times, by both the Georgia and Florida Councils, and is currently a finalist for Diversity Plus Magazine’s annual recognition of the Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity. ODP is a recipient of Top Corporation honors at WBENC, celebrating the impact they are having on women in business, as well. In her 7 years at the helm of the Supplier Diversity outreach at the ODP Corporation, it is clear that Carmen Deale is making a difference through her ongoing advocacy and innovative leadership. Kudos to you, Carmen, and to all who support you at ODP. You are to be commended for the way you are driving meaningful change. For more information, visit www.theodpcorp.com/supplier-diversity.