Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council
Truist Financial Corporation (Truist) is a relatively new corporate partner of the GMSDC, until you realize that it is the new corporate brand for one of the Council’s oldest and most committed members. Truist was formed in 2019 through a merger of BB&T and SunTrust Bank, a very familiar name to the supplier diversity community and a premier partner of the GMSDC. Now the nation’s 7th largest commercial bank, Truist does business in 15 states – primarily stretching from Florida to Virginia – and Washington, DC, while managing some $400 billion in deposits. Truist takes great pride in being known as a purpose-driven financial services company, seeking ‘To Inspire and Build Better Lives and Communities’ by ‘giving back to the communities that have been so good to us.’ The corporate culture emphasizes focusing on a common purpose, which is to empower clients, teammates and stakeholders through the power of collaboration and community engagement.
The SunTrust name carries very high esteem at the GMSDC, thanks to many years of membership, sponsorship and true commitment to the mission and vision of the Council. Lissa Miller, the Senior Vice President and Chief Supplier Diversity Officer at Truist, once chaired the GMSDC Board of Directors. A past winner of the Spirit of Alliance Advocate of the Year Award, she now leads the supplier diversity effort companywide. Prior to her relocation to Truist headquarters in Charlotte, she was a fixture on Council committees and heavily involved in the GMSDC’s events and activities. Adam Moore, the Vice President and Director of Supplier Diversity, is based here in Atlanta and leads Truist’s diversity procurement outreach in this region. An Advocate of the Year winner himself, Adam maintains a high profile at the GMSDC, serving in many capacities, including the MBEIC Staffing Industry Group and the Spirit of Alliance Awards selection committee.
Consistently recognized as one of Georgia’s top supplier diversity programs, Truist has won numerous awards and honors from the GMSDC and other diverse procurement organizations across the spectrum. At SOA alone, under the SunTrust banner, Truist has received the Crystal Award, Local Corporation of the Year, and Corporation of the Year, a clear indication of a superior level of commitment to what the GMSDC is all about. Post-merger, Truist remains a force for good in the arena of inclusive procurement, even in a volatile economy. The bank went above and beyond on behalf of its stakeholders during the Covid – 19 pandemic, helping sustain small and diverse businesses with strategic grants, supporting the GMSDC’s recertification assistance fund, and even changing its payment terms on accounts payable so that diverse vendors could be paid quickly for their invoices. Truist has demonstrated its ongoing intentions by expanding the supplier diversity staff from two team members to five and implementing plans to enhance the program and increase diverse spend moving forward.
Adam Moore sees great synergy between Truist’s corporate commitment to diversity, both in supply chain and community engagement, and the work of the GMSDC. “Just as we were all in as SunTrust, we remain committed to our wonderful partnership with the GMSDC,” he says. “If anything, our new structure is even more committed to those shared ideals that make this relationship so successful. We will continue to show up, participate and further our mutual commitment to diverse suppliers. In this climate, it is a must that we work together to help our supplier community grow.” The GMSDC is grateful to Truist for all of its many contributions to the Council over the years and congratulate this stellar partner on its many accomplishments. For more information, visit truist.com.
