Ford Motor Company & National Hispanic Corporate Council Examine Supplier Diversity & Recruiting

ARLINGTON, Va., June 4 -- The National Hispanic Corporate Council (NHCC) will confer with experts in supplier diversity and Hispanic recruiting at its member meeting, which will be held June 3-5 at the Ritz- Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan. The conference will feature a corporate supplier forum presented by Ford Motor Company, the conference sponsor. The forum will bring together corporations and minority business enterprises in an interactive environment designed to illustrate how to produce measurable results for both the supplier and the purchaser. The conference will further explore supplier diversity in a challenging economic environment, and Hispanic recruiting.

James J. Padilla, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Co., and President, North America, will open with a keynote address on senior management's perspective on the role of Hispanics in corporate America. His discussion will focus on the leadership skills necessary for a successful corporate career. Padilla is responsible for all operations involved in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sales of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Andy Benedict, Executive Director, Global Purchasing for the Ford Motor Co., will provide insight into supplier diversity followed by a panel discussion focusing on Hispanic suppliers. Panel members include Rengen Li, Supplier Diversity Manager, The Coca-Cola Company; Steve Larson, Manager, Minority Supplier Development, Ford Motor Co.; Keith Hines, Manager Supplier Diversity, Altria Corporate Services, Inc.; and Icy Williams, Associate Director, Corporate Supplier Diversity Development, Procter & Gamble.

In recent months, the University of Michigan has been in the headlines due to recent lawsuits challenging its admissions policies. Jonathan Alger, Assistant General Counsel, University of Michigan, will provide an overview of the legal challenges and an update on the cases. Olga Magnusen, Senior Director, Career Services, Florida International University, and Tom Lehke, Senior Director of Placement, University of Michigan, will speak on the impact of geography, gender and race/ethnicity in a graduate's corporate job search. Isaias Zamarripa, Director of Experienced Staffing, General Mills, and Victor Arias, Executive Consultant, Spencer Stuart, will discuss corporate best practices in recruiting Hispanic executives.

The National Hispanic Corporate Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving its member companies as a principal resource for information, expertise and counsel about Hispanic issues affecting corporate objectives, and to advocate for increased employment, leadership and business opportunities for Hispanics in corporate America.