A former Michigan radio broadcaster, director of supplier diversity development Armando Ojeda is nothing if not forthright when it comes to the role he sees suppler diversity playing at Ford Motor Co. His vision for supplier diversity within the company has paid off, as he actively advocates for MWBE suppliers during hard economic times. In 2007, a difficult year in which the company lost over $12 billion in a single quarter, Ford set two all-time records, breaking through the $4 billion dollar spend milestone for purchases with MBEs and the $1 billion milestone with WBEs. Ojeda's greatest challenge is positioning MWBEs to compete in the global supply chain. Most of Ford's MWBE suppliers are based in the U.S., even as the company expands its manufacturing base in fast-growing economies like Brazil, China, India and Russia. Ojeda, who has also served as president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, aggressively targets MWBE suppliers with capacity for offshore sourcing for inclusion in global commodity business plans, which provides predictable opportunities for incremental business and global expansion. Corporate leadership is also dedicated to these potential suppliers. The company has designated MWBEs as Aligned Business Framework suppliers, which grants them preferential status to grow business within high-volume Ford commodities. MWBE companies represent nearly 15% of companies receiving the coveted ABF designation.

"What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." - Napoleon Hill