Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Bestows Applause Award on Two Corporate Leaders Advancing Women's Business
Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 08, 2014 -- The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) bestowed two Applause Awards on leaders who have made exceptional accomplishments that expand opportunities for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs) on a national or international level. The honorees were Eyvon C. Austin, Global Supplier Diversity Director, The Coca-Cola Company, and Larry W. Caldwell, Vice President, IT & Corporate Services Procurement, PepsiCo. The awards were presented at the WBENC 2014 National Conference and Business Fair in Philadelphia, PA. The event brought together over 3,000 corporations and WBEs to generate business together and fuel the economy.
“WBENC is proud to recognize Eyvon Austin and Larry Caldwell for their outstanding dedication and leadership in changing the landscape for women’s businesses and helping to drive their success,” said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of WBENC.
WBENC’s Applause Award recipients are selected based on their impact on the growth of WBEs; creation of policies, procedures or initiatives that increase opportunities for WBEs, and innovative and inspirational leadership on behalf of women business owners and their companies.
Eyvon Austin: As Global Supplier Diversity Director, The Coca-Cola Company, Austin is responsible for promoting and increasing the inclusion of diverse suppliers through the company’s global supply chain. A professional with over 17 years of experience in minority and women’s business project management, and who has been with The Coca-Cola Company since 2003, Austin has a successful track record of adding value through innovative business relations and enhancing the company’s brand through partnerships with key leaders and diverse business organizations. An advocate internally and externally, Austin’s commitment to developing relationships with diverse suppliers and key stakeholders has contributed to Coca-Cola’s success in supplier diversity. Through diverse supplier identification and development and collaboration with the procurement community teams and business partners, she creates advocacy among Coca-Cola associates, including category leaders, business leaders and stakeholders.
Austin is actively engaged in the Company’s 5by20 Global initiative to empower five million women entrepreneurs by 2020 and is a past participant in Coca-Cola’s Women in Leadership Program, which is designed to provide key female talent an opportunity for accelerated development. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Austin was Supplier Diversity Administrator with United Space Alliance (USA), the former primary space operations contractor for The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA).
Austin serves on the WBENC Board of Directors and is Vice Chair of the Global Programs Committee. She is also very active in other community and service organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Girl Scouts of America, and The United Way. Austin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Tougaloo College and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration & Policy Analysis from The University of South Florida. She resides in Atlanta with her husband and daughter.
Larry Caldwell: As Vice President, IT & Corporate Services Procurement, PepsiCo, he is responsible for sourcing of IT goods and services for the global BIS function and sourcing business transportation services, global travel and corporate services for PepsiCo globally. He and his team are responsible for the support of several systems and tools specifically utilized by the global procurement team.
Caldwell began his career at PepsiCo in 1983. Prior to his current role, he was Vice President of Procurement for PepsiCo’s Eastern European operations, responsible for direct materials and other goods and services sourcing. His service to PepsiCo has also included Director - Service and Distribution of Frito-Lay Canada, Director of Other Goods and Services Purchasing for Frito-Lay, Inc., as well as management of positions in Finance and Operations. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Caldwell served as Finance Manager with The Gillette Company.
Caldwell is a certified public accountant and holds a Master’s degree in business and a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University Commerce. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for both WBENC and Women's Business Council Southwest (WBCS). He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Share Plus Federal Bank where he chaired the Audit Committee. Caldwell and his wife live in Fairview, Texas, and are the proud parents of three children.
About WBENC
Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with more than 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to http://www.wbenc.org.
Lynthia Romney, RomneyCom L.L.C., +1 (914) 238-2145, [email protected]
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