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| Mark Cartwright |
To say Mark Cartwright has devoted his career to provide opportunities for small, woman-owned, and minority-owned businesses is something of an understatement. With over six years of combined experience leading Supplier Diversity at Virginia Tech, a stint as a Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia leading the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity efforts, as well as several years of experience in a variety of large private companies, Cartwright has both depth and breadth in his field.
This January he brought his experience and expertise to UVA, becoming Procurement’s new Director of Supplier Diversity. We caught up with him on his second day on the job for a conversation about his new role.
What interested you in coming to UVA, especially during a time of transition in UVAFinance?
From my time at Virginia Tech, I was able to establish a working relationship with the procurement and supplier diversity staff at the university. That relationship continued when I joined the staff of former Governor Robert McDonnell. More recently, I was a member of the working group that assessed the status of the university’s supplier diversity initiative and well as helped to chart the path forward. This exposure provided critical insight to the authenticity of UVA’s supplier diversity commitment. I’m convinced that the university would have a supplier diversity initiative even without the state mandate. You can’t build true inclusion in the supply chain, workforce, or student body with compliance as the primary catalyst.
Given its standing among the elite institutions of higher education, the university has willingly embraced not only the opportunity to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also the obligation to do so. If you look at hires in instruction, administration, athletics, and the health system, UVA’s diversity commitment is being boldly demonstrated. This excites me. Additionally, the university had made a commitment to providing the support staff necessary to buttress a best-in-class supplier diversity program.
What are the challenges you anticipate leading Supplier Diversity?
Not all purchasing decisions are made in Procurement – they’re made across Grounds in the various schools and departments. We must influence those decisions by building relationships and identifying allies across the university that grasp the importance of building inclusion in the supply chain. Additionally, there are likely some suppliers that tried to do business with the university in the past that found the process less than welcoming. Such a mindset can’t be changed overnight.
What are your priorities in your first months in this role?
While the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity initiatives are focused on small, women, and minority-owned (SWaM) businesses, we know from disparity studies and internal tracking that the biggest gap lies in the utilization of minority and women-owned firms. We will focus on strengthening connections with the local supplier community.
I’ll explore the creation of supplier development initiatives with the support of local advocacy groups and perhaps McIntire or Darden. I’d like us to buttress a mentorship/protégé program, where our larger suppliers partner with smaller suppliers to help build capacity and scale.
Thinking further into the future, what is your hope for Supplier Diversity at UVA?
With the confluence of leadership, resources, commitment, and opportunity, the future is bright. However, some heavy lifting lies ahead. We need to achieve a level of sustainability where are supplier diversity policies, processes, and practices are so deeply ingrained that they become habitual. My vision is based on what’s right for the University. Yes, there is a Commonwealth SWaM spend goal, but our focus should be on doing the things that help grow our program and strengthen the economic impact within our local community.
Your work has taken you to Texas and Georgia in recent years; how do you feel about this next phase of your journey?
It’s good to be back in Virginia and I look forward to engaging with the Charlottesville community. I’ve completed about 95% of my doctoral program in supply chain and logistics, and I look forward to using my newly found “free” time. You can’t build an impactful supplier diversity program within a standard workday. You must meet the supplier community where they are. I’m excited to see some basketball games – Coach Bennett is exceptional. Beyond that, I’ll be doing some landscaping and tackling whatever projects my wife dreams up.
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