Wyndham Worldwide was honored with the Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year award from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s national dinner in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 22.
This is the first time the global hospitality company, a founding corporate partner of the NGLCC, has received the award for its commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, according to the Dec. 9 news release announcing the receipt of the award.
Wyndham Worldwide has long been a supporter of women’s travel with its Women on their Way and green initiatives with the hospitality company’s green program.
“At Wyndham Worldwide, we understand the power of diversity. Every day we see immense value and benefit of varied cultures, experiences and perspectives that allow us to best meet our needs as we continue to grow as a global company,” says Jose Nido, vice president of Global Supplier Diversity, Wyndham Worldwide. “Cultivating and expanding diversity throughout the company, including our supply partners, is one of our core values.”
The global hospitality company is one of the world’s largest publicly held hospitality companies. It boasts of 17 hotel brands with hotels, resorts and timeshares around the world, including Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ramada Worldwide, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Days Inn, Super 8, Travel Lodge to name a few with approximately 7,440 hotels worldwide. In addition to the company’s hotels and resorts, it had nine Wyndham exchanges and rentals brands, including Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Canvas Holidays, Cottages 4 You, Landal and more serving an estimated 3.7 million RCI subscribing members with more than 106,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. The company offers guests to rent anything from vacation ownership condominiums, traditional hotel rooms, villas, cottages, bungalows, campgrounds, city apartments, second homes, fractional resorts, private residence clubs, condo hotels and yachts. The company also offers four brands of vacation rentals, including Club Wyndham, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, World Mark Wyndham and Shell Vacations Club with more than 185 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific representing more than 23,000 owned vacation housing.
Through its supplier diversity program, Wyndham Worldwide includes diverse suppliers when possible in each request for proposal and bid notice, mentors existing and potential suppliers, builds partnerships with each supplier, increases internal and external awareness of its supplier diversity programs and goals, and expands its supplier diversity outreach around the globe.
In the U.S., the program focuses on eight groups, including African-Americans; Hispanic-Americans; Asian-Americans; Native-Americans; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered; women; veterans and disabled-veterans; and disabled-owned businesses. Globally, Wyndham Worldwide partners with such organizations as Minority Supplier Development UK and Minority Supplier Development China which work to connect diverse suppliers with corporations, and WEConnect International, which seeks to empower women business owners to succeed in local and global markets.
“We look forward to continuing our work with the NGLCC, but also further strengthening our relationship with even more diverse-owned businesses as we cultivate a global supplier diversity network where individuals from all types of backgrounds with different experiences and viewpoints are valued,” Jose says.
Wyndham Worldwide’s supplier diversity initiative has received numerous accolades, including DiversityInc’s 2012 and 2013 Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity, DiversityPlus magazine’s 2012 Champions of Diversity, Hispanic Network magazine’s “Best of the Best” Top 50 Supplier Diversity Programs for Hispanics, Morris County (New Jersey) Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Corporation of the Year, and Outstanding Corporate Partner by the Florida Minority Business Opportunity Center, according to the release.
The NGLCC is the only national not-for-profit advocacy organization dedicated to expanding the economic opportunities and advancements of the LGBT business community. With more than 29,000 members, 140 corporate partners, and 52 local, state, and international affiliate chambers, NGLCC is the largest LGBT business development and economic advocacy organization in the world.
To contract an original article, purchase reprints or become a media partner, contact ">editor [@] girlsthatroam [.] com.
