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© WEConnect International, 2014, Page 1

Jeju, South Korea, May 26, 2014

Connecting Women-Owned Businesses with Market Opportunity


About WEConnect InternationalCorporate members established WEConnect International to provide

Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification outside the US• Represents over US$700 billion in annual purchasing power• Connects non-US women-owned businesses to global value chains • Offers certification and training in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, the

Caribbean, Europe and Latin America • Provides to members an exclusive global database of women-owned

businesses (certified and self-registered)• Supports corporate members in the development and implementation of

global inclusive sourcing programs


WEConnect International Corporate Leadership


Business Case - Global Supplier Diversity & InclusionTo be sustainable in the future, companies must be inclusive in their

global sourcing

• Support business growth and revenue

• Provide a competitive advantage

• Reduce purchasing costs and drive innovation

• Enhance company brand and CSR efforts

• Support corporate clients (contractual supplier diversity requirements)

• Mirror global diverse customer and employee base

• Enhance talent recruiting and retention


Women’s Businesses are a Global OpportunityWomen are the next emerging market (EY & IFC data show)

As consumers:• Make over 70% of consumer purchasing decisions• Impact over US$20 trillion in annual global spend

As businesses:• Women-owned businesses represent 32-39% of all private

businesses globally• On average, just 1% of corporate and government spend is with

women-owned businesses globally


Corporate Global Supplier Diversity Program Best Practices

• Identify women-owned businesses in current global supply chain• Determine current annual spend with women-owned businesses

and establish a global inclusive sourcing baseline • Develop annual diverse supplier spend objectives (by country,

region, division, etc.)• Identify and engage local company program advocates• Identify procurement opportunities• Access the eNetwork to locate potential women-owned suppliers• Leverage WEConnect International staff as a resource• Measure success (# local jobs, impact on families, etc.)


WEConnect International Certification Standard•Ownership – at least 51% held by one or more women•Management – led / managed by a female Principal Executive•Control – key business decisions regarding company’s finances, operations, personnel and strategy are made by a woman

Corporations that publicly report diverse spend require their women-owned suppliers to be certified

•Self-registration – same criteria


Website: www.WEConnectInternational.orgEmail: [email protected]

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