Donna L. Westerman Vice President, Head of Retail and Consumer Goods, and Vice President for Consulting
@MaplecroftRisk
DONNA L. WESTERMAN
GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN EXECUTIVE
Building on an exceptional career of establishing and optimizing global supply chain processes, performance, and systems, Ms. Westerman has been tapped by major corporations to optimize mission-critical sourcing operations. Leveraging her commitment to social responsibility and an executive vision of business sustainability, Donna repeatedly employed leadership and business acumen in mitigating risk, achieving cost savings and cost avoidance targets, and ensuring operational resilience.
Donna’s fiscal discipline and resource-allocation strategies consistently delivered aggressive revenue, cost, and profit results. A global thinker, she created socially conscious and diverse organizations, with repeated success in developing programs that supported corporate diversity and social responsibility. As a respected communicator, company spokesperson, and subject matter expert, Donna communicates a compelling vision in diverse venues.
Currently, Donna’s role at Verisk Maplecroft is to develop and enhance CSR programs and processes for global retail and consumer clients. As Vice President, Head of Retail and Consumer Goods, and Vice President for Consulting, she advises and leads strategic and tactical solutions for large-scale corporate initiatives, commodity and country risk analysis, sustainable sourcing, and human rights. Focusing on systemic change to improve working conditions and environmental impact in the supply chain, the strategy provides flexibility and is responsive to current and projected needs.
From 2008 to 2016, she served in leadership roles with Mars, Inc. Starting as Director, Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Supplier Diversity, Wrigley Corp, she architected social responsibility and diversity programs to bring Wrigley in line with industry best practices. Donna’s positive impact included implementing Social Compliance Audits and a Best-in-Class Supplier Diversity Program.
Donna’s successes led to her promotion to Vice President of Responsible Sourcing, in 2013, where she led the global development and rollout of a responsible sourcing strategy across Mars’ five divisions, with 60,000+ associates. Her initiatives ensured Mars’ business was consistent with the laws, rules, and regulations of suppliers’ countries, while avoiding risks to its reputation, operations, and supplier relationships. Donna navigated complex economic, social, governmental, and environmental issues, developing tools and processes that avoided supply chain interruptions, met customers’ reporting requirements, responded to reputational accusations, and ensured the humane treatment and fair compensation of workers.
Prior to her work with Mars, Donna excelled as Director of Diversity & Social Accountability/Global Supply Chain (2002 to 2006) for Avon Products, Inc. At Avon, she created a social accountability program that included health and safety, human rights, and ethical and environmental principles. She revitalized the Supplier Diversity Procurement Program, restored industry credibility, and devised a corporate strategy for all North American business locations. Of note was implementation of a national Minority and Woman Business Enterprise outreach strategy, which earned a Best-in-Class Ranking (2005) from the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE).
Earlier positions with Bristol-Myers Squibb (Director, Global IT, Director, Supplier Diversity and Social Accountability, and Manager, MRO Purchasing) provided the foundation and expertise that enabled Donna to build effective global partnerships, programs, systems, and operations.
Donna’s impressive credentials include an MBA in Industrial Relations and a BS in Business Administration and Marketing from Seton Hall University, and a Certification in Corporate Social Responsibility from Harvard Business School. She has served on numerous executive committees and boards of directors, including Sedex, Aim-Progress, National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and Women Presidents’ Educational Organization.