SPONSOR OF THE MONTH __________________________________ Back To Main Page
We would like to thank our Platinum Sponsor Office Depot for their invaluable and continued support. Their sponsorship of the WBDC has allowed us to be creative and innovative in the ways we promote and support our WBEs. Their recent sponsorship of our First Annual Conference & Business Expo was the key to it's great success. We are pleased to present an interview with Office Depot
Manager, Vendor Development, Shari Francis:
www.officedepot.com
Shari Francis
Manager, Vendor Development
What are your duties and responsibilities?
My main goal is Delivering Winning Solutions That Inspire Worklife. My duties and responsibilities are:
- Recruiting and reviewing qualified Certified Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) and their products for resale for inclusion in Office Depot reselling channels.
- Mentoring HUBs to empower them and make them the best source from which to buy.
- Creating and Update Procurement Processes.
- Preparing program materials for print distribution and web distribution.
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Why did Office Depot choose to host the WBDC Conference & Business Expo this year?
We believe in the type of exchange that takes places at Conferences. The WBDC needed a place to have the event and we fortunately had the space. |
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As a sponsor of the event, what was the highlight for you?
The highlight was meeting some excellent WBEs. As well as, enjoying the workshops that were held.
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Do you feel the event was a success? Why?
Yes. By all measures, for the first conference, I feel the WBDC surpassed my expectations. |
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Your sponsorship of this event is another means by which Office Depot supports women business enterprises, what opportunities did women take advantage of at this event?
Women had the opportunity to network with other WBEs and many corporations that have not been brought together before. Also, the workshops were innovative and unlike those I have witnessed elsewhere.
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What is the spend for Office Depot with women-owned businesses?
As a retailer our results are viewed in terms of sales, the sale of women-owned products totaled over $236M. |
As Chair of the 2008 WBDC Conference & Business Expo, Shari Francis has made a significant commitment to promote and support WBEs in Florida and across the nation. The following interview will give you insight on the role Shari played in making this conference a great success:
- Why did you accept to be Chair of the 2008 WBDC Conference & Business Expo?
- I feel that I was able to bring a level of experience to the planning and execution of the event that the WBDC didn’t have with any other active Corporation.
- What was the goal of this event? And did you meet your goal?
- The main goal was to have the event. We have been talking about doing an event like this on many levels for a long time, but this time we executed. Yes we met that goal.
- The event will launch the WBDC to the next level of growth and presence within its community. It will offer great education, matchmaking, and marketing exposure. It will deliver unmatched quality to its attendees.
- What opportunities were provided to the WBEs and guests at this event?
- Networking
- Matchmaking
- Education
- Marketing exposure
- Why is it important to provide these types of events for women businesses?
- Networking is the backbone of any business. The expression its not what you know, but who you know that rings somewhat true. I believe it is both who you know AND what you know. By meeting new people, you can run into an opportunity to present what you know and why that person needs to know it. In other words, you get the opportunity to tell an interested business why they need your products and/or services.
- What other corporations supported the event?
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