Women are knocking down stereotypes and taking on leadership roles in male-dominated sectors. The business world has seen many significant strides with women shattering barriers and leading the way to innovation. One such inspiring woman is Ingrid Watkins, the CEO of IW Consulting Group.
A passionate and accomplished leader, Ingrid brings over 20 years of experience in supplier diversity and business development. She began her career as a journalist, working for several local and national media organizations. While at The Coca-Cola Company, she landed a role as Supplier Diversity Communications Manager, responsible for managing the communications strategy for the company’s global supplier diversity department. After several years in that role, she was promoted to Sr. Supplier Diversity Manager, working diligently to advocate for the inclusion and utilization of diverse suppliers in procurement opportunities.
Having spent 15 years of her career in The Coca-Cola company, Ingrid decided to put her passion and expertise to work for a broader business community and launched IW Consulting Group in 2017.
“Diversity and Inclusion had become my brand, so it just made sense to continue to do what I had been doing for 15 years, was passionate about and if I say so myself really good at too.”
IW Consulting Group: Excelling in Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
IW Consulting Group (IWCG) is a consulting firm specializing in creating customized strategic solutions in the areas of supplier diversity and inclusion (SDI), diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and environmental, social governance (ESG).
Striving to be the go-to partner for companies, IWCG aims to create inclusive procurement strategies for companies who may not have the resources or the knowledge base to tackle the task in-house. As the CEO, Ingrid leverages her expertise to empower them by building robust and results-oriented new diversity initiatives or optimizing the performance of existing ones.
Leading with Compassion
Ingrid exemplifies inclusive leadership. She leads with compassion. She prioritizes employee well-being and strives to create a work environment that is empathic, supportive, and forgiving. She believes that leaders set the tone for the organization’s culture, and her tone is respectful. This approach not only boosts the morale of her team but also enhances overall productivity of the organization.
Overcoming Gender Bias
This consulting niche has traditionally been dominated by men who have been in the business for many years, and as a woman breaking into the field hasn’t been easy for Ingrid. She had to prove her capability as a subject matter expert and made people believe that she can actually deliver well-thought-out comprehensive strategic plans. Companies tend to go with the familiar and to overcome that, she had to create innovative tools and products to distinguish herself from the competition. Today, IWCG’s impressive client portfolio stands as a testament to their innovation, creating a legacy of success in this market space.
Expanding Capabilities to Stay Relevant
Nurturing growth beyond the boardroom, IWCG is committed to creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion (workplace) consultancy to complement their existing supplier diversity programs. They added ESG consulting, which is in high demand. To remain relevant and continue to grow, Ingrid emphasizes on expanding capabilities both personal and of her team members. Introducing new services, products, and tools to company’s portfolio has been a great growth and sustainability strategy for IWCG, leading to long-term success for the entire organization.
Leaving Behind a Legacy
Ingrid’s goal is to leave a legacy of change. She believes everyone deserves access to opportunities, everyone should be afforded the opportunity to compete in a fair and equitable environment without prejudice or bias. Having spent 30 years ensuring corporations elevate to more inclusive cultures in their hiring efforts and in their procurement contracting processes, Ingrid makes it her purpose to drive the change.
“It’s important to me that my grandchildren don’t experience some of the incredibly difficult and uncomfortable situations I’ve had to endure as they navigate their careers and pathways. I do this work so that future generations of black and brown people can achieve the futures that they work so hard for.”
Leadership Insights
“If you don’t understand the history, if you lack passion to impact change, or if you don’t understand the challenges of diverse people, please don’t pursue a DEI or supplier diversity career. It is hard work and it can be a thankless endeavour. Asking those who have all the power, wealth, and privilege to change their mindset, to be fair and to share, is no easy feat. But it is a necessary endeavour and those of us charged with this mission to drive change, must be dedicated, fearless and tireless. And I’m not tired yet!”
Diversity and Inclusion had become my brand. So it just made sense to continue to do what I had been doing for 15 years, was passionate about, and if I say so myself, really good at too.
