Ricoh Named Among “Best of the Best” Champions of Diversity

DiversityPlus Magazine names Christina Morrow, director of global procurement for Ricoh USA Inc., among the “Best of the Best” in its 15^th annual 2020 Best of the Best Champion of Diversity issue. The yearly list showcases “the most dynamic and effective supplier executives” who use their position to promote diversity.

To celebrate 15 years, the DiversityPlus Editorial Board looked back at past winners to compile the Best of the Best list.

“Christina Morrow is a champion for diversity in every way. She always goes out of her way to include Perfect Output LLC on any Ricoh endeavor that requires diversity spend,” says Asya Evans, COO, Perfect Output LLC. “Not only does she understand the importance of working with small diverse businesses to increase their growth, but also works to ensure that the strategies pursued by our partnership provide the customer with the greatest value. Ricoh, diverse businesses and customers win when Christina engages in new business opportunities. No one is more deserving of this acknowledgment than Christina; she truly is among the best of the best.”

Morrow has earned recognition from DiversityPlus five times, and this is her second consecutive year as a champion of diversity. For the Best of the Best, DiversityPlus reached out to past champions for information on their latest strategies, initiatives, and challenges. The editorial board selected 34 leaders from among hundreds of past winners.

Paul Lachhu, the editor of DiversityPlus Magazine, says, “Christina Morrow at Ricoh has distinguished herself as a standout, even when compared with some of the most dedicated promoters of supplier diversity in the world. One reason she keeps making our list—and is now part of our Best of the Best—is her dedication to building lasting, collaborative partnerships with suppliers, developing high-touch relationships where suppliers know they can work with Morrow and Ricoh to solve anything business throws at them.”

Morrow relies on various best practices, including linking outcomes to business objectives and developing and maintaining a database of diverse suppliers. Through her efforts, Ricoh formalized a policy that every request for proposals (RFP) process must include at least one diverse supplier, and she collaborates with business unit stakeholders to help ensure continued growth in customer contracting opportunities for diverse suppliers.

“At Ricoh, we appreciate the importance of diversity,” says Donna Venable, executive vice president of human resources and deputy general manager, Ricoh Americas. “By bringing in more perspectives, being more inclusive and empowering more people to be part of the value we bring, we can address a wider array of issues and uncover new, innovative approaches. Christina Morrow understands the importance of diversity and inclusion, and Ricoh is fortunate to have such a passionate advocate in her role.”