Helping Women Advance Their Careers in Supply Chain
March 26, 2025 5 minute read
UNFI is committed to supporting our associates as they grow their careers within the company and across the industry. One initiative delivering on that commitment is our Operations Leadership Program. Sponsored by UNFI’s Women Integrated Network Belonging & Innovation Group (WIN BIG), the program aims to expand access to leadership opportunities in operations.
“Research shows that women provide a key advantage in boosting supply chain collaboration and efficiency,” said Jennifer Kelly-Cooper, Senior Inclusion & Wellbeing Senior Learning Partner at UNFI. “However, the industry continues to lag when it comes to gender diversity in supply chain leadership roles. This development program is helping us create an inclusive, high-performing culture within UNFI’s operations.”
Driving Impact
UNFI brought together a group of 12 participants last fall to pilot the program.
The program featured two, six-week learning paths: Leading People at UNFI and Leading the Business. Participants attended live sessions and completed eLearning courses. The learning portion culminated in the team traveling to Atlanta to attend the Women in Supply Chain Forum in November.
“At the conference, I met women leaders from all cultures doing amazing things in the supply chain industry,” said Belinda Bowman, Operations Manager II at UNFI’s Indianola, Mississippi distribution center. “Sharing that experience in-person with my colleagues at UNFI, really strengthened our bond to support and collaborate with each other.”
Participants will continue to receive support, including meetings with program mentors and bi-monthly learning sessions covering additional topics in the operations space through the end of the fiscal year.
Measuring Success
The program received high marks from participants in survey results, and pre- and post-program assessments reflected an increase in financial acumen. Participants also took the CliftonStrengths™ assessment and met as a group to debrief their results.
“There have been at least two promotions in the first cohort,” offered Guillaume Bagal, VP Inclusion & Wellbeing at UNFI. “It’s also been incredibly rewarding to see participants continue to connect with each other and offer support outside of the program.”
Three column graphic. The first column showing a rating of 4.92 out of 5 stars for overall program experience, 4.92 out of five starts likely to recommend program to others. The second column includes a quote that reads "I have high confidence in actions I can take to increase net sales." A bar chart below shows 70% before program, and 91% after program, with a call out of a 21% increase. The third column contains a quote froma participant in the program that reads "Bouncing ideas and experiences off each other is really helpful and eye opening to new approaches."
Laying Groundwork for the Future
Given the success of the pilot, organizers are gearing up to support the next cohort of high-performing associates to enter the Operations Leadership Program. Past program participants will be invited to nominate candidates alongside other operations leaders beginning in June.
Thank you and congratulations to the first cohort of the Operations Leadership Program!
Belinda Bowman
Jessica Bruneau
Jannay Contreras
Ann Elliott
Irina Fedotova
Kalene Lee
Tammy Means
Jacqueline Miranda
Christy Natividad
Stephanie Norton-Rodrick
Hannah Twerdy
Jocelyn Whitfield