Allianz Holdings diversifies suppliers

Allianz Holdings is striving to place more business with diverse suppliers through a pilot with Kaleida International, an inclusive business-to-business (B2B) marketplace for tenders.

Suppliers listed on Kaleida are businesses which are at least 51% owned and operated by women, veterans, people from ethnic minorities, from LGBTQ+ communities, or people who are neurodivergent or have disabilities. These suppliers are often certified by a third-party entity but can also be self-certified.

The partnership with Kaleida will support procurement, supply and workplace services within the Allianz group, including LV=, as they look to diversify their pool of providers. Alongside traditional market research tools, it will help them identify, assess and invite diverse suppliers to their upcoming tenders. The types of contracts that may come in its scope include software and IT services, research and insight or asset valuation, to name a few examples.

The supplier diversity pilot runs until the end of the year, allowing Allianz to deep dive into its pipeline of opportunities and review the Kaleida platform in detail to maximise all the benefits that the partnership can bring. It builds on other Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, such as Allianz’s sustainable procurement charter, which prioritises suppliers with strong ESG commitments. The Kaleida partnership focuses on the social element of the ESG agenda.

Oleh Melnyk, head of procurement at Allianz Holdings, commented: “Not only is it the right thing to do but it will also give us a competitive edge. We know the richness of thought and action that come with diversity and we’re looking forward to working with our new suppliers.”

Jason Roberts (pictured), Founder and CEO of Kaleida International, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Allianz on board Kaleida as part of its ESG initiative. Our unique ability to connect diverse suppliers who join our fully inclusive platform to the published tenders of thought-leading corporations like Allianz will greatly improve the economic outcomes of firms owned by marginalised, diverse communities.”

Authored by Allianz